Becoming an animator is one of the most prevailing career choices in the United States. It is an industry that can make you everything from nothing by acquiring adequate expertise and experience.
A professional animator can reach phenomenal heights by earning up to $79,303. The United States is held highly as paying handsomely per hour rates and salaries to animators.
This article by Superprof will thoroughly discover how well the pay of animators is and what factors influence their pay scale.
Who Are Animators And What Do They Do On The Job?
Animators are artists who create multiple images called frames. When these frames are displayed in a rapid sequence, they produce an illusion of movement called 'animation.'
Before jumping to the salaries and remuneration of animators, it is essential to know who they are and what work they do.
An animator can create content in various fields, including Television, films, video-making, and much more. The artistic style and skill substantively reflect on their method of creating images and frames.
Furthermore, some artists contribute to creating animated cartoons but are not animators. Some of them include layout, background, and storyboard artists.
Which State Pays Animators The Most In The US?
Let's explore how much can you make as an animator in the different significant states of the United States:
| State | Average Annual Pay Of An Animator | Per Hour Rate Of An Animator |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $68,394 | $22.31 |
| California | $71,847 | $18.86 |
| Texas | $55,377 | $13.65 |
| Florida | $61,020 | $15.47 |
| District of Columbia | $89,770 | $35.44 |
| Georgia | $57,020 | $18.97 |
| Hawaii | $62,120 | $29.87 |
| Illinois | $58,864 | $13.06 |
| Kentucky | $50,540 | $24.30 |
Numerous factors affect the salary rates of animators throughout the United States. As we can see above, the annual average salary varies extensively from state to state in the US.
In addition, the state's population, demand for animation, and the number of valuable animators across a state play a crucial role in setting the rates of an animator in the United States.
How Much Can You Earn As An Animator In The US Depending On Your Qualifications, Expertise, And Experience
It would be best to remember that numerous factors affect your pay rate as an animator. There are different levels of becoming an animator from start to end.
Every level has a different pay scale set according to your skillset and experience as a practicing animator.
Let's explore the different levels of becoming an animator and how much pay you will receive in each of them:
How Much Does A Beginner Animators Earn In The United States?
Once you step into any profession, you are called a beginner. However, after acquiring the relevant education and skill, it's time to put your knowledge to practice.
Beginners do not make much money in the beginning. This is because they are in their learning and training phase.
But as a beginner, you should not lose motivation and continue working hard to gain constructive experience in your respective field. As time passes, you will establish yourself as a top-tier experienced professional.
Following that, as a beginner animator, you may receive a regular or even less than regular salary. The reason for this is that you are in the learning category.
You are learning sketching for beginners and how to draw images and frames to make a top-quality animation.
As an entry-level animator, you may receive a job, project, or work at an hourly rate of $26. As estimated, your average annual salary as a beginner in animation may not be more than $65,803 in the United States.
However, this range may fall between $53,803 and $79,303, depending upon your talent, expertise, and how quickly you learn the different ways and tactics of executing animation.
It would be best for you to work hard to make your worth. Then, as time passes, you can obtain substantive experience and expertise to formulate into an utterly professional animator.
This will cause an evident surge in your per-hour and average annual rate as an animator.
How Much Does A Middle-Level Animator Earn In The United States?
Once you start adding years of experience to your animation career, your worth will begin to increase phenomenally.
Hence, your per hour rate may jump to $38 in the United States. In addition to that, your average annual salary may total up to $68 843 approximately in the US.
It will increase your wages to sky-high levels, which will be your true worth working as an animator. However, the key to reaching the ultimate bar of success is not to stop hustling.
How Much Does A Senior Animator Earn In The United States?
Following your animation journey throughout the years, you will emerge as a senior-level animator. Finally, after spending substantive years in the sphere of animation, you can find out your true worth as an animator in the United States.
As a senior-level animator, you can make up to $44 per hour in the United States. Therefore, your approximate average annual salary will amount to no less than $79,303.
And an excellent benefit of becoming a thoroughly professional animator is that you can charge your clients distinctly for every project or work that you do.
For instance, you can draw manga characters for your clients and charge them up to $50 per hour as an advanced-level manga animator.
Unfortunately, drawing manga characters in animation is a skill that is not accessible to everyone. Very few animators are skilled enough to know how to draw manga characters.
