Becoming an Animation Artist via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Post University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering animation courses to train individuals to become top-notch animation artists, animators, animation designers, game designers, video game developers, computer animators, visual effects artists, etc. Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make on average $50,630 per year and there are about 8,900 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Post University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for an Animation Artist
  • in an office
  • at home
  • in a park
  • a coffee shop
  • Seattle
  • game convention
  • in a board room
  • at a desk
  • in a secluded area
  • New York
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as an Animation Artist
  • medical benefits
  • dental benefits
  • excellent salary
  • creative freedom benefits
  • flexible hours
  • business relationships
  • creative expansion
  • profit sharing
  • vacation pay benefits
  • bonus benefits
Potential Drawbacks
  • stresses in their otherwise creative job
  • unnecessary speed on the latest releases in the more commonly used 3d design
  • taut release deadlines
  • rely on state-of-the-art software programs
  • impossible to predict
  • often over worked
  • software oriented
  • reduce artistic imaginations
  • talent compromise
  • marketing possibilities are very compettitive
Related Professions to Consider
  • 2D Facial Animator
  • Senior Animator-Illustrator
  • 3D animator
  • Crowd Animator
  • Fix Animator
  • Illustrator
  • Modeler
  • Cinematic Animator
  • Technical Director
  • Supervising Animator
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be an Animation Artist
  • How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
  • What are the parameters you see to join a company?
  • How did you handle your most challenging experience in your previous job?
  • Describe your availabilty to work efficiently in a team environment?
  • Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
  • Would you be willing to relocate if required?
  • What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
  • Why would you choose this job?
  • Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?
  • How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Animator
  • Graphic Designer
  • Multimedia Designer
  • Layout Artist
  • Cartoonist
  • Game developer
  • Flash Animator
  • 3D Animator
  • Associate Animator
  • Animation Director
Animation Artist Training books Animation Artist (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • Art history
  • 3-D modeling and animation
  • Digital character animation
  • Drawing
  • History of animation
  • Interactive media
  • Introduction to film/video
  • Layout and background design
  • Sound design
  • Storyboarding

Animation Artist Salary Information

Category: Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators

Total # Employed in the US 8,900
Average Hourly Wage: $24.34/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$9.46 $14.07 $21.23 $30.86 $41.66
Average Yearly Salary $50,630
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$19,680 $29,270 $44,160 $64,180 $86,650
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
3.1% 11.2% 19.6% 10.0% 42.3% 12.3% 1.6%
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
District of Columbia $64.08/hr $133,280
Colorado $33.12/hr $68,900
Delaware $29.71/hr $61,790
Montana $29.66/hr $61,690
Kentucky $29.33/hr $61,000
Oklahoma $27.49/hr $57,180
New Hampshire $26.55/hr $55,220
Michigan $26.35/hr $54,810
Ohio $26.25/hr $54,600
South Carolina $25.65/hr $53,360
North Dakota $25.51/hr $53,060
Indiana $24.64/hr $51,250
Virginia $24.04/hr $50,000
Connecticut $23.59/hr $49,070
Wyoming $22.99/hr $47,820
New York $22.41/hr $46,600
Wisconsin $22.07/hr $45,910
South Dakota $21.93/hr $45,620
Missouri $21.75/hr $45,250
Arkansas $21.58/hr $44,880
Utah $21.54/hr $44,800
Kansas $21.48/hr $44,680
Nebraska $20.95/hr $43,580
Tennessee $20.55/hr $42,750
Louisiana $20.18/hr $41,980
Massachusetts $19.61/hr $40,800
Guam $19.53/hr $40,620
Oregon $19.52/hr $40,600
Mississippi $19.35/hr $40,250
Hawaii $18.47/hr $38,410
New Jersey $17.58/hr $36,560
Iowa $17.39/hr $36,170
Maryland $15.93/hr $33,140
Idaho $15.74/hr $32,740
Nevada $14.91/hr $31,010
Washington $12.64/hr $26,290


