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The differences between visual 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 visual artist and an animator. Additionally, a visual artist has an average salary of $81,873, which is higher than the $76,853 average annual salary of an animator.
The top three skills for a visual artist include animation, maya and visual development. The most important skills for an animator are animation, motion capture, and storyboards.
| Visual Artist | Animator | |
| Yearly salary | $81,873 | $76,853 |
| Hourly rate | $39.36 | $36.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 7,209 | 551 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Visual artists are the type of artists that engage their audience through their eyes. This type of artist expresses their feelings in different ways. They can use any material to make their feelings known. Sometimes, they express their feelings using carved wood, digital imagery, and installations from objects they find randomly. They may use water vapor or bee pollen to let the world see their feelings, thoughts, and ideals. They can also choose to work independently or work with studios that produce cartoons, develop games, and have a fixed schedule to work on a project.
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.
Visual artists and animators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Artist | Animator | |
| Average salary | $81,873 | $76,853 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $127,000 | Between $52,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between a visual artist and an animator in terms of educational background:
| Visual Artist | Animator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Fine Arts | Animation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between visual artists' and animators' demographics:
| Visual Artist | Animator | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |