Louisiana Animation Careers: Employment & Salary Trends, Job Opportunities, & Colleges Offering Animation Programs in Louisiana

Animation Careers in Louisiana

Overview - The art, design, entertainment, and media industries in Louisiana employ 15,950 creative professionals. Of this figure less than 100 work in animation. Depending on how you look at it, this could be a positive thing. Because the number of professionals in the industry is limited, animators willing to work in a smaller market may be called upon often when productions come to town or when one of the local studios needs extra help. Full-time employment is a possibility as well.

The state of Louisiana is also home to:

• The Red Stick International Film Festival
• The Louisiana Film & Television Commission
• The Southwest Louisiana Film Commission
• More than a dozen production and post-production studios
• Louisiana State University’s Arts, Visualization Advanced Technologies and Research (AVATAR) Initiative

AVATAR is a multidisciplinary hiring initiative at Louisiana State University. It establishes a “university-wide faculty focus on the intersections among art, technology and computation, creating new research areas in virtual environments, digital art, electroacoustic music, animation, video game design, scientific visualization and more.”

Louisiana animators can also find work in education. The state has 87 colleges and 1,660 elementary and secondary institutions. One pf the top hiring institutions for animators is Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Community colleges and technical schools often offer animation certificate programs or enrichment courses, so if you are interested in working in education, you can also find work at the state’s 50+ community colleges.

More Animation related programs to consider:  

Employment and Salary Trends for Louisiana Animators

As of 2009, less than 100 animators were employed in the state of Louisiana. Across the nation, employment in the animation (and multi-media) industry is expected to grow by 14 percent for the 2008-2018 decade. This is higher than all occupations in the “artists and related workers” industry. At 12 percent, art directors are second in employment growth, followed by fine artists at 9 percent.

As of May 2009, the mean annual wage for animators overall was $62,810 per year. The lowest paid animators earned $32,360 per year and the highest paid animators earned $99,130 per year. As of May 2009, animators in the state of Louisiana earned a mean salary of $52,950 per year.

The highest paying states for animators are:

• California ($76,010 per year)
• Maryland ($66,850 per year)
• Washington  ($64,840 per year)
• New York ($62,150 per year)

Animation Career Opportunities in Louisiana

Aspiring Louisiana animators may find employment at the following companies and studios:

• Digital FX Inc., Baton Rouge
• Vidox, Lafayette
• Raleigh Studios, Baton Rouge
• Maison Post Production, New Orleans
• Ormaq Studios, Baton Rouge

There are more than 200 computer systems and design firms in Louisiana. Although these and other animation positions may be available in other cities throughout the state, most opportunities can be found in principle cities such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Metairie, and Lafayette.

To get started on a career in animation, you can begin by choosing a degree program such as:

• Animation
• Multi-media art
• Computer science with a focus in animation or multi-media art
• Fine art with a focus in animation
• Advertising with a focus in animation

Next, it’s time to choose a school. You can enroll in a certificate program, an associate degree program, or a bachelor’s degree program at schools such as Louisiana State University School of Art & Design in Baton Rouge, ITT Technical Institute in St. Rose, or Louisiana State University in Shreveport.

Sources:

May 2009 BLS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, 2008-18. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm

Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge

http://www.avatar.lsu.edu/