Average Special Effects Artists And Animators Salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

BLS did not publish a wage for special effects artists and animators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA in the latest release, but in 2024 the local median hourly wage was $52.23. There are 690 workers employed locally today.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (metro area).

No annual salary published for this location. BLS does not publish an annual wage estimate for special effects artists and animators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. This is common for occupations where most work is project-based, hourly, or on irregular schedules (actors, athletes, musicians, dancers). No wage figures were published at all for this location in the latest release.

Local employment

Workers tracked locally: 690
How common this job is here: 4.43×; More concentrated here than nationally — this metro area is unusually strong in this occupation.

The last time BLS reported wages here

The latest release does not include a wage figure for special effects artists and animators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, but earlier releases did. Here is the most recent year with a published wage.

Last reporting year: 2024
Median hourly wage (2024): $52.23/hr
Median annual wage (2024): $108,630
Employment (2024): 370

This data is from the 2024 BLS release. Recent figures may differ — small-sample suppression is common for this occupation.

Where special effects artists and animators earn the most per hour

Locations where BLS did publish hourly wage data for special effects artists and animators this release, ranked highest to lowest.

By hourly wage

Top-paying states

Washington: $64.17/hr
California: $62.76/hr
Nevada: $46.80/hr
New York: $46.52/hr
Colorado: $43.89/hr
Arizona: $43.10/hr
North Carolina: $42.48/hr
Utah: $42.41/hr

By hourly wage

Top-paying metros

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $75.46/hr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: $65.76/hr
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: $64.48/hr
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: $59.90/hr
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: $59.08/hr
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: $57.09/hr
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: $52.56/hr
Reno, NV: $50.60/hr

National job outlook

BLS publishes national employment projections for special effects artists and animators from 2024 to 2034. These projections are national and not broken down by state.

Projected growth: +1.6%; 900 net jobs over the projection period
Annual openings: 5,000; Includes growth plus replacements
Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Related occupations

Other jobs in the same field. Many of these follow similar hourly or project-based pay patterns.