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The differences between game artists and animators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a game artist and an animator. Additionally, a game artist has an average salary of $86,932, which is higher than the $76,853 average annual salary of an animator.
The top three skills for a game artist include animation, maya and sketch. The most important skills for an animator are animation, motion capture, and storyboards.
| Game Artist | Animator | |
| Yearly salary | $86,932 | $76,853 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $36.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,040 | 551 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
This individual is tasked with just one thing, and that is to create 2D or 3D art for visual elements in video games. Their task is crucial in the process of creating games. They visualize how a game will look and ensure it comes out exactly that way. They design a few preliminary sketches and develop them according to the general style of the video game. They are required to work on components like characters, textures, vehicles, colors, lighting, objects, and environment.
The animators are specialized artists who conceptualized ideas from their creative minds with technology applications. Animators cater to different specialties depending on their expertise. They used multiple techniques and tools to create a digital masterpiece. An animator is required to have an excellent time and project management skills to meet deadlines. They should also be detail-oriented and technology savvy to keep up with the latest trend in the digital market. Animators are required to have regular communication with the respective department for the updates or adjustments as needed.
Game artists and animators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Artist | Animator | |
| Average salary | $86,932 | $76,853 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $133,000 | Between $52,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Media |
There are a few differences between a game artist and an animator in terms of educational background:
| Game Artist | Animator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Animation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between game artists' and animators' demographics:
| Game Artist | Animator | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |