Side-by-side distribution
Animator
$121,680
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 21.4%
- Live roles
- 112
Photographer
$49,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 55.6%
- Live roles
- 205
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Robot Animator
Lead Technical Animator
Motion Graphics Designer/ Animator
Rive Motion Designer and Animator (Contract-to-Hire)
Lead Animator
Lead Animator
Senior Gameplay Animator - IGC/ Gameplay (Contingent)
Senior Cinematic Facial Animator (CONTRACT)
Senior Gameplay Animator (CONTRACT)
Principal Gameplay Animator
Highest-paying jobs
Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
2K
|
$105,140 | 3 |
Sony Pictures Imageworks
|
$71,417 | 3 |
|
Insomniac Games
|
$169,468 | 2 |
The National Football League
|
$121,680 | 2 |
|
Epic Games
|
$233,694 | 1 |
| SA Skild AI | $200,000 | 1 |
|
Rilla
|
$166,400 | 1 |
|
Naughty Dog
|
$162,708 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CoStar Group
|
$49,500 | 41 |
|
Treatwell
|
$153,830 | 19 |
| CO Cox | $39,302 | 11 |
Nexstar Media Group
|
$41,600 | 7 |
FOX
|
$105,758 | 5 |
TelevisaUnivision
|
$64,215 | 3 |
Sutter Health
|
$106,777 | 2 |
Collectors
|
$58,240 | 2 |
Photographer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $80,500 | 5 |
Animator vs Photographer: which pays more?
The median for Animator is $121,680 per year (typically $94,000–$162,552), versus $49,500 for Photographer ($49,500–$59,554). That puts Animator about 146% 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.