Contemplating a career in animation but wrestling with the question, "is it a stable choice?"
The answer is a reassuring yes!
When it comes to selecting a career path, it's essential to consider not just what you love, but also what will offer a stable income. The animation industry is booming, offering a wealth of diverse roles—from traditional 2D artistry to cutting-edge 3D modeling—that can offer you job security.
While the path isn't without its challenges, the industry's growth ensures its stability for skilled artists like you.
In this blog post, we’ll cover how stable and lucrative the animation business is and why you should consider it as a career.
The Growth of An Animation Career
GIF by Law & Order via GIPHY
When you think of animation, what is the first thing you think of? You may think of children’s cartoons, gaming, advertisements; the list goes on! Animation is a vast industry that includes many different fields. It has something for everyone.
With that being said, the industry has grown exponentially, and it’s expected to grow even more! The future of the animation industry is promising, as the quality and design continue to improve and animation becomes more mainstream.
The animation market value in 2020 was approximately $354.7b. It’s estimated to grow to $642.5b by 2030! This growth makes it a great industry for you to become a part of and grow in as an animator.
Another great aspect of the animation industry that makes it a sustainable career choice is its versatility. There are multiple avenues to take in the animation industry, so it’s up to you. You can choose a path that best suits you and your skill sets.
If you’re more of an entrepreneur, you can start your own animation business or studio.
Maybe you’d like a specific secure job in the industry that you continuously grow in. Or, you may even want to enter the freelance animation world so that you can have some control over your life and what work you do.
With such growth and versatility in an industry, there are abundant opportunities for you to find work that’s stable and worthwhile for you!
Are Jobs in Demand in The Animation Industry?
GIF by The Hills via GIPHY
There are plenty of jobs in demand in the animation industry. It’s all about finding what’s available and suitable for you. Sometimes you have to search to find the right opportunities and resources, but at the end of the day, there are animation jobs in demand.
There are many resources online that help you to find the jobs that are in demand out there. These are just a few options you can look into to find the perfect animation job:
- LinkedIn is a valuable social media platform that can link you to all sorts of jobs. If you’re looking for a job in animation, you’re bound to find something through this platform. You can also connect with animation clients on LinkedIn and build relationships with them.
Animatedjobs.com
- There are many websites out there that solely post jobs for animation such as Animatedjobs.com. This gives you a good insight into what’s available out there. Subscribing to and following these websites helps to keep you in the loop of all the new animation jobs that get posted.
Upwork
- Upwork is a great place for freelancers looking for work. There are various categories, including design and creatives for animators like you. You can find animation clients through this platform and consistent work as an animation freelancer.
Fiverr
- Another platform for freelance animators to consider is Fiverr. Both Upwork and Fiverr are great platforms for freelancers, but you should weigh the pros and cons to decide what would work best for you. You could even take on both platforms if you feel capable enough to juggle the two.
If you want to excel in the animation industry you should follow animation blogs that will keep you up to date with what’s going on in the animation industry. There are many resources online for animators looking to find work and make a consistent living through the animation industry.
We recommend looking into our animation accelerator program, as this can provide you with the valuable information you need to start an animation career that brings you a steady and stable income.
To give you a better idea of the types of jobs in demand, these are some examples of animation jobs that are sought after in the industry.
- 3D and 2D animator.
- Character animator.
- Background artist.
- Image editor.
- Texture artist.
If you are starting your career as an animator, these are some of the best animation jobs that act as a great starting point for a lucrative and stable future in the animation industry.
Animation Internships
- Working as an intern is a great way to start your animation career. This serves as an opportunity to learn about the animation industry and work your way up.
Graphic Designer Internship
- Another aspect of animation is graphic design. Having experience in graphic design is a good stepping stone to animation.
Production Assistant
- Although you may not be doing direct animation, you do get a great insight into what the animation industry is about. Being an assistant to someone in animation production gets you firsthand knowledge of what it takes to produce animation.
Freelance Animator
- Being a freelance animator is a great way to start your animation career. There are many differences between freelance and on staff work such as your hours which are more flexible and makes you in charge of pacing your work.
When you are looking to grow in the animation industry, you’re going to want a higher title with a larger salary. These are some of the most lucrative jobs in the animation industry:
Senior Animator
- Getting to this level of animation takes time and experience. However, when you’re there, you can earn a high average of $86,284 per year.
