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Animator in Cincinnati, OH

Animator Job Description

Animators breathe life and personality into characters, scenes and other animation elements used to tell stories in cartoons, films, video games, commercials, social media and more. These creative professionals create and sequence multiple images, referred to as “frames,” to give the illusion of movement. An animator might employ digital images, hand-drawn illustrations, models or other types of images and props to create special effects and other animations using computer-generated animation, 2D or 3D model-making, or stop-frame tools and techniques. Employers seek animators with a vivid imagination who are collaborative and receptive to feedback and can work diligently under pressure. Multimedia experience, including in emerging areas like virtual reality (VR), and video editing expertise are highly valued. A bachelor’s degree in computer animation, fine arts or graphic arts is often preferred for this role. Most employers will require candidates to provide a solid portfolio of relevant creative work, including hand-drawn character designs and animation clips.

Typical animator duties:

Creating character sketches, designing backgrounds and other elements, and developing storyboards for animation projectsReading through scripts, and brainstorming and conceptualizing compelling images to help tell stories in an engaging, memorable wayWorking closely with a wide range of team members throughout projects, including artists, story editors, photographers, designers, other animators, voice actors and producersEnsuring final deliverables are high quality and delivered on time and on budget

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Salary for Animator in Cincinnati, OH
69105 - 99960
Low
69105
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
81345
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
99960
The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.
Projected salaries for related positions Job title Low Mid High Creative Director 104040 135915 165750 Art Director 84915 104040 124950 Creative Services Manager 78540 97410 116790 Instructional Designer 78285 98430 125205 Motion Designer 77775 91290 109140 Digital Designer 68595 82110 100725 Presentation Designer 63495 78540 89250 3D Modeler 61455 76245 93585 Package Designer 56865 68850 84405 Graphic Designer 53040 68595 81090 Illustrator / Infographics Designer 55845 66300 79050 Video Producer 67320 90270 107355 Video Editor 61200 72930 90780 Studio Manager 61455 73440 90015 Digital Asset Manager 58395 73440 89250 Production Manager 56865 70125 80070 Production Artist 54315 65535 74460 Production Coordinator 47685 52530 61710 Photographer 45645 60180 75735

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Our starting salary projections come from a rigorous, multistep process so that our numbers accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Starting compensation—pay for someone new to a role—can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry, company size and revenue, and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our salary data in three levels: low, mid and high.