Following that, to maintain high salaries and continue to be paid well, it is essential to stay high-spirited and consistent towards your animation career.
You should not become overconfident after becoming a top-notch animator, as it can ruin your career. Instead, you should maintain your work standard by practicing and keeping yourself up-to-date.
How Much Can Animators Earn Depending On The Field They Choose In The United States
The United States encompasses animators from different industries. As discussed at the article's start, animators opt and work in various fields.
Here we have shared the remuneration of animators from some industries in the United States.
The Earning Potentials Of Animators In The Television And Films Industry In The US
An animator in the movie and television industry can make up to $76,000 per year.
Furthermore, the innovation of 2D and 3D technology in films and television has further spiked the demand for animators. Let's have a look at their pay scale in the United States;
| Animator | Rate Per Hour | Annual Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2D | $30.09 | $60,000 |
| 3D | $37.12 | $77,000 |
The Earning Potentials For Manga Animators In The US
Japanese comic books and graphic novels are called manga. They encompass pictures that convey a message by addressing both adults and children.
A manga artist may make from $12,521 to $339,998. So if you know how to draw manga characters, you can earn a median salary of $61,039.
The middle 57% of manga artists make between $61,043 and $153,505, with the top 86% earning $339,998.
The Earning Potentials For Character Animators In The US
The role of a character animator is to bring animated characters to life. Often referred to as 'actors with a pencil,' character animators invest substantive effort into making these animations.
Although it requires extensive hard work and effort to create character animations, they pay you well. So being a character animator, you can earn up to $81,630 in the United States.
The Earning Potentials For Motion Graphics Animators In The US
A motion graphics animator has to create engaging artwork for the web, films, or television. They use creative, cinematic, visual effects, and other animation techniques to bring life to their creations.
This is one of the most popular animator roles in the United States, providing reasonable remuneration. You can get a pay of up to $50,313 in the United States.
The Earning Potentials For Visual Effects Animators In The US
A visual effects animator adds special effects in a clip or film that cannot be added during live shooting.
It would not be hard for you to create compelling visual effects as an animator if you know how to draw exceptionally.
As a visual effect animator, you can earn up to $37.36 per hour, which means that you can make an average annual income of $77,700.
The Earning Potentials For Freelance Animators In The US
The idea of freelance refers to self-employing yourself. Freelancers can work for different companies on their projects and assignments.
They are directly linked with their clients and customers, unlike contracted employees. In addition, there is no middle man, thereby staving off the worry of earning less.
Freelancing animation is an excellent and constructive move for animators as it helps build a stable and progressive career path for them.
Numerous animators are making their careers through freelancing in the United States. By sitting in the comfort and convenience of their homes, they can provide top-tier animation services worldwide.
Therefore, freelance animators can earn up to $50-$120 per hour. Starting from low rates can help you make a solid client base.
Afterwards, you can gradually increase your rates and emerge successfully. Then, you can offer your clients several animation services.
For instance, if you know how to draw manga characters, you can acquire clients who are seeking manga animators.
How To Become An Animator In The US With Help From A Superprof Tutor
To become a world-class animator, acquiring the proper knowledge and skill is essential. There are multiple schools, universities, and educational institutes which provide quality animation education. You can enroll yourself in one of them and start learning animation.
However, the recent paradigm shift to the internet era has blessed us with online education services. The web is a great way to connect with online teachers.
They can teach you at the comfort, convenience, and luxury of your home. With just a few clicks, you can get access to education and knowledge from anywhere in the world.
However, not all of them are worth it. Some of the websites are not smooth and glitch-free, thereby wrecking the whole learning experience for students.
To make online animation learning easy, Superprof is doing an incredible job. This online educational service provider platform is home to five hundred and twenty-four private animation tutors.
Their tutors are available at an affordable rate starting from $15 per hour. In addition, Superprof's private animation tutors include verified reviews and safe and secure payment methods.
The world-class educational platform provides animation students with a one-on-one experience with their tutors.
Apart from animation, Superprof teaches many subjects, including arts, mathematics, science, sports, languages, dance, hobbies, career development, and whatnot.
They use advanced technology to ensure a streamlined user experience. Furthermore, they have emerged to teach students globally as they encompass 18,5 million private tutors in 38 countries.
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