Animation Art Director
- This job is both fun and demanding. But, it’s worth it, as you can make as much as $154,000 annually from this job.
3D Model Maker
- If you’re a model maker who works at a well-established studio you can make up to $100,000 per year.
Although there are various jobs available it can be very difficult to get into animation, especially when you’re getting into the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry is overly saturated, making it difficult to be chosen over your competition as you have to be the absolute best.
However, various industries utilize animation. These jobs can be easier to get into, as it’s less saturated. This makes it a great starting point or stepping stone in your animation career!
As with all career options, the jobs aren’t going to find you. There are jobs in demand out there, but you have to take the initiative to find them.
Job Security in the Animation Industry
Photo by Edmond Dantès from Pexels
You may be deterred from getting into the animation industry because job security is your main priority when it comes to picking a career path. However, you are more than able to find job security in the animation industry, when you look for it properly.
The beauty of the animation industry is that you can juggle multiple jobs at once. This is a modern form of job security. Many people think a stable and secure career is staying at the same job, working a monotonous 9-5, but the animation industry can offer a more fresh approach to making a living.
Here are a few ways you can create job security through having multiple streams of income from animation:
Start as a Freelance Animator
- When you want to have multiple streams of income, you should start your animation career as a freelancer. This gives you the freedom to find and work on different projects.
Multi-task Different Projects
- Learning how to multitask is a valuable skill to have, as you’re able to complete multiple projects and earn an income from different clients at once.
Focus on Repeat Clients
- Once you build a relationship with clients, it’s important to work on making them repeat clients. When you have repeat animation clients, you’ll find that you get a steady stream of income from your freelancing.
Build Long-term Relationships with Clients
- To get repeat clients, you need to meet their requirements, deadlines and learn from feedback. Just put your animation clients first, consistently produce content they’re happy with and you’ll find yourself with a loyal client base.
Start Animation Side-Hustles
- On top of your regular clients, you can start side hustles as an animator such as writing blog posts for animation blogs, animating for influencers, and becoming an animation tutor. This helps you to make a stable stream of income, even if you’re struggling to find animation work.
You can achieve job security and many opportunities in the animation industry if you know how to market yourself. For some animation jobs, you may need a degree or certification, but for most jobs, you just need proof that you’re able to produce good quality work.
A portfolio is the best way to show animation businesses your work and capabilities, so you need to spend time and effort on making the best portfolio possible! This is what makes a professional and valuable portfolio:
- Put as many pieces of work as possible, so you can show animation businesses your versatility and what you’re capable of.
- Include your contact details. You want your portfolio to include your contact details, so your potential employers know how to contact you.
You can get noticed in the animation industry by educating yourself on the business through the use of books and classes. Knowing more about the industry helps you to discover what you need to succeed in it.
An animation resume is also a great way to professionally show your skills and capabilities as an animator. This is how you can write an animation resume that blows away potential employers:
- The written part of your resume. This part of your resume includes your qualifications, experience, and education.
- Your demo reel. Your resume needs a demo reel, as this helps you stand out as a candidate. This is the visual representation of your skills and experience. When you create a demo reel, create a story and show personality.
Yes, there may be many jobs out there, but there are also many other animators applying to them. This means there has to be something that helps you to stand out from the crowd.
A method that can help you to stand out as an animator is practicing and developing your animation skills. Practicing your drawing educates your drawing sense making you a better animator.
Learning important animation skills such as research and understanding your audience helps you to become a strong candidate for any animation company!
Ensure that potential employers can see that your content differs from your competition. Finding animation work may be tricky, but it’s not impossible when you hone your skills and do effective research and networking.
Is Animation a Stable Career Choice?
The question shouldn’t be, ‘‘Is animation a stable career choice?” but rather “How can you have a stable animation career?”. There are jobs in demand in the animation industry, as well as many opportunities. But, it’s up to you to find ways to stand out from your competitors!
The versatility and growth of the animation industry should be something you consider when you’re showing interest in the animation business. Although it can be a competitive and saturated industry, this doesn't mean you won’t be able to make a stable career out of it.
You may start your career with less security and stability, but as time passes and you find your place in the animation industry, you can establish a stable career with a consistent and reliable income! To learn more about the animation industry and how you can find stability in it watch our free masterclass and download a copy of our free marketing handbook.
