Side-by-side distribution
Animator
$120,840
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 22%
- Live roles
- 118
Reporter
$93,248
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.6%
- Live roles
- 384
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
Target Analyst Reporter (Level 1-4)
Target Analyst Reporter (Level 1-4)
KGO - Weekend Anchor Reporter
Morning Show Anchor/Reporter
Global Business and Finance Reporter
Target Analyst Reporter (TAR)
Target Analyst Reporter-3
Target Analyst Reporter - Level 3
Target Analyst Reporter - Level 3
Target Analyst Reporter - Level 2
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
2K
|
$104,250 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
Nexstar Media Group
|
$63,879 | 20 |
| NC News Corp Australia | $82,500 | 13 |
|
FOX
|
$109,554 | 11 |
Neal R Gross & Co
|
$72,800 | 11 |
The New York Times
|
$125,635 | 10 |
| AX Axios | $100,000 | 10 |
MediaNews Group
|
$50,440 | 7 |
Prevail
|
$46,800 | 6 |
Reporter salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $130,000 | 3 |
| New York | $117,068 | 24 |
| Los Angeles | $109,554 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $107,900 | 5 |
| Denver | $75,000 | 5 |
Animator vs Reporter: which pays more?
The median for Animator is $120,840 per year (typically $88,000–$160,070), versus $93,248 for Reporter ($72,950–$124,635). That puts Animator about 30% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Animator and Reporter 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.