Category: Multimedia artists and animators

Total # Employed in the US 28,800
Average Hourly Wage: $30.2/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$15.56 $20.76 $28.01 $37.21 $47.66
Average Yearly Salary $62,810
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$32,360 $43,170 $58,250 $77,410 $99,130
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
3.1% 11.2% 19.6% 10.0% 42.3% 12.3% 1.6%
Multimedia artists and animators — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Colorado $36.55/hr $76,010
Mississippi $32.14/hr $66,850
Oklahoma $29.88/hr $62,150
California $29.49/hr $61,340
Kansas $28.9/hr $60,120
New York $28.75/hr $59,800
North Dakota $28.55/hr $59,380
Missouri $28.19/hr $58,640
Florida $28.05/hr $58,350
Tennessee $27.93/hr $58,100
Indiana $27.87/hr $57,960
Delaware $27.03/hr $56,230
South Carolina $26.75/hr $55,640
Wyoming $26.64/hr $55,400
Hawaii $26.36/hr $54,820
Connecticut $25.9/hr $53,870
Arkansas $25.77/hr $53,610
Montana $25.67/hr $53,400
Oregon $25.47/hr $52,970
Massachusetts $25.46/hr $52,950
Maryland $25.18/hr $52,370
Wisconsin $24.89/hr $51,780
Ohio $24.55/hr $51,070
Nebraska $24.53/hr $51,010
Utah $24.32/hr $50,580
Louisiana $24.21/hr $50,360
Idaho $24.09/hr $50,100
Iowa $23.67/hr $49,230
Michigan $23.09/hr $48,030
New Hampshire $22.89/hr $47,610
Guam $22.14/hr $46,040
District of Columbia $21.58/hr $44,900
South Dakota $21.41/hr $44,520
Kentucky $21.01/hr $43,710
Alabama $20.28/hr $42,180
Nevada $20.23/hr $42,070
Washington $20.16/hr $41,940
New Mexico $19.26/hr $40,060
West Virginia $17.37/hr $36,130
Maine $16.43/hr $34,170


Category: Media and communication workers, all other

Total # Employed in the US 25,460
Average Hourly Wage: $24.37/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$11.42 $15.07 $20.52 $29.91 $41.57
Average Yearly Salary $50,680
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$23,750 $31,350 $42,680 $62,210 $86,460
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.9% 10.9% 23.6% 14.2% 30.2% 13.9% 4.4%
Media and communication workers, all other — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Missouri $34.8/hr $72,390
Florida $30.66/hr $63,780
Colorado $29.38/hr $61,110
Oklahoma $28.68/hr $59,640
Idaho $28.42/hr $59,120
Maine $26.45/hr $55,020
Connecticut $25.89/hr $53,860
North Dakota $25.63/hr $53,310
Wyoming $24.89/hr $51,770
Nebraska $24.09/hr $50,110
Tennessee $23.39/hr $48,640
Alaska $23.31/hr $48,480
New York $23.1/hr $48,060
Washington $22.37/hr $46,520
Kansas $21.97/hr $45,690
New Hampshire $21.84/hr $45,430
Montana $21.77/hr $45,280
Mississippi $21.49/hr $44,700
Arkansas $21.48/hr $44,680
Delaware $21/hr $43,670
Wisconsin $20.9/hr $43,470
Indiana $20.71/hr $43,070
Hawaii $20.68/hr $43,010
Maryland $19.55/hr $40,650
Guam $19.49/hr $40,550
South Carolina $19.4/hr $40,360
Alabama $18.5/hr $38,480
Michigan $18.37/hr $38,220
Utah $17.82/hr $37,060
Louisiana $17.44/hr $36,280
New Jersey $17.37/hr $36,130
Virginia $17.21/hr $35,800
Oregon $16.78/hr $34,900
Kentucky $15.78/hr $32,820
Massachusetts $15.64/hr $32,530
California $13.79/hr $28,680


Category: Media and communication equipment workers, all other

Total # Employed in the US 17,610
Average Hourly Wage: $28.79/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$12.09 $17.59 $27.64 $38.68 $47.37
Average Yearly Salary $59,880
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$25,140 $36,590 $57,490 $80,450 $98,530
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.3% 19.6% 29.5% 14.8% 29.5% 3.6% 0.7%
Media and communication equipment workers, all other — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $42.86/hr $89,160
Mississippi $40.77/hr $84,810
Virginia $37.04/hr $77,050
Kansas $35.33/hr $73,480
Missouri $34.8/hr $72,390
District of Columbia $34.75/hr $72,290
Idaho $33.93/hr $70,580
Wyoming $31.63/hr $65,790
North Dakota $31.25/hr $65,000
Massachusetts $30.88/hr $64,240
South Dakota $30.42/hr $63,270
Ohio $29.99/hr $62,370
Oklahoma $29.64/hr $61,650
Connecticut $29.51/hr $61,380
Indiana $29.31/hr $60,960
Colorado $28.89/hr $60,090
New Hampshire $28.77/hr $59,830
Hawaii $28.54/hr $59,370
Oregon $27.78/hr $57,790
Delaware $27.66/hr $57,530
Alaska $27.56/hr $57,330
Iowa $26.71/hr $55,550
Nevada $26.53/hr $55,170
New York $26.44/hr $54,990
Alabama $26.22/hr $54,530
New Jersey $26.21/hr $54,510
Arkansas $26.04/hr $54,160
South Carolina $25.87/hr $53,810
Guam $24.24/hr $50,430
Washington $24.08/hr $50,090
Kentucky $24.06/hr $50,030
Puerto Rico $23.31/hr $48,490
Utah $22.33/hr $46,440
Maine $21.52/hr $44,760
Wisconsin $19.87/hr $41,330
Montana $19.43/hr $40,410
Maryland $19.31/hr $40,170
Nebraska $17.75/hr $36,920
North Carolina $15.96/hr $33,200
California $15.93/hr $33,130
Louisiana $11.58/hr $24,090


Animation Programs by State & City