Special Effects Artists and Animators Salary in the US
A special effects artists and animators earns a national median of $102,030 a year (mean $112,870) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #127 of 825.
How much does a special effects artists and animators earn in the US?
A special effects artists and animators in the United States earns a median of $102,030 a year (mean $112,870), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 100% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 19,970 people work in this occupation (SOC 27-1014), ranked #127 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$102,030
per year
Mean
$112,870
per year
Employment
19,970
US workers
National rank
#127
of 825 by median
What a special effects artists and animators earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a special effects artists and animators (SOC 27-1014) earns a median annual wage of $102,030 and a mean (average) of $112,870. The median is the midpoint — half of special effects artists and animators earn more and half earn less — and is 100% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a special effects artists and animators in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for special effects artists and animators is $102,030, and the mean (average) is $112,870. The median is the midpoint — half of special effects artists and animators earn more and half earn less.
- How does special effects artists and animators pay compare to the US average?
- At $102,030, a special effects artists and animators earns 100% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many special effects artists and animators are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 19,970 special effects artists and animators employed nationally (SOC 27-1014), across all industries.
- Where does this special effects artists and animators salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 27-1014. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Physical Therapists$102,760
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- Geographers$102,040
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- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$101,920
- Management Analysts$101,860
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary$101,420
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- Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$101,110
- Civil Engineers$100,840
Find special effects artists and animators jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which special effects artists and animators roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 27-1014 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries