Art Directors
Median $114,850
Occupation · SOC 27-1014
Special Effects Artists and Animators: pay and where the jobs are
What special effects artists and animators earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$102,030 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $112,870
- Median hourly wage
- $49.06
- Mean hourly wage
- $54.27
- Employment
- 19,970
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-1014.
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See where your pay falls among special effects artists and animators nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do special effects artists and animators make?
The median annual wage for special effects artists and animators was $102,030 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $58,600 and the highest-paid 10% more than $177,110. As an hourly rate, the median is $49.06. About 19,970 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($133,480), California ($130,540) and Nevada ($97,350). Washington also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for special effects artists and animators looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,600 | $28.17 | $4,883 | $4,105 |
| 25th percentile | $75,490 | $36.29 | $6,291 | $5,161 |
| Median | $102,030 | $49.06 | $8,503 | $6,717 |
| 75th percentile | $139,130 | $66.89 | $11,594 | $8,863 |
| 90th percentile | $177,110 | $85.15 | $14,759 | $11,027 |
Special Effects Artists and Animators: pay by state
31 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$94,052 take-home in national prices
2
$82,097 take-home in national prices
3
$77,332 take-home in national prices
Where a median special effects artists and animator paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,130 | $133,480 | $65,270 | $209,400 | $100,648 | $94,052 |
| California | 7,410 | $130,540 | $71,710 | $206,160 | $90,898 | $82,097 |
| Nevada | 370 | $97,350 | $72,720 | $129,470 | $77,316 | $77,332 |
| New York | 1,540 | $96,770 | $60,190 | $176,190 | $71,795 | $66,526 |
| Colorado | 210 | $91,290 | $57,350 | $124,990 | $69,342 | $67,289 |
| Arizona | 190 | $89,650 | $59,870 | $100,230 | $70,051 | $69,580 |
| North Carolina | 370 | $88,350 | $53,790 | $120,150 | $67,968 | $72,056 |
| Utah | 320 | $88,210 | $29,990 | $152,720 | $67,016 | $67,786 |
| Michigan | 230 | $86,630 | $54,260 | $194,550 | $66,343 | $68,952 |
| Florida | 1,530 | $85,870 | $71,140 | $114,920 | $69,240 | $66,954 |
| Maryland | 170 | $85,830 | $52,710 | $110,750 | $65,500 | $62,406 |
| Tennessee | 90 | $83,080 | $60,320 | $170,300 | $67,277 | $73,230 |
| Virginia | 380 | $81,510 | $47,140 | $138,210 | $62,300 | $61,619 |
| Georgia | 350 | $81,390 | $40,000 | $106,120 | $62,775 | $65,192 |
| Illinois | 630 | $81,180 | $60,760 | $136,710 | $62,067 | $62,093 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $80,640 | $57,900 | $109,820 | $61,377 | $58,036 |
| Rhode Island | Not published | $80,040 | $45,810 | $99,060 | $61,873 | $60,494 |
| Texas | Not published | $78,930 | $56,020 | $150,000 | $64,357 | $66,309 |
| Indiana | 300 | $75,250 | $50,920 | $93,090 | $59,578 | $63,837 |
| Pennsylvania | 300 | $71,760 | $49,680 | $103,940 | $57,060 | $58,480 |
| Ohio | 200 | $67,000 | $45,310 | $166,260 | $54,566 | $58,816 |
| Oklahoma | Not published | $66,980 | $50,820 | $77,860 | $53,482 | $60,883 |
| Missouri | 80 | $65,470 | $48,020 | $103,740 | $52,645 | $57,969 |
| Minnesota | 30 | $64,990 | $62,070 | $77,990 | $51,218 | $51,934 |
| Wisconsin | 210 | $64,890 | $53,270 | $154,340 | $51,976 | $55,238 |
| Kansas | Not published | $62,720 | $56,470 | $102,530 | $49,875 | $55,375 |
| West Virginia | 40 | $60,940 | $50,860 | $77,740 | $49,240 | $55,018 |
| New Mexico | 80 | $54,000 | $52,070 | $82,180 | $44,197 | $47,929 |
| Kentucky | 40 | $50,970 | $44,700 | $89,930 | $41,468 | $45,994 |
| Nebraska | 90 | $50,830 | $43,340 | $80,520 | $41,589 | $46,157 |
| Iowa | Not published | $47,530 | $39,300 | $104,000 | $39,216 | $44,685 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-1014. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.