Also called: CG Hair & Fur Artist, Digital Groom Artist
Creates the digital hair, fur, and feathers on CG characters and creatures.
A groom artist styles millions of digital hairs on a lion, combing and clumping them, then works with FX artists so the mane blows realistically in the wind.
Approximate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. A bachelor's in animation or VFX with a portfolio of hair and fur work, then a couple of years as a junior groom artist at a studio.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Animation.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Similar to special effects artists and animators.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI speeds hair and fur setup, but making digital hair look right on moving creatures still needs specialists.
Classes: Art, Biology, Computer science, Hair styling or cosmetology.
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.