How to hire a Technical Artist

How to hire a technical artist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step technical artist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a technical artist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new technical artist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Technical Artist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The technical artist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   A technical artist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, technical artists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of technical artists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Technical Artist	Description	Hourly Rate
   Technical Artist	Multimedia artists and animators create animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games, and other forms of media.	$27-67
   Freelance Designer	Freelance designers are creative, independent contractors who create visual and graphic designs for their clients. They develop text and illustrated versions of brands, messages, and communications with strong visible influence with their clients... Show More	$18-39
   Motion Graphics Designer	A motion graphic designer specializes in producing artworks used in television, film, and web. Their responsibilities often revolve around submitting within a deadline, attending creative meetings, collaborating with fellow designers, following directives from clients, producing trial designs, and editing them in adherence to senior designers or clients' recommendations... Show More	$21-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Python
   • Animation
   • C++
   • Unity
   • MEL
   • Game Development
   • Unreal Engine
   • AAA
   • VFX
   • VR
   • Game Engine
   • Technical Art
   • UI
   • ZBrush

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Unity3D assets for game prototype.
   • Write tools in Maxscript, MEL, javascript, python, and vbscript to automate repetitive processes.
   • Create 2D / 3D art assets for PC and PlayStation 3 video games.
   • Fill numerous roles as needed from UI & FX, to environment art, implementation, and tool authoring.
   • Design, develop and support software tools for animation production pipeline.
   • Write tools in Mel for the art team.

   More Technical Artist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your technical artist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A technical artist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, technical artists' average salary in south carolina is 70% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level technical artists 60% less than senior-level technical artists.
   • Certifications. A technical artist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a technical artist's salary.

   Average technical artist salary

   $90,692yearly

   $43.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level technical artist salary

   $57,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2025

   Average technical artist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$121,983	$59
   2	New York	$102,103	$49
   3	Washington	$97,085	$47
   4	Oregon	$89,220	$43
   5	Illinois	$87,277	$42
   6	North Carolina	$86,694	$42
   7	Massachusetts	$82,746	$40
   8	Michigan	$81,530	$39
   9	Indiana	$76,140	$37
   10	Utah	$75,102	$36
   11	Virginia	$66,867	$32
   12	Florida	$59,304	$29
   13	Texas	$57,274	$28
   14	Georgia	$53,725	$26
   15	Ohio	$50,018	$24

   Average technical artist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Meta	$161,272	$77.53	174
   2	NVIDIA	$155,479	$74.75	59
   3	Google	$149,772	$72.01	26
   4	Apple	$148,924	$71.60	43
   5	Microsoft	$144,130	$69.29	81
   6	The Walt Disney Company	$139,918	$67.27	69
   7	Zoox	$137,933	$66.31	21
   8	Cruise Automation	$131,100	$63.03
   9	Amazon	$129,239	$62.13	635
   10	Intel	$118,801	$57.12	46
   11	Accenture	$115,945	$55.74	1,138
   12	Unity Technologies	$115,103	$55.34	4
   13	WayForward	$114,000	$54.81
   14	Future	$111,570	$53.64	7
   15	Tesla	$109,398	$52.60	69
   16	TikTok	$109,394	$52.59
   17	Warner Bros.	$108,357	$52.09	17
   18	Qualcomm	$107,907	$51.88	9
   19	Magic Leap	$107,475	$51.67
   20	Sony Pictures	$106,829	$51.36	8

4. Writing a Technical Artist Job Description

   A job description for a technical artist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a technical artist job description:

   Technical Artist job description example

   As a Technical Game Artist in Kabam's Montreal studio you are the glue between our Artists and Programmers. An Artist at heart, your technical abilities working across tools and tech is what sets you apart.
   
   You will contribute by:Working closely with artists, designers, engineers and the rest of the team to create and improve art production workflows, tools, pipelines, and asset optimization/integration Developing pipelines and tools for the team Contributing to rendering and shading techniques and processes Researching and prototyping cutting-edge tools and rendering techniques Finding creative solutions to realize artistic visions within the technical limits Your teammates at Kabam Montreal are without a doubt the best in the games industry and we expect you to learn a lot. But we also hope to learn a lot from you so we expect you to bring your passion for working in a team but also your leadership in owning what you do and work hard on making us better.
   
   Your background includes:2+ years development experience in UnitySolid game industry experience, specifically in a technical artist role Comfortable with troubleshooting artist technical problems Proficiency in Maya and/or Motionbuilder and creating tools in these programs Knowledge of art optimization techniques Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written Experience in Unity Scripting (C#) Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and prioritize tasks accordingly Kabam Montreal is building a dynasty. We have carved out a unique culture based on clear mandates that naturally hold our team members responsible and accountable. We work hard to stay lean & efficient. We try to keep bureaucracy low and processes at a minimum to allow for rapid innovation and flourishing productivity.
   
   Kabam is a world leader in developing entertaining, immersive, and highly social multiplayer games, bringing high-quality graphics, next-generation technology, and revolutionary gameplay to players around the world.
   
   Kabam's games, Marvel Contest of Champions, Disney Mirrorverse, Shop Titans, and Transformers: Forged to Fight, have generated hundreds of millions of downloads and have received multiple awards including Apple's Editor's Choice and Google Play's Best Game of the Year.
   
   Founded in 2006, Kabam has studios and offices in North America, including Vancouver and Montreal in Canada, and Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States. Kabam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netmarble Games.
   Kabam is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and equitable workplace, and inclusive environment for all existing and potential employees. Employment decisions are based on candidate qualifications and business need, not race, color, ancestry, place of origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, political belief, religion, creed, marital or family status, medical condition, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, prior criminal conviction or any other protected class in accordance with federal, state or provincial and local laws and ordinances. Accommodations will be provided as requested by candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right technical artist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with technical artists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit technical artists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your technical artist job on Zippia to find and attract quality technical artist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with technical artist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new technical artist

   Once you've found the technical artist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new technical artist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a technical artist?