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

Animation Careers in Washington

Overview: The state of Washington is home to one of the most progressive cities in the nation—Seattle. The city houses the Seattle Film Office and Washington Film Works, which help keep the film and video industry competitive through incentives and tax breaks. Although other principle cities in Washington have much to offer aspiring animators, Seattle seems to be the place where most artists eventually settle.

The film and video industry is not the only area animators work in the state of Washington. They work in community colleges, technical schools, art schools, and four-year universities, as well as advertising agencies, and computer design firms. Animators interested in working in education can choose from a number of academic institutions throughout the state. Washington is home to 81 colleges and universities, which is only slightly less than the national average of 88.

Many Washington colleges and universities offer film and animation programs that have been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). These schools may also offer animation certificates, enrichment courses, or other non-degree animation programs.

Employment and Salary Trends for Washington Animators

As of 2009, approximately 1,490 animators worked in production studios, advertising agencies, schools, design firms, and for gaming developers throughout the state of Washington. That’s more than Florida (670) and Illinois (910), which are also two of the nation’s largest states. 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 Washington earned a mean salary of $64,840 per year—the third largest salary for animators in the nation. 

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 Washington

Aspiring animators interested in working on film and video productions and advertising campaigns may find employment at the following Washington agencies and studios:

• Pixar Animation Studios, Seattle
• Time Warner, Kirkland
• ArenaNet, Bellevue
• DDB, Seattle
• JWT, Seattle

There are more than 800 computer systems and design firms in Washington, so there are ample career opportunities for animators with a computer science background. Although these, and other animator positions are available in many cities throughout the state, a large number of opportunities can be found in principle cities such as Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, and Everett.

Washington Animation Training Programs

Many Washington schools offer animation programs that have been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). A number of Washington colleges and universities also offer computer science, advertising, and art with a focus in animation degrees, one-year animation programs that lead to an animation certificate, enrichment courses, or other non-degree programs. Noted Washington animation programs include:

• Cornish College of Arts, Seattle
• DigiPen Institute of Technology, Redmond
• Olympic College, Bremerton
• Lake Washington Technical College, Kirkland
• The Art Institute of Seattle, Seattle
• Bellevue College, Bellevue
• Washington State University, Pullman

More Animation related programs to consider:  

To get started on a career in animation, you can begin by choosing one of the following degree programs:

• 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

In addition to offering a degree in animation or multi-media art, most of the schools listed in this article offer degrees in the related fields mentioned above.

SOURCE: May 2009 BLS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates,

2008-18. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm