Special Effects Artists and Animators
SOC code 27-1014 · 1,111 certified H-1B positions, FY2023–FY2026.
1,111
certified positions
$115,000
Median pay
$84,219
25th pct
$152,200
75th pct
$190,032
90th pct
$68,000
10th pct
Estimates from public U.S. Department of Labor records — wages are
employer-attested offered wages, not verified salaries paid; counts are filings, not
people. Not legal, financial, or career advice. See our
disclaimer & terms.
Data: DOL filings FY2023–FY2026 (through June 2026) · Page updated October 2026
$94,786
Median prevailing wage
$68,000$115,000 median$190,032
Quarterly median pay 2022-Q4 → 2026-Q2 · ▼ 9.4%
Wage-level mix DOL prevailing-wage levels on these filings
Level I · Entry — 249 (23%), med $75,670Level II · Qualified — 373 (34%), med $107,557Level III · Experienced — 211 (19%), med $135,000Level IV · Fully competent — 258 (24%), med $170,000
Top employers hiring
| Employer | Positions | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | 89 | $169,074 |
| Apple Inc. | 63 | $170,700 |
| BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC. | 62 | $119,355 |
| ACTIVISION PUBLISHING INC | 58 | $108,399 |
| Electronic Arts Inc. | 50 | $120,000 |
| ByteDance Inc. | 37 | $202,500 |
| SNAP INC. | 26 | $134,742 |
| Electronic Arts - Tiburon, a Florida Corporation | 21 | $79,300 |
| Riot Games, Inc. | 16 | $134,742 |
| TikTok Inc. | 15 | $150,000 |
| Tencent America LLC | 15 | $150,000 |
| BUCK DESIGN LLC | 15 | $85,000 |
| Visual Concepts Entertainment | 14 | $106,568 |
| TECHNICOLOR CREATIVE SERVICES USA INC | 13 | $82,000 |
| ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO INC | 13 | $100,000 |
Top states
| State | Positions |
|---|---|
| California | 645 |
| New York | 106 |
| Washington | 106 |
| Texas | 43 |
| New Jersey | 32 |
| Massachusetts | 28 |
| Georgia | 27 |
| Florida | 25 |
| Nevada | 14 |
| Pennsylvania | 14 |
| North Carolina | 13 |
| Illinois | 9 |
| Wisconsin | 7 |
| Maryland | 5 |
| Virginia | 4 |