SOC 27-1014 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, special effects artists and animators earned a median of $102,030 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 19,970 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $133,480 | $64.17 | 1,130 | 0.3 |
| California | $130,540 | $62.76 | 7,410 | 0.4 |
| Nevada | $97,350 | $46.80 | 370 | 0.2 |
| New York | $96,770 | $46.52 | 1,540 | 0.2 |
| Colorado | $91,290 | $43.89 | 210 | 0.1 |
| Arizona | $89,650 | $43.10 | 190 | 0.1 |
| North Carolina | $88,350 | $42.48 | 370 | 0.1 |
| Utah | $88,210 | $42.41 | 320 | 0.2 |
| Michigan | $86,630 | $41.65 | 230 | 0.1 |
| Florida | $85,870 | $41.29 | 1,530 | 0.2 |
| Maryland | $85,830 | $41.27 | 170 | 0.1 |
| Tennessee | $83,080 | $39.94 | 90 | 0.0 |
| Virginia | $81,510 | $39.19 | 380 | 0.1 |
| Georgia | $81,390 | $39.13 | 350 | 0.1 |
| Illinois | $81,180 | $39.03 | 630 | 0.1 |
| Massachusetts | $80,640 | $38.77 | Not published | Not published |
| Rhode Island | $80,040 | $38.48 | Not published | Not published |
| Texas | $78,930 | $37.95 | Not published | Not published |
| Indiana | $75,250 | $36.18 | 300 | 0.1 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,760 | $34.50 | 300 | 0.1 |
| Ohio | $67,000 | $32.21 | 200 | 0.0 |
| Oklahoma | $66,980 | $32.20 | Not published | Not published |
| Missouri | $65,470 | $31.48 | 80 | 0.0 |
| Minnesota | $64,990 | $31.24 | 30 | 0.0 |
| Wisconsin | $64,890 | $31.20 | 210 | 0.1 |
| Kansas | $62,720 | $30.16 | Not published | Not published |
| West Virginia | $60,940 | $29.30 | 40 | 0.1 |
| New Mexico | $54,000 | $25.96 | 80 | 0.1 |
| Kentucky | $50,970 | $24.51 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Nebraska | $50,830 | $24.44 | 90 | 0.1 |
| Iowa | $47,530 | $22.85 | Not published | Not published |
| Alabama | Not published | Not published | 110 | 0.1 |
| New Jersey | Not published | Not published | 320 | 0.1 |
| Oregon | Not published | Not published | 870 | 0.4 |
Pay by metro area
All 48 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,950 | $75.46 | 510 | 0.4 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $136,770 | $65.76 | 1,440 | 0.6 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $134,120 | $64.48 | 1,030 | 0.5 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $124,590 | $59.90 | 4,650 | 0.7 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $122,880 | $59.08 | 70 | 0.1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $118,750 | $57.09 | 100 | 0.1 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $109,320 | $52.56 | Not published | Not published |
| Reno, NV | $105,240 | $50.60 | 90 | 0.3 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $101,730 | $48.91 | 170 | 0.2 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $96,760 | $46.52 | 1,560 | 0.2 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $96,670 | $46.48 | 150 | 0.1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $95,420 | $45.88 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $92,760 | $44.60 | 290 | 0.1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $92,340 | $44.40 | Not published | Not published |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $91,290 | $43.89 | 140 | 0.1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $91,150 | $43.82 | 960 | 0.7 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $90,050 | $43.30 | 90 | 0.1 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $87,300 | $41.97 | 260 | 0.2 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $83,530 | $40.16 | 50 | 0.2 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $83,200 | $40.00 | 550 | 0.1 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $82,570 | $39.70 | Not published | Not published |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $80,640 | $38.77 | Not published | Not published |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $80,040 | $38.48 | Not published | Not published |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79,390 | $38.17 | Not published | Not published |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $79,360 | $38.15 | 100 | 0.1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $78,430 | $37.71 | Not published | Not published |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $77,690 | $37.35 | Not published | Not published |
| Huntsville, AL | $77,640 | $37.33 | 40 | 0.1 |
| Worcester, MA | $76,970 | $37.01 | Not published | Not published |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $76,770 | $36.91 | 100 | 0.0 |
| Richmond, VA | $76,380 | $36.72 | 30 | 0.0 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $76,110 | $36.59 | 290 | 0.1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $75,820 | $36.45 | 50 | 0.0 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $74,520 | $35.83 | 180 | 0.1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $74,140 | $35.64 | 100 | 0.1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $69,820 | $33.57 | Not published | Not published |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $69,300 | $33.32 | Not published | Not published |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $67,710 | $32.56 | 30 | 0.0 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $54,000 | $25.96 | 50 | 0.1 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $53,280 | $25.61 | 40 | 0.1 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $50,960 | $24.50 | 30 | 0.0 |
| Cleveland, OH | Not published | Not published | 40 | 0.0 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Not published | Not published | 100 | 0.1 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | Not published | Not published | 40 | 0.1 |
| Madison, WI | Not published | Not published | 120 | 0.3 |
| Ogden, UT | Not published | Not published | 40 | 0.2 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Not published | Not published | 690 | 0.6 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | Not published | Not published | 90 | 0.3 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.