| College | City | State |
|---|---|---|
| ArtCenter College of Design | Pasadena | California |
| Brigham Young University | Provo | Utah |
| California Institute of the Arts | Valencia | California |
| California State University-Long Beach | Long Beach | California |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvana |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Illinois |
| Digipen Institute of Technology | Redmond | Washington |
| Gnomon School of Visual Effects | Hollywood | California |
| Pratt Institute | Brooklyn | New York |
| Rhode Island School of Design | Providence | Rhode Island |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | Sarasota | Florida |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester | New York |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | California |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah | Georgia |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago | Illinois |
| School of Visual Arts New York | New York | New York |
| The Ohio State University | Columbus | Ohio |
| University of California Los Angeles | Los Angeles | California |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando | Florida |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | California |
After working as an animator for at least three years, some animators may advance to key animator—a senior level position. Also called “senior animator,” key animators typically advance to even higher level positions after holding this title for several years. Becoming a successful senior animator is the final test before being promoted to director. Although higher ranking than an animator, the key animator still does his fair share of creative work, in addition to more management and directing than an intermediate animation position.
In addition to helping develop main characters, key animators guide junior crew members through pre-production. They manage pre-production by determining how animation will be executed by working with riggers and model makers to make sure models and puppets are rigged properly for action scenes. Once pre-production is complete and production begins, the key animator helps manage the entire production by working with the director to complete the project on time and within budget.
Key animators work primarily for animation studios and motion picture and video production companies, as well as gaming companies. Some may work for advertising or marketing firms.
Employment for key animators (part of the broader multimedia artists and animators group) is expected to grow 8% for the 2016-2026 decade. This is as fast as average for all occupations. The projected employment growth for animators and multimedia artists will be the result of increased demand for animation and more realistic visual effects in video games, movies, and television. However, job growth may be slowed by companies hiring artists and animators who work overseas for lower wages. The increasing demand for computer graphics for mobile devices may counter slow growth by creating more job opportunities in the massive mobile industry.
Despite average job growth, competition for job opportunities in animation will remain strong. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says, “opportunities should be best for those who have a wide range of skills or who specialize in a highly specific type of animation or effect.” Additionally, the U.S. is home to an impressive population of 73,700 multimedia artists and animators, making it one of the largest career fields in the world of art and design.
While job opportunities for animators can be found all over the U.S., five states and five industries have the highest employment levels.
Within the top five states with the highest employment levels for animators, along with several others such as Illinois, Washington, and Massachusetts, are the top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment. They include:
Schools to Consider:
How Much Do Key Animators Make?
The median annual wage for animators is $72,520. The mean annual wage is $78,230. The lowest average salary (for less than 10% of the animation population) is $40,870. The highest 10% earn more than $124,310. Because key animator is an advanced level position, professionals in this field will be at the higher end of the pay scale.
At $86,080, multimedia artists and animators working in the motion picture and video industries have the highest annual wage of the top five industries with the highest employment levels for animators.
It is important to note that salaries for animators also vary by experience, type and size of company, and even geographic location. For example, Connecticut-based animators average $102,630 per year—the nation’s highest average salary for this profession—while South Carolina-based artists average $36,270—the lowest salary for this profession.
In addition to Connecticut, the top five highest paying states for animators are Washington ($90,700), District of Columbia ($89,210), California ($87,960), and New York ($86,490).
The path to becoming a key animator begins with the right degree. Common paths include a BA, BFA or BS in Animation, Animation & Digital Arts, Media Arts & Animation, Computer Animation, Computer Graphics, Media Arts & Science, Fine Art, and even Computer Science (with an Emphasis in Animation). Some aspiring key animators may study business management if they want to become directors down the road.
In addition to a minimum 4-year degree, employers look for at least three years’ experience and advanced tech skills. However, many top studios prefer candidates with five to seven years’ professional experience in the industry, business management and leadership skills, and even an advanced degree. Fortunately, more schools than ever before now offer MFA degrees in Animation, Animation & Visual Effects, Animation & Digital Arts, and more. Some schools in the U.S. (and many in Europe and Asia) even offer PhD programs in Digital Arts & Animation, Multimedia & Animation, Computer Science with an Animation Emphasis, and more.
Some of the top schools for key animators include:
Awesome Animation Fact: More than 600 people worked on the brilliant animated Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. Although it had one of the largest animated production staffs ever, Beauty and the Beast still took more than three and a half years to create.
