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Animator in Phoenix, AZ

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 Phoenix, AZ
76558 - 110740
Low
76558
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
90118
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
110740
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 115260 150573 183625 Art Director 94073 115260 138425 Creative Services Manager 87010 107915 129385 Instructional Designer 86728 109045 138708 Motion Designer 86163 101135 120910 Digital Designer 75993 90965 111588 Presentation Designer 70343 87010 98875 3D Modeler 68083 84468 103678 Package Designer 62998 76275 93508 Graphic Designer 58760 75993 89835 Illustrator / Infographics Designer 61868 73450 87575 Video Producer 74580 100005 118933 Video Editor 67800 80795 100570 Studio Manager 68083 81360 99723 Digital Asset Manager 64693 81360 98875 Production Manager 62998 77688 88705 Production Artist 60173 72603 82490 Production Coordinator 52828 58195 68365 Photographer 50568 66670 83903

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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.