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The differences between production artists and animators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a production artist, becoming an animator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an animator has an average salary of $76,853, which is higher than the $61,870 average annual salary of a production artist.
The top three skills for a production artist include graphic design, adobe photoshop and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for an animator are animation, motion capture, and storyboards.
| Production Artist | Animator | |
| Yearly salary | $61,870 | $76,853 |
| Hourly rate | $29.75 | $36.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,103 | 551 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.
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.
Production artists and animators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Artist | Animator | |
| Average salary | $61,870 | $76,853 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $94,000 | Between $52,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between a production artist and an animator in terms of educational background:
| Production Artist | Animator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Animation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between production artists' and animators' demographics:
| Production Artist | Animator | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 13% | 11% |