Special Effects Artists and Animators Salary
The median pay for a special effects artists and animators in St. Louis, MO-IL is $75,820/year ($36.45/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $79,735 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 24.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $76K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About special effects artists and animators
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for special effects artists and animators in St. Louis runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $102K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,218/month, 24.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, St. Louis can be a reasonable trade-off for special effects artists and animatorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for special effects artists and animators in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $70K | $75K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $83K | $80K |
| Omaha | $53K | $58K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $51K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level special effects artists and animators (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Special Effects Artists and Animators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Special Effects Artists and Animators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $133K | +31% | 1,130 |
| California | $131K | +28% | 7,410 |
| Nevada | $97K | -5% | 370 |
| New York | $97K | -5% | 1,540 |
| Colorado | $91K | -11% | 210 |
| Arizona | $90K | -12% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $88K | -13% | 370 |
| Utah | $88K | -14% | 320 |
| Michigan | $87K | -15% | 230 |
| Florida | $86K | -16% | 1,530 |
| Maryland | $86K | -16% | 170 |
| Tennessee | $83K | -19% | 90 |
| Virginia | $82K | -20% | 380 |
| Georgia | $81K | -20% | 350 |
| Illinois | $81K | -20% | 630 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | -21% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $80K | -22% | N/A |
| Texas | $79K | -23% | N/A |
| Indiana | $75K | -26% | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | -30% | 300 |
| Ohio | $67K | -34% | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | -34% | N/A |
| Missouri | $65K | -36% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $65K | -36% | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $65K | -36% | 210 |
| Kansas | $63K | -39% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $61K | -40% | 40 |
| New Mexico | $54K | -47% | 80 |
| Kentucky | $51K | -50% | 40 |
| Nebraska | $51K | -50% | 90 |
| Iowa | $48K | -53% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 31 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track special effects artists and animators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a special effects artists and animator afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 24.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for special effects artists and animators in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new special effects artists and animators typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,640/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 33% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is special effects artists and animator a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $76K here vs. $102K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for special effects artists and animators?
St. Louis pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $102K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — below the national median.
How much do special effects artists and animators make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $75,820 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,670, and experienced special effects artists and animators can clear $101,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,908/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 24.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a special effects artists and animators salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median special effects artists and animators salary is worth about $79,735 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do special effects artists and animators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.