Lead / Director Special Effects Artists and Animators salary in Washington
Roles that direct strategy, lead teams, or hold full functional ownership. Typically ten or more years of experience or a Director-class title with budget responsibility.
Lead / Director Special Effects Artists and Animators in Washington: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 11 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $177,050. 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 IV — fully competent | 11 | $177,050 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Lead / Director Special Effects Artists and Animators in Washington. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Product Design | 4 | $199,873 |
| Riot Games, Inc. | Rigging Technical Artist II | 3 | $141,045 |
| Electronic Arts Inc. | Senior Visual Effects Artist 2 | 1 | $177,800 |
| CD PROJEKT RED Inc | Senior Lighting Artist | 1 | $150,000 |
| BYTEDANCE INC. | Visual Designer - TikTok Monetization | 1 | $143,100 |
| VALVE CORPORATION | Visual & User Experience Designer | 1 | $150,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Manager, Animation Art at Riot Games, Inc.$177,050Mercer IslandWage Level IVDecided Aug 20, 2025I-200-25225-239484
- Product Design at Microsoft Corporation$193,563RedmondWage Level IVDecided Jul 31, 2025I-200-25205-196792
- Senior Visual Effects Artist 2 at Electronic Arts Inc.$177,800KirklandWage Level IVDecided Apr 2, 2025I-200-25085-806537
- Senior Lighting Artist at CD PROJEKT RED Inc$150,000BothellWage Level IVDecided Dec 20, 2024I-200-24348-541822
- Visual Designer - TikTok Monetization at BYTEDANCE INC.$143,100BellevueWage Level IVDecided Dec 19, 2024I-200-24348-540554
- Product Design at Microsoft Corporation$208,058RedmondWage Level IVDecided Dec 5, 2024I-200-24332-503619
- Rigging Technical Artist II at Riot Games, Inc.$141,045Mercer IslandWage Level IVDecided Dec 5, 2024I-200-24332-504302
- Visual & User Experience Designer at VALVE CORPORATION$150,000BellevueWage Level IVDecided Oct 18, 2024I-203-24284-400239
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.