Also called: Puppet Animator
Animates puppets and models one tiny movement at a time for films and commercials.
They move a puppet's arm a millimeter, snap a photo, and repeat: 24 times for one second of film. A good day might produce three seconds of footage. Studios like Laika in Oregon make full movies this way.
Estimate; very few studios.
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 animation or fine arts; puppet-making skills help.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Animation, Fine Arts, Sculpture.
Growing slowly. Tiny niche with loyal audiences.
Low risk for 10 years. The handmade look is the whole point; AI and rigs help clean frames, but puppets are still moved by hand.
Classes: Art 3-D Design or ceramics, Film or video production, Woodshop.
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.