Special Effects Artists and Animators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 27-1014 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$102,045
$49.06/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators is $102,045 per year ($49.06/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $75,483 and $139,131 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $177,112 per year. There are approximately 19,970 special effects artists and animators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
57K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
6K
$100,990
Software Publishers
NAICS 513200
4K
$127,670
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
2K
$103,390
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
NAICS 541800
1K
$86,290
Specialized Design Services
NAICS 541400
930
$92,860
Wage range across top 5 industries: $86,290 to $127,670 (48% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$28.17
$58,594
P25
$36.29
$75,483
P50MEDIAN
$49.06
$102,045
P75
$66.89
$139,131
P90
$85.15
$177,112
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average special effects artists and animators salary?
The national median salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators is $102,045 per year ($49.06/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $75,483 and $139,131 annually.
How much do top-earning special effects artists and animators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators is $177,112 per year ($85.15/hr). The 75th percentile is $139,131 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for special effects artists and animators?
Entry-level Special Effects Artists and Animators (10th percentile) earn approximately $58,594 per year ($28.17/hr). The 25th percentile is $75,483 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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