The median annual wage for Special Effects Artists and Animators in California is $128,360 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $128,880.
Pay spans roughly $74,050 at the 10th percentile to $178,850 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $61.71 per hour. An estimated 7,690 people work as special effects artists and animators in California.
| Median (annual) | $128,360 |
| Mean (annual) | $128,880 |
| Median (hourly) | $61.71 |
| 10th percentile | $74,050 |
| 90th percentile | $178,850 |
| Employment | 7,690 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.