Special Effects Artists and Animators Salary by State and Metro Area
Special Effects Artists and Animators in the United States earn a median salary of $102,030/year ($49.06/hr). Salaries range from $58,600 to $177,110 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across 31 states and 30 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$59K
10th percentile
$75K
25th percentile
$102K
Median
$139K
75th percentile
$177K
90th percentile
Where Special Effects Artists and Animators have the most money left over after rent
Median pay minus estimated federal + state + FICA taxes, minus 12 months of rent at HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Darker green means more money left over each year. Hover any state for the breakdown.
View map data as a table
| State | Median (nominal) | Rent/mo (2BR) | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $133K | $1,830 | $80K |
| California | $131K | $2,471 | $62K |
| Nevada | $97K | $1,501 | $59K |
| Tennessee | $83K | $1,215 | $52K |
| Arizona | $90K | $1,437 | $52K |
| North Carolina | $88K | $1,284 | $51K |
| Michigan | $87K | $1,272 | $50K |
| Utah | $88K | $1,350 | $50K |
| Florida | $86K | $1,658 | $49K |
| New York | $97K | $1,917 | $49K |
| Texas | $79K | $1,415 | $47K |
| Colorado | $91K | $1,832 | $47K |
| Illinois | $81K | $1,407 | $45K |
| Indiana | $75K | $1,144 | $45K |
| Georgia | $81K | $1,434 | $44K |
| Rhode Island | $80K | $1,544 | $44K |
| Maryland | $86K | $1,795 | $43K |
| Virginia | $82K | $1,646 | $42K |
| Ohio | $67K | $1,188 | $40K |
| Oklahoma | $67K | $1,081 | $40K |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | $1,351 | $40K |
| Missouri | $65K | $1,097 | $39K |
| Kansas | $63K | $1,066 | $37K |
| West Virginia | $61K | $1,008 | $37K |
| Wisconsin | $65K | $1,202 | $37K |
| Minnesota | $65K | $1,384 | $35K |
| Massachusetts | $81K | $2,347 | $33K |
| New Mexico | $54K | $1,119 | $30K |
| Kentucky | $51K | $1,110 | $28K |
| Nebraska | $51K | $1,113 | $28K |
| Iowa | $48K | $1,064 | $25K |
Special Effects Artists and Animators salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $133K | $64.17/hr | 1,130 |
| California | $131K | $62.76/hr | 7,410 |
| Nevada | $97K | $46.8/hr | 370 |
| New York | $97K | $46.52/hr | 1,540 |
| Colorado | $91K | $43.89/hr | 210 |
| Arizona | $90K | $43.1/hr | 190 |
| North Carolina | $88K | $42.48/hr | 370 |
| Utah | $88K | $42.41/hr | 320 |
| Michigan | $87K | $41.65/hr | 230 |
| Florida | $86K | $41.29/hr | 1,530 |
| Maryland | $86K | $41.27/hr | 170 |
| Tennessee | $83K | $39.94/hr | 90 |
| Virginia | $82K | $39.19/hr | 380 |
| Georgia | $81K | $39.13/hr | 350 |
| Illinois | $81K | $39.03/hr | 630 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | $38.77/hr | , |
| Rhode Island | $80K | $38.48/hr | , |
| Texas | $79K | $37.95/hr | , |
| Indiana | $75K | $36.18/hr | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | $34.5/hr | 300 |
| Ohio | $67K | $32.21/hr | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | $32.2/hr | , |
| Missouri | $65K | $31.48/hr | 80 |
| Minnesota | $65K | $31.24/hr | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $65K | $31.2/hr | 210 |
| Kansas | $63K | $30.16/hr | , |
| West Virginia | $61K | $29.3/hr | 40 |
| New Mexico | $54K | $25.96/hr | 80 |
| Kentucky | $51K | $24.51/hr | 40 |
| Nebraska | $51K | $24.44/hr | 90 |
| Iowa | $48K | $22.85/hr | , |
Showing 1–10 of 31 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Top paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $157K | 510 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $137K | 1,440 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $134K | 1,030 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $125K | 4,650 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $123K | 70 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $119K | 100 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $109K | , |
| Reno, NV | $105K | 90 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $102K | 170 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97K | 1,560 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $97K | 150 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $95K | 40 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $93K | 290 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $92K | , |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $91K | 140 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $91K | 960 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $90K | 90 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $87K | 260 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $84K | 50 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $83K | 550 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $83K | , |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $81K | , |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $80K | , |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79K | , |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $79K | 100 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $78K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $78K | , |
| Huntsville, AL | $78K | 40 |
| Worcester, MA | $77K | , |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $77K | 100 |