How Much Do Professional Animators Get Paid?

Storytellers are now able to tell tales in novel ways thanks to animation. Animated movies’ vivid fantasy realms may rekindle your imagination and the charm of tales. So whether you want to or are a storyteller, animation is a terrific place to start.

The method of animating art involves giving it motion and life. It is a technique for modifying still photos of figures to give the impression that they are moving. By making consecutive images or drawings of the topic, the illusion of movement is created.

Animation takes into account visual information about our eyes and how we remember images. One-tenth of a second is the average amount of time a picture is kept.

For the brain to combine all of the visuals into the perception of movement, animators place several images in quick succession. The average frame rate is 24 fps.

Is Animation a good career?

A man editing photos on a computer
Earning a bachelor’s degree in animation may improve your capacity to work in a field with a variety of professional options.

Yes, it is!

Most multimedia artists, including animators, have a bachelor’s degree in animation. Graduates with this degree might find employment as video game designers, art directors, or film and video directors.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you need a degree to start working as an animator.

Animation is highly skill- and talent-based; you need command over various software and animation styles. Creativity is a huge factor; You need to understand what the clients want and turn their imagination into a realistic animation.

Over the next ten years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 4% increase in the number of jobs for painters and animators.

Art director, animation artist, fine or craft artist, graphic designer, and web developer are common occupations in the animation industry. Your ability to work in a creative sector with various employment opportunities may be enhanced by earning a bachelor’s degree in animation.

Numerous industries use animators. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 56% of animators and multimedia artists work for themselves.

Many animators may operate as independent contractors or freelancers, accepting numerous tasks from diverse customers. The best businesses to work for are gaming, cinema, and television. Many of the animation positions with the highest incomes are located here.

Public relations and advertising both need animators. They could work as a contractual animator or in-house employees in advertising agencies and mobile businesses. An animator could work remotely, depending on the role and company.

Do Animators make good money?

Man at an animation studio.
Depending on the company you work for, there are several pay scales for animators.

The average annual wage for multimedia artists and animators is $77,700, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average according to Glassdoor, an online employment site, is $74,000. Similar to many other professions, the pay for animators is based on experience; senior animators or art directors can make well into six figures.

The pay scale for animators varies based on the business you work for. Salary levels at large-profit organizations may be greater than those at smaller ones. The annual salary range for animators is $42,390 to over $142,750.

The motion picture and video industries, with an average income of $92,250, and software publishers, with an average salary of $82,330, are the top-paid sectors.

Animators can also find employment in the $69,200 field of computer systems design as well as the $73,820 field of advertising and public relations.

Depending on where you work, getting a master’s degree occasionally increases your income potential. However, a bachelor’s degree is needed for the majority of animator roles.

Freelance Animator

Animators can also work as freelancers, and the freelancing market is vast. Animation is a very sought-after profession in the online world. They can work as web designers to Manga and Anime illustrators.

Best Website For Freelance Animation WorkFiverr, LinkedIn, Upwork
Average Salary$32.33 an hour
Basic Investmenti5 CPU, 8GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive, a graphics tablet, and a built-in 2GB GPU
What you should know about being a freelance animator.

You most likely won’t be able to generate enough money in your first few months of freelance animation to support yourself. Yes, you could have a few customers, but after a few weeks or months, you’ll have to look for new ones.

It takes plenty of time and effort to find clients. You won’t just have animation projects handed to you out of the blue. Building a clientele and marketing yourself both need time and effort.

By delivering high-quality animation projects on schedule, you may urge your clients to continue working with you and even recommend you to others in the industry.

Conversely, if your animation clients aren’t happy with your work, it won’t take long for them to harm your reputation. Consequently, finding clients will be more challenging.

Challenges as a Freelance Animator

Woman is choosing the colours for new project, looking at the Pantone
Freelancing has its challenges, but if you are equipped to deal with them, it is surely beneficial.

It’s typical for a freelance animator to experience weeks and months with few to no clients and projects to work on. Freelancing won’t provide you with a consistent income as working for an animation company will.

Knowing that you should practice income budgeting. Don’t spend all of your money on holidays, the newest electronics, or designer clothing when you receive a sizable payment for an animation assignment.

Spend your money sensibly and set aside money for all of your necessities, including those groceries, utilities, insurance, and a place to live. Don’t forget to invest or save money as well so you have cash on hand for unforeseen needs and enough money to pay your bills when you don’t have enough jobs.

Being a freelancer has problems, but it is undoubtedly worthwhile if you are prepared to handle them. Even when you don’t have a consistent source of money, freelancing animation may be enjoyable with the right planning and effort.

You have a greater responsibility when working as a freelance animator, but you also control your working hours and downtime. From 9 am to 5 pm, there is no need for you to drive through traffic to get to the workplace. There is no reason to feel bad about staying in on a sick day. You won’t have to wear cosmetics all the time, miss out on family vacations, or keep up with the newest office trends.

There is no right or wrong choice between freelance animation and studio animation. You must choose whether the freelance animation lifestyle fits your character and circumstances. You could worry a lot due to your inconsistent income, which might outweigh your liberties.

What is the highest salary Animator?

To land a job at one of the famous animation companies, experience and education are essential.

The animator is a role in animation that is distinct from that of the visual development artist, character technical director, 3D modeler, and animation art director. On feature films like Frozen, studios like Disney employ 40 to 60 animators, with the top animators earning up to $125,000 annually.

Any level of animation combines art and science. People who want to work in this industry should start drawing and sketching while they are young. Because animation is a software-intensive industry, your distinctive artistic qualities must meld with computer science. If you are proficient in both of these, you can find a profitable and satisfying job in the animation industry.

How much money do animation artists make?

Conclusion

  • When a video is exhibited as a series, animation creates a sense of movement by photographing repeated drawings, and positions of puppets, or models.
  • Animation is a very sought-after job in today’s era, with an ever-growing market. Animators can earn a lot if they have the required skill, dedication, and experience.
  • It’s a career worth pursuing and getting a degree in for better opportunities in life.

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