Seniority Profile · California

Mid-level Special Effects Artists and Animators salary in California

Roles that require qualified independent work on routine tasks. Typically two to five years of relevant experience.

By Adrian SerafinFounderUpdated May 4, 2026

BLS percentile range

— – —

P25 to MEDIAN of the California OES distribution for Special Effects Artists and Animators.

DOL OFLC offered median

$120,000

Across 53 certified filings at this wage level.

Real disclosed salaries

Mid-level Special Effects Artists and Animators in California: actual employer-disclosed pay

Public records from 53 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $120,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.

By DOL wage level

DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.

Level	Filings	Median offer
Level II — qualified	53	$120,000

Top employers filing for this role

Companies with the most certified filings for Mid-level Special Effects Artists and Animators in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.

Employer	Most-filed title	Filings	Median
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.	SR. ARTIST	7	$119,312
Electronic Arts Inc.	Technical Artist 2	6	$124,722
Microsoft Corporation	Product Design	6	$152,479
Riot Games, Inc.	Visual Design Artist	4	$111,708
Naughty Dog a limited liability company	Gameplay Animator	3	$120,000
LOLA VISUAL EFFECTS LLC	COMPUTER GRAPHICS ANIMATOR	3	$120,000
SNAP INC.	Core Product Designer (3)	2	$107,557
Certified Kernel Tech LLC	Senior UI/UX Designer	2	$113,654
ArtSpark Studio, LLC	Multimedia Art and Concept Design Instructor	2	$130,000
Rockstar San Diego, Inc.	Technical Artist	2	$97,099

Recent sample filings

A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.

Senior Technical Artist at Electronic Arts Inc.
$160,495
ChatsworthWage Level IIDecided Sep 30, 2025I-200-25267-330248
SR. ARTIST at BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
$110,864
IRVINEWage Level IIDecided Sep 24, 2025I-203-25261-316992
Product Design at Microsoft Corporation
$176,390
Santa ClaraWage Level IIDecided Sep 5, 2025I-200-25240-272538
Staff Concept Artist at OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT INC.
$106,500
IRVINEWage Level IIDecided Aug 18, 2025I-200-25223-233438
ENVIRONMENT ARTIST at ACTIVISION PUBLISHING INC
$98,342
CARLSBADWage Level IIDecided Jul 30, 2025I-200-25204-195457
Technical Artist 2 at Electronic Arts Inc.
$117,867
ChatsworthWage Level IIDecided Jun 26, 2025I-200-25169-109871
Visual Design Artist at Riot Games, Inc.
$115,859
Los AngelesWage Level IIDecided Jun 23, 2025I-200-25165-093351
Core Product Designer (3) at SNAP INC.
$107,557
Santa MonicaWage Level IIDecided Jun 20, 2025I-200-25163-087518

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.