Vocational Index

Career

Special effects artists and animators

Bring images to life in film, games and animation.

$102,030
Median pay
-0.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,200
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
  • Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
  • Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
  • Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
  • Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+1.6%2025–35 edition-0.3%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 5,000 → 4,200 openings a year.

AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share decreases as more animation and post-production tasks are accelerated by the use of technology, including generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.”

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Creation & expression
7.0
Objects & tools
3.7
Information & systems
3.1
Ideas & analysis
2.8
Persuasion & leadership
2.6
People & care
2.2

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on creation & expression, then objects & tools?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $102,030 a year and 4,200 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Fine and Studio ArtsSee the degree →
  • Design and Applied ArtsSee the degree →
  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special EffectsCIP 10.0304
  • Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources DesignCIP 11.0801
  • Modeling, Virtual Environments and SimulationCIP 11.0804
  • Digital ArtsCIP 50.0102

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →

Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.