Character Rigger - Career Profile

What does a Character Rigger do? Where does a Character Rigger work? ACR takes a look:

About Character Riggers

Character riggers are experts at manipulating the geometry of characters in their interaction with environments. Character riggers accomplish this through a thorough understanding of physics and anatomy and the use of software such as Maya, Motion Builder, 3D Studio Max, XSI, and Python.    

Character Rigger Jobs

Character rigging is a very tedious process. It requires creativity, precision, and an eye for detail. As such, character riggers are responsible for using computer programs to form skeletons by creating a series of bones that deform and animate specific parts of the character. Character riggers may also help develop tools for animation production processes, collaborate with modelers and animators, and develop new techniques to solve character production challenges. Character riggers work in animation studios, for game design companies, web design firms, and computer software companies. 

Character Rigger Salaries

Salaries for character riggers depend on the industry, experience, geography, and the nature of the position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report average salaries for character riggers, but several sites such as SalaryQuest.com and Indeed.com list average salaries based on reports gathered from job sites and employees of various companies. The average salary for character riggers, as reported by SQ and Indeed, is between $29,800-$49,000.

Other sources place the range somewhere around $48,000-$60,000 for 3-5 years’ experience, and at $84,000 for six years’ experience or more. A lead rigger can earn as much as $108,000 per year.

Becoming a Character Rigger

The most common degree path for character riggers is a bachelor’s degree in computer animation with a character rigger concentration. Other degree paths include computer science with a character rigger concentration, or commercial graphics with a character rigger or animation concentration. Anatomy and geometry courses are strongly recommended if you decide to choose another degree path.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in any of the areas listed above, most employers prefer several years’ experience in the field. If you are just entering college, do your best to secure an internship or find work at a production studio or design firm—in any capacity. This will give you a head start on gaining valuable experience that will help you secure an entry-level position once you have received your degree.

Job Trends for Character Riggers

Riggers can find work in industries such as games, animation, and TV and film. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not offer job growth information for character riggers, but it does offer information for similar jobs such as character animator. According to the most recent figures, employment for character animators (and multimedia artists) is expected to grow 14 percent through 2018.