Best degree programs for Special Effects Artists and Animators, ranked by enrollment
9 college programs and 1,110 schools train Special Effects Artists and Animators. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $102,030 median wage, 19,970 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
9 college programs at 1,110 schools train special effects artists and animators, graduating 33,286 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Graphic Design. The job pays a median of $102,030 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About special effects artists and animators
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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
9 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0409 | 10,754 | 32.3% | 580 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 2 | CIP 10.0304 | 6,849 | 20.6% | 250 | $25,121 | $26,958 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0801 | 5,354 | 16.1% | 339 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0102 | 4,316 | 13.0% | 183 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 5 | CIP 50.0411 | 2,954 | 8.9% | 152 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 6 | CIP 11.0804 | 1,256 | 3.8% | 48 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 7 | CIP 50.0706 | 797 | 2.4% | 39 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 8 | CIP 50.0708 | 638 | 1.9% | 52 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 9 | CIP 50.0705 | 368 | 1.1% | 33 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What special effects artists and animators earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $130,540 | 7,410 | 3.17× | 127 | 4,783 |
| Florida | $85,870 | 1,530 | 1.20× | 52 | 3,078 |
| New York | $96,770 | 1,540 | 1.24× | 67 | 2,765 |
| Texas | $78,930 | — | — | 50 | 1,826 |
| Georgia | $81,390 | 350 | 0.56× | 25 | 1,653 |
| North Carolina | $88,350 | 370 | 0.58× | 31 | 1,414 |
| Illinois | $81,180 | 630 | 0.81× | 45 | 1,168 |
| Arizona | $89,650 | 190 | 0.45× | 27 | 1,023 |
| Ohio | $67,000 | 200 | 0.28× | 51 | 922 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,760 | 300 | 0.39× | 52 | 903 |
| Michigan | $86,630 | 230 | 0.40× | 38 | 878 |
| Wisconsin | $64,890 | 210 | 0.55× | 30 | 790 |
| Massachusetts | $80,640 | — | — | 35 | 773 |
| Utah | $88,210 | 320 | 1.44× | 14 | 679 |
| Colorado | $91,290 | 210 | 0.56× | 18 | 655 |
| Washington | $133,480 | 1,130 | 2.48× | 26 | 628 |
| Oklahoma | $66,980 | — | — | 31 | 609 |
| Minnesota | $64,990 | 30 | 0.08× | 25 | 513 |
| New Jersey | — | 320 | 0.58× | 24 | 484 |
| Virginia | $81,510 | 380 | 0.73× | 15 | 477 |
| Maryland | $85,830 | 170 | 0.49× | 14 | 466 |
| Missouri | $65,470 | 80 | 0.21× | 20 | 421 |
| Oregon | — | 870 | 3.43× | 15 | 380 |
| Iowa | $47,530 | — | — | 27 | 325 |
| Kansas | $62,720 | — | — | 14 | 321 |
| Kentucky | $50,970 | 40 | 0.16× | 11 | 285 |
| Tennessee | $83,080 | 90 | 0.21× | 18 | 273 |
| Nebraska | $50,830 | 90 | 0.65× | 11 | 191 |
| Indiana | $75,250 | 300 | 0.73× | 21 | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $80,040 | — | — | 6 | 153 |
| Nevadamoderate | $97,350 | 370 | 1.84× | 4 | 127 |
| New Mexico | $54,000 | 80 | 0.68× | 9 | 122 |
| Alabama | — | 110 | 0.40× | 8 | 99 |
| West Virginia | $60,940 | 40 | 0.46× | 9 | 70 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
- Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
- 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.
- Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
- Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
- 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.
- Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
- Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
Skills
- Active Listening3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Speaking3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Writing3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Learning Strategies2.9
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics5.0
- English Language4.4
- Design4.2
- Communications and Media4.1
- Customer and Personal Service3.9
- Sales and Marketing3.9
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Visualization4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Near Vision3.9
- Problem Sensitivity3.6
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.8
- Thinking Creatively4.8
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.8
- Getting Information4.5
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.3
- Processing Information4.1
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Special Effects Artist
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Special Effects Artists and Animators9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 10.0304Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
- 11.0801Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 50.0102Digital Arts
- 50.0409Graphic Design
- 50.0411Game and Interactive Media Design
- 50.0705Drawing
- 50.0706Intermedia/Multimedia
- 50.0708Painting
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Special Effects Artist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Graphic Design, which awarded 10,754 degrees in 2024-25, 32.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Special Effects Artist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Design and Applied Arts, Graphic Communications, Computer Software and Media Applications, Visual and Performing Arts, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 33,286 people a year.
How much do special effects artists and animators earn?+
The median is $102,030 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $58,600 at the 10th percentile to $177,110 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for special effects artists and animators growing?+
BLS projects a +1.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 5,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,110 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do special effects artists and animators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Artist, Animator, Graphic Artist, 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-1014.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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