# Special Effects Artists and Animators

US SOC code 27-1014. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/27-1014

Also called: Animator, VFX artist, Visual effects artist, Motion designer, Motion graphics designer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **19,970** US special effects artists and animators, with median pay of **$102,030** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **35,990**, in May 2022. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike) of **1,200** from 1941, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for special effects artists and animators: Real-time rendering for virtual production, 2018 to 2023. Virtual production created a new category of on-set VFX artists who needed to be physically present on production, commanding premium rates for their real-time pipeline skills.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035 (-0.3%). Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=27-1014&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **47.5%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Special Effects Artists and Animators employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1914
- Latest US employment: 19,970 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $102,030 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: -0.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [21]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1941 | 1,200 (estimate) | $1,300 (estimate) | Est., Wikipedia [1] |
| 1970 | n/a | $10,400 (estimate) | Est., Animation World Network [5] |
| 1987 | 800 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) [2] |
| 1995 | 7,500 (estimate) | $52,000 (estimate) | Est., Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) (employment) [2]; Est., Animation Guild Blog (pay) [6] |
| 2003 | 32,910 | $45,920 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 30,210 | $50,360 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 23,790 | $50,290 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 26,260 | $51,350 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 29,440 | $54,550 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 31,500 | $56,330 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 28,800 | $58,250 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 26,560 | $58,510 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 28,400 | $60,830 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 29,270 | $61,370 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 30,790 | $64,470 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 29,000 | $63,630 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 30,240 | $63,970 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 29,810 | $65,300 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 29,860 | $70,530 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 28,560 | $72,520 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 29,340 | $75,270 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 26,460 | $77,700 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 20,430 | $78,790 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 35,990 | $98,950 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 29,940 | $99,060 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 21,280 | $99,800 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 19,970 | $102,030 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (92)

### Employment series

1. [Wikipedia — Disney animators' strike (workforce at Disney, 1941)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike), Wikipedia / cited primary sources
2. [Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) -- "The 50s through the 90s" (history of membership decline and recovery)](https://animationguild.org/about-the-guild/the50s-the90s/), IATSE Animation Guild Local 839
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. [Wikipedia -- Disney animators' strike (pay range $12-$300/week, 1941)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike), Wikipedia / cited primary sources
5. [Animation World Network -- "From Humble Beginnings to the Makings of Superstars: Animation Wages Past, Present and Future"](https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.3/issue2.3pages/2.3hulettwages.html), Animation World Network
6. [Animation Guild Blog -- "Wages Then, Wages Now" (1990s wage spike: lead key assistants $3,000-$5,000/wk; lead animators $10,000+/wk)](https://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/wages-then-wages-now.html), Animation Guild Blog (IATSE Local 839)
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
8. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

9. [Wikipedia -- Rotoscoping (Max Fleischer invention, 1914-1917 patent)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotoscoping), Wikipedia
10. [Wikipedia -- Disney animators' strike (Snow White production workforce)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike), Wikipedia
11. [Wikipedia -- Walt Disney Animation Studios (multiplane camera 1937 and Xerox process 1961)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Animation_Studios), Wikipedia
12. [Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) -- "The 50s through the 90s" (runaway production, 1979-1987 membership decline)](https://animationguild.org/about-the-guild/the50s-the90s/), IATSE Animation Guild Local 839
13. [Wikipedia -- Industrial Light and Magic (ILM founding 1975, Star Wars 1977)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic), Wikipedia
14. [MasterClass -- "Special Effects in Film: A Brief History of Special Effects" (Jurassic Park, Toy Story CGI revolution)](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/special-effects), MasterClass
15. [VFX Voice -- "ACROSS VFX GENERATIONS: WITNESSES TO THE EVOLUTION"](https://vfxvoice.com/across-vfx-generations-witnesses-to-the-evolution/), VFX Voice
16. [AVG Guild -- "Animation, VFX and Game Jobs in 2026: What's Changing" (real-time engine roles as fastest-growing cluster)](https://www.avgguild.org/post/animation-vfx-game-jobs-in-2026-what-s-changing-and-how-to-stay-hireable), Animation, VFX and Games Guild
17. [VFX Voice -- "Entering 2026: VFX/Animation Industry Balances Uncertainty and Opportunity"](https://vfxvoice.com/entering-2026-vfx-animation-industry-balances-uncertainty-and-opportunity/), VFX Voice
18. [Rest of World -- "Netflix's AI deal puts the global VFX workforce at risk" (March 2026)](https://restofworld.org/2026/netflix-interpositive-vfx-ai-automation/), Rest of World
19. [CG Channel -- "Adobe releases After Effects 26.2: Object Matte tool" (April 2026)](https://www.cgchannel.com/2026/04/adobe-releases-after-effects-26-2/), CG Channel
20. [BLS National Employment Matrix -- 27-1014 Special Effects Artists and Animators (2024-34 projections: wage-and-salary +9.6%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=27-1014&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Forecasts and exposure studies

21. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 27-1014 Special effects artists and animators (2025: 51.9 thousand; 2035: 51.8 thousand; -0.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=27-1014&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 27-1014.00, human-rated β 0.475)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

23. [Wikipedia -- Rotoscoping (history and Fleischer patent)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotoscoping), Wikipedia
24. [Wikipedia -- Disney animators' strike (May 29, 1941 walkout, nine weeks, wage outcomes)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_animators%27_strike), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia -- Walt Disney Animation Studios (Ub Iwerks Xerox cel process, 101 Dalmatians 1961)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Animation_Studios), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia -- Industrial Light and Magic (founding May 26, 1975, Star Wars)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic), Wikipedia
27. [Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) -- "The 50s through the 90s" (1982 strike defeat, runaway production, 800 members by 1987)](https://animationguild.org/about-the-guild/the50s-the90s/), IATSE Animation Guild Local 839
28. [MasterClass -- "Special Effects in Film: A Brief History" (Jurassic Park 1993 CGI threshold)](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/special-effects), MasterClass
29. [Wikipedia -- Toy Story (first fully computer-animated feature film, 1995)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story), Wikipedia
30. [AVG Guild -- "Animation, VFX and Game Jobs in 2026: What's Changing" (virtual production as fastest-growing specialization)](https://www.avgguild.org/post/animation-vfx-game-jobs-in-2026-what-s-changing-and-how-to-stay-hireable), Animation, VFX and Games Guild
31. [SAG-AFTRA -- AI Bargaining and Policy Work Timeline (2023-2025 Animation and Interactive Media Agreements)](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/member-resources/artificial-intelligence/sag-aftra-ai-bargaining-and), SAG-AFTRA

### Predecessors & successors

32. [Wikipedia -- Rotoscoping (Fleischer's background as a commercial artist before inventing the rotoscope)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotoscoping), Wikipedia
33. [Wikipedia -- Industrial Light and Magic (ILM founders came from optical effects background)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Special Effects Artists and Animators (27-1014.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-1014.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Special Effects Artists and Animators](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VFX Voice — Entering 2026: VFX/Animation Industry Balances Uncertainty and Opportunity](https://vfxvoice.com/entering-2026-vfx-animation-industry-balances-uncertainty-and-opportunity/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Rest of World — Netflix's AI deal puts the global VFX workforce at risk (Mar 2026)](https://restofworld.org/2026/netflix-interpositive-vfx-ai-automation/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Context/Reuters — Hollywood animation, VFX unions fight AI job cut threat](https://www.context.news/ai/hollywood-animation-vfx-unions-fight-ai-job-cut-threat), accessed 2026-05-24
- [AVG Guild — Animation, VFX & Game Jobs in 2026: What's Changing (and How to Stay Hireable)](https://www.avgguild.org/post/animation-vfx-game-jobs-in-2026-what-s-changing-and-how-to-stay-hireable), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Elite Animation Academy — Disney Laid Off 1,000 People: Why Real Animators Matter More Than Ever in 2026](https://eliteanimationacademy.com/2026/04/disney-just-laid-off-1000-people-why-real-animators-matter-more-than-ever-in-2026/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [SAG-AFTRA — AI Bargaining and Policy Work Timeline (2023-2025)](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/member-resources/artificial-intelligence/sag-aftra-ai-bargaining-and), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [CG Channel — Adobe releases After Effects 26.2: Object Matte tool (Apr 2026)](https://www.cgchannel.com/2026/04/adobe-releases-after-effects-26-2/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Adobe — AI-powered Object Matte documentation](https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/object-matte.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Variety — Runway Gen-4 Ultra: AI Video in Working Productions (Apr 2026)](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/runway-gen-4-ultra-ai-video-productions/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Runway — AI Visual Effects Tools for VFX workflows](https://runwayml.com/ai-for-vfx), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Tato Studio — Best AI Video-to-Mocap Tools: A Complete Comparison (2025)](https://tato.studio/best-ai-video-to-mocap), accessed 2026-05-24
- [DeepMotion — AI Motion Capture & Body Tracking](https://www.deepmotion.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Plask — AI-powered 3D motion capture and animation platform](https://plask.ai/en-US), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.