SOC 27-1014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Special Effects Artists and Animators — Virginia
Virginia · 2 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Virginia is $81,510 a year, trailing the national median of $102,030 by 20.1%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.6%
- Openings per year
- 5,000
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
61.5% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Virginia.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Virginia is $81,510 a year, trailing the national median of $102,030 by 20.1%. Half of workers earn between $66,920 and $110,180. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $47,140 and the ninetieth at $138,210.
The area has 380 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.1 of every thousand jobs. Among the 31 states with published data for this occupation, Virginia ranks 13th by median wage. Virginia Beach leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $78,430. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 199th of 747 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,140 | −53.8% |
| 25th | $66,920 | −34.4% |
| Median (50th) | $81,510 | −20.1% |
| 75th | $110,180 | +8.0% |
| 90th | $138,210 | +35.5% |
| Mean | $89,750 | −12.0% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach | $78,430 | — | |
| 2 | Richmond | $76,380 | 30 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Virginia sit close to the national average, so $81,510 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$81,510as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$80,623US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $81,510 a year, 20.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,140 to $138,210 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 380 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 13th of 31 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Virginia Beach, at $78,430.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Special Effects Artists and Animators in Virginia?
The median annual wage is $81,510, or $39.19 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $102,030, so pay in Virginia is 20.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Virginia earns more than $138,210 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,140 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Virginia Beach, at $78,430 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 380 jobs in this occupation in Virginia. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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