Side-by-side distribution
Animator
$125,880
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 21.7%
- Live roles
- 83
Photographer
$52,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 47.8%
- Live roles
- 46
Highest-paying jobs
Lead Gameplay Animator
Gameplay Animator (Senior/Principal)
Senior Technical Gameplay Animator
Senior Technical Gameplay Animator
Rive Motion Designer and Animator (Contract-to-Hire)
Lead Animator
Lead Animator
Senior Gameplay Animator
Senior Gameplay Animator
Senior Animator, Unannounced Super Fun Video Game (Contract)
Highest-paying jobs
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Consumer Electronics Videographer & Photographer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
2K
|
$124,260 | 3 |
Sony Pictures Imageworks
|
$71,417 | 3 |
| BS Bonfire Studios | $221,817 | 2 |
Wild Card Creative Group
|
$120,000 | 2 |
|
Naughty Dog
|
$176,950 | 1 |
|
PlayStation Global
|
$176,700 | 1 |
|
Rilla
|
$166,400 | 1 |
| 3U 31st Union | $152,780 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Treatwell
|
$156,750 | 9 |
Major League Baseball
|
$52,000 | 2 |
Clutch Technologies Inc.
|
$41,600 | 2 |
Fuku
|
$6,000 | 2 |
|
TP-Link Systems Inc.
|
$130,000 | 1 |
TurboTenant
|
$100,000 | 1 |
Sticker Mule
|
$75,000 | 1 |
Invisible Agency
|
$73,840 | 1 |
Animator vs Photographer: which pays more?
The median for Animator is $125,880 per year (typically $90,156–$162,995), versus $52,000 for Photographer ($41,600–$93,750). That puts Animator about 142% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Animator and Photographer 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.