Headline risk
2%
Very Low RiskSpecial effects artists and animators
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 30% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 99,800
Employment 2024
57.1K
Projected Change (2024–34)
1.6%
Openings (2024–34)
5.0K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of special effects artists and animators is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment. AI use: 93%
- 2. Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television. AI use: 0%
- 3. Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking. AI use: 0%
- 4. Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs. AI use: 0%
- 5. Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters. AI use: 0%
- 6. Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 42.4 · 302K employed
Under 25: 7% · 25–54: 72% · 55+: 22%
Related
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Special effects artists and animators create images that appear to move and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment.
Many artists and animators work in offices; others work from home.
Special effects artists and animators typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer graphics, art, or a related field to develop both a portfolio of work and the technical skills that many employers prefer.
The median annual wage for special effects artists and animators was $99,800 in May 2024.
Employment of special effects artists and animators is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.