Creative pay 2026
Motion designer salary in Illinois (2026)
Motion designers and animators in Illinois earn a median $81,180 a year ($39.03 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 20% below the US median of $102,030; Illinois is 15th of 31 states. The median for every job in Illinois is $51,960, so this pays 56% more than the typical job there.
- $81,180median a year in Illinois
- $39.03median an hour
- −20%vs the US median ($102,030)
- 630employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a motion designer in Illinois?
Half of motion designers and animators in Illinois earn between $67,230 and $108,640. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.3 times the 10th, against 3.0 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $60,760 | $58,600 | $29.21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $67,230 | $75,490 | $32.32 |
| Median | $81,180 | $102,030 | $39.03 |
| 75th | $108,640 | $139,130 | $52.23 |
| 90th percentile | $136,710 | $177,110 | $65.73 |
The mean (average) is $92,680, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Illinois compare with other states?
Illinois sits 15th of 31, between Georgia ($81,390) and Massachusetts ($80,640).
| Indiana | $75,250 | −7% | 300 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $47,530 | −41% | n/a |
| Kentucky | $50,970 | −37% | 40 |
| Missouri | $65,470 | −19% | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $64,890 | −20% | 210 |
Which cities in Illinois pay motion designers and animators best?
Of the 2 metro areas in Illinois where BLS publishes a median for the job, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays most, at $83,200, 2% above the state median.
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 550 | $83,200 | $40.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 50 | $75,820 | $36.45 |
How many motion designers and animators work in Illinois?
BLS estimates 630 employee jobs, 0.1 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 0.81). The employment estimate is rough: its relative standard error is 36%.
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in Illinois?
2 of the 6 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in Illinois.
| Videographer | $100,170 | 1,060 |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI designer | $85,710 | 2,050 |
| Video editor | $72,460 | 310 |
| Copywriter | $68,220 | 2,640 |
| Graphic designer | $62,560 | 8,960 |
| Photographer | $36,570 | 2,150 |
What do freelance motion designers and animators charge?
Upwork, motion graphics designers list $18 to $35 an hour, worldwide. Illinois's employee median of $39.03 an hour is above that range, and a freelancer also has to cover unpaid hours, kit and tax. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average motion designer salary in Illinois?
The median is $81,180 a year and the mean is $92,680, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 630 employee jobs.
How much does a motion designer make an hour in Illinois?
The median hourly wage is $39.03. The bottom 10% earn under $29.21 and the top 10% over $65.73.
What does a starting motion designer earn in Illinois?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of motion designers and animators in Illinois earn under $67,230 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $60,760, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
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Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-1014, Special Effects Artists and Animators. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 630 jobs in the Illinois estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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Motion designer pay in other states
- Washington $133,480
- California $130,540
- Nevada $97,350
- New York $96,770
- North Carolina $88,350
- Utah $88,210
- Florida $85,870
- Virginia $81,510
- Georgia $81,390
- Indiana $75,250
- Pennsylvania $71,760