DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 7,044 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 21,280 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Special Effects Artists and Animators
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsView all companies hiring Special Effects Artists and Animators
Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park, CA | $153,230 | +96.4% | 47 | 7 |
| Cupertino, CA | $145,600 | +86.7% | 36 | 3 |
| Redmond, WA | $124,950 | +60.2% | 49 | 8 |
| Kirkland, WA | $120,000 | +53.8% | 19 | 5 |
| Mountain View, CA | $115,200 | +47.7% | 209 | 25 |
| San Bruno, CA | $115,000 | +47.4% | 23 | 3 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $110,500 | +41.7% | 70 | 26 |
| Foster City, CA | $108,950 | +39.7% | 32 | 10 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $99,882 | +28.1% | 40 | 22 |
| Greenwich, CO | $97,032 | +24.4% | 13 | 1 |
| Chatsworth, CA | $97,000 | +24.4% | 21 | 2 |
| San Francisco, CA | $95,000 | +21.8% | 459 | 177 |
| Cary, NC | $95,000 | +21.8% | 13 | 1 |
| Cambridge, MA | $94,000 | +20.5% | 17 | 8 |
| San Jose, CA | $92,664 | +18.8% | 38 | 29 |
| Irvine, CA | $91,156 | +16.9% | 246 | 12 |
| Playa Vista, CA | $90,750 | +16.3% | 18 | 7 |
| Burbank, CA | $89,761 | +15.1% | 116 | 32 |
| Palo Alto, CA | $86,133 | +10.4% | 77 | 42 |
| Venice, CA | $85,567 | +9.7% | 58 | 21 |
| CARLSBAD, CA | $85,000 | +9% | 81 | 7 |
| Greenwich, CT | $83,603 | +7.2% | 42 | 1 |
| Redwood City, CA | $83,350 | +6.9% | 98 | 20 |
| Woodland Hills, CA | $83,200 | +6.7% | 47 | 3 |
| Glendale, CA | $83,200 | +6.7% | 73 | 14 |
| San Mateo, CA | $83,200 | +6.7% | 32 | 23 |
| New York, NE | $83,000 | +6.4% | 175 | 101 |
| Middleton, WI | $82,218 | +5.4% | 14 | 1 |
| Novato, CA | $80,000 | +2.6% | 33 | 4 |
| SANTA MONICA, CA | $80,000 | +2.6% | 207 | 48 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $85,000 | -33.8% | 2,964 |
| New Hampshire | $84,900 | N/A | 1 |
| Colorado | $83,500 | -12.2% | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $82,035 | +46.6% | 17 |
| Connecticut | $81,226 | N/A | 46 |
| North Carolina | $81,000 | +24.6% | 25 |
| Washington | $80,000 | N/A | 255 |
| Nebraska | $80,000 | +51.9% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $70,000 | -8.5% | 88 |
| Arkansas | $67,907 | N/A | 2 |
| Michigan | $67,500 | -16.4% | 37 |
| Iowa | $65,000 | +6.6% | 3 |
| New York | $63,668 | -37.7% | 581 |
| Oregon | $63,170 | -41.9% | 19 |
| Hawaii | $62,760 | N/A | 2 |
| Rhode Island | $62,074 | -18.5% | 1 |
| New Jersey | $62,000 | -50.1% | 15 |
| Delaware | $62,000 | N/A | 1 |
| Maryland | $61,951 | -24.2% | 20 |
| Texas | $61,450 | -30.7% | 108 |
| Illinois | $58,455 | -21.9% | 62 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,250 | -3.5% | 16 |
| Nevada | $57,500 | -33.4% | 16 |
| Florida | $57,221 | -22.5% | 100 |
| Arizona | $55,000 | -18.5% | 3 |
| Louisiana | $54,590 | -28.9% | 4 |
| Utah | $54,521 | -13.2% | 30 |
| Ohio | $54,000 | -35.4% | 13 |
| Missouri | $53,500 | -26% | 6 |
| Kansas | $53,309 | -35.9% | 2 |
| Virginia | $51,740 | -34.6% | 12 |
| South Carolina | $50,000 | N/A | 3 |
| Georgia | $47,870 | -39.4% | 70 |
| Indiana | $45,000 | -20% | 3 |
| Minnesota | $44,850 | -27.4% | 15 |
| District of Columbia | $43,500 | N/A | 6 |
| North Dakota | $42,973 | N/A | 1 |
| Oklahoma | $39,856 | -36.1% | 6 |
| Montana | $38,123 | N/A | 2 |
| Tennessee | $35,963 | -56% | 1 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Special Effects Artists and Animators positions, 52% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 41% required a Master's degree, and 5% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| GOOGLE LLC | Master's | $115,200 |
| Blizzard Entertainment Inc. | Bachelor's | $97,989 |
| Activision Publishing Inc. | Bachelor's | $93,163 |
| Pixar | Bachelor's | $74,516 |
| Riot Games, Inc. | Bachelor's | $85,114 |
| The Mill Group, Inc. | Bachelor's | $61,797 |
| Electronic Arts | Master's | $84,000 |
| AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC | Master's | $77,500 |
| Facebook Inc. | Master's | $155,000 |
| DreamWorks Animation LLC | Bachelor's | $85,384 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Special Effects Artists and Animators is Manufacturing at $96,643. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $59,816.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 7,044 DOL filings, the median salary for a Special Effects Artists and Animators is $78,000, ranging from $60,000 to $105,000.
The 90th percentile salary is $174,630 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Menlo Park, CA offers the highest median at $153,230.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Special Effects Artists and Animators positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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