Special Effects Artists and Animators H-1B Salaries (2026)
DOL occupation 27-1014 · common titles: Technical Artist, Product Design, Senior Technical Artist, Interactive Engineer
Short answer
The median H-1B salary for special effects artists and animators is $125,000 in FY2026 so far, across 165 certified filings. The middle half earn $93,000 – $155,000, and pay is up 9% since FY2024.
Median
$125,000
FY2026 so far
Filings
165
0.0% of all H-1B filings
Top 10%
$197,205+
90th percentile
Change since FY2024
+9%
$114,296 → $125,000
FY2026 so far · number of filings by salary
Salary distribution
Darker bars hold the middle 50% of filings. Bars are $20k wide; the first and last bars include everything below and above.
DOL prevailing-wage level
Median pay by experience level
Median salary and number of filings at each wage level.
FY2026 so far
By state
| State | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| California | 86 | $144,590 |
| New York | 19 | $90,355 |
| Texas | 13 | $100,000 |
| Washington | 12 | $166,914 |
FY2026 so far
Top employers for this job
| Employer | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc. | 13 | $163,300 |
| TT Commerce & Global Services LLC | 11 | $190,032 |
| Electronic Arts Inc. | 10 | $140,558 |
| Snap Inc. | 9 | $152,734 |
| Microsoft Corporation | 9 | $184,288 |
| Electronic Arts - Tiburon, a Florida Corporation | 7 | $110,250 |
| LNW Gaming, Inc. | 5 | $100,000 |
| Tencent America LLC | 5 | $161,352 |
| Framestore, Inc | 5 | $97,000 |
| Rockstar San Diego, Inc. | 4 | $95,708 |
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Special Effects Artists and Animators H-1B salary questions
What is the average H-1B salary for special effects artists and animators?
The median is $125,000 across 165 certified H-1B filings in FY2026 so far. The middle half earn $93,000 to $155,000, and the top 10% earn $197,205 or more.
Which state pays H-1B special effects artists and animators the most?
Among the 10 states with the most filings, Washington has the highest median at $166,914 (12 filings).
Which company sponsors the most H-1B special effects artists and animators?
Apple Inc., with 13 certified filings in FY2026 so far at a median of $163,300.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification LCA disclosure data, decisions through Jun 30, 2026. Salaries are annualized base wages from the filing and exclude bonus and stock. A certified LCA is not an approved H-1B petition. Updated Oct 4, 2026.