Also called: Character Modeler, Asset Artist
Sculpts characters, props, and environments in 3D software.
A modeler might sculpt a creature's scales in ZBrush in the morning and build a clean, animation-ready version in Maya after lunch.
BLS special effects artists and animators median ~$99.8k (May 2024). Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) studio jobs pay well; freelance, game, and small-studio work pays less, and layoffs are common.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Animation or game art degree, or self-taught with a portfolio.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Animation, Game Art, Industrial Design.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Tracks animator growth.
High risk for 10 years. Text-to-3D and scan tools now produce many props and assets, cutting modeler jobs; hero characters still need sculptors.
Classes: Art (sculpture), Geometry, Computer science, Drafting or CAD CTE.
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.