Side-by-side distribution
Animator
$124,590
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.4%
- Live roles
- 122
Journalist
$70,667
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.1%
- Live roles
- 132
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Robot Animator
Lead Gameplay Animator
Senior Technical Gameplay Animator
Senior Technical Gameplay Animator
Rive Motion Designer and Animator (Contract-to-Hire)
Lead Animator
Lead Animator
Senior Gameplay Animator (CONTRACT)
Senior Cinematic Facial Animator (CONTRACT)
Senior Cinematic Animator (CONTRACT)
Highest-paying jobs
Opinion Journalist
Freelance Multimedia Journalist
Senior Video Journalist, International
Senior Video Journalist, NYT Magazine
Senior Video Journalist, Reporter Video
Senior Video Journalist, Cinematography (Temp)
Senior Video Journalist, Podcast Video, Popcast
Video Journalist, Visual Investigations
Video Journalist, International
Video Journalist, NYT Cooking
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| DI Disney | $92,094 | 5 |
|
Insomniac Games
|
$169,499 | 3 |
|
PlayStation Global
|
$169,437 | 3 |
Sony Pictures Imageworks
|
$71,417 | 3 |
|
2K
|
$129,689 | 2 |
The National Football League
|
$121,680 | 2 |
Wild Card Creative Group
|
$120,000 | 2 |
| BS Bonfire Studios | $221,817 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
The New York Times
|
$138,490 | 9 |
Nexstar Media Group
|
$38,480 | 9 |
TEGNA Inc.
|
$48,901 | 8 |
| NC News Corp Australia | $102,500 | 3 |
FOX
|
$80,007 | 3 |
|
The Washington Post
|
$118,099 | 2 |
TelevisaUnivision
|
$72,125 | 2 |
|
Cheddar
|
$182,000 | 1 |
Journalist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $133,813 | 10 |
Animator vs Journalist: which pays more?
The median for Animator is $124,590 per year (typically $93,770–$169,437), versus $70,667 for Journalist ($46,020–$120,659). That puts Animator about 76% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Animator and Journalist are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.