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Animator in Detroit, MI

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 Detroit, MI
71138 - 102900
Low
71138
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
83738
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
102900
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 107100 139913 170625 Art Director 87413 107100 128625 Creative Services Manager 80850 100275 120225 Instructional Designer 80588 101325 128888 Motion Designer 80063 93975 112350 Digital Designer 70613 84525 103688 Presentation Designer 65363 80850 91875 3D Modeler 63263 78488 96338 Package Designer 58538 70875 86888 Graphic Designer 54600 70613 83475 Illustrator / Infographics Designer 57488 68250 81375 Video Producer 69300 92925 110513 Video Editor 63000 75075 93450 Studio Manager 63263 75600 92663 Digital Asset Manager 60113 75600 91875 Production Manager 58538 72188 82425 Production Artist 55913 67463 76650 Production Coordinator 49088 54075 63525 Photographer 46988 61950 77963

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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.