Also called: 3D Artist, Environment Artist, Character Modeler
Builds the 3D models of characters, props, and environments used in games, films, and AR/VR.
They sculpt a creature in ZBrush, retopologize it for animation, and paint textures so it looks real. Environment artists build whole digital cities. Work must hit technical limits like polygon counts.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in game art or animation; many self-teach with online tools.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught, 2-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Game Art, Animation, Computer Graphics.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Game and film demand fluctuates.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI 3D generation is spreading fast for props and background assets; hero characters and game-ready optimization still need modelers.
Classes: Digital art or 3-D design, Geometry, AP Computer Science Principles.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1014.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.