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What is a special effects artist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a special effects artist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $38.59 an hour? That's $80,262 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 3,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreSpecial Effects ArtistUS Average
Salary
6.3

Avg. Salary $80,262

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 13.59%

Black or African American 8.74%

Hispanic or Latino 20.39%

Unknown 5.50%

White 51.13%

Gender

female 45.45%

male 54.55%

Age - 32
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 32
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
0.6

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Special effects artist career paths

Key steps to become a special effects artist

  1. Explore special effects artist education requirements

    Most common special effects artist degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.4 %

    Associate

    22.5 %

    High School Diploma

    5.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific special effects artist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Animation22.57%
    Maya17.40%
    Graphic Design15.13%
    VFX13.72%
    Motion Graphics12.57%
  3. Research special effects artist duties and responsibilities

    • Train & supervise newly appoint employee in achieving realistic looking effects and help integrating the effects in compositing with cg elements.
    • Provide exceptional customer service experience and demonstrate knowledge of products as well as Chanel history and heritage.
    • Work as a specialist and makeup artist for Chanel cosmetics, skincare, and fragrance.
    • Develop and maintains company website and blog as well as other social media outlets including Pinterest, LinkedIn and Facebook.
  4. Prepare your special effects artist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your special effects artist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a special effects artist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable special effects artist resume templates

    Build a professional special effects artist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your special effects artist resume.
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
    Special Effects Artist Resume
  5. Apply for special effects artist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a special effects artist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first special effects artist job

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Average special effects artist salary

The average special effects artist salary in the United States is $80,262 per year or $39 per hour. Special effects artist salaries range between $43,000 and $146,000 per year.

Average special effects artist salary
$80,262 Yearly
$38.59 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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