Creative pay 2026
Motion designer salary in New York (2026)
Motion designers and animators in New York earn a median $96,770 a year ($46.52 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($102,030), 4th of 31 states. It is 1.6 times the median for all jobs in New York.
- $96,770median a year in New York
- $46.52median an hour
- −5%vs the US median ($102,030)
- 1,540employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a motion designer in New York?
Half of motion designers and animators in New York earn between $76,420 and $136,840. The gap between the top and bottom 10% (2.9 times) is about the national spread.
| 10th percentile | $60,190 | $58,600 | $28.94 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $76,420 | $75,490 | $36.74 |
| Median | $96,770 | $102,030 | $46.52 |
| 75th | $136,840 | $139,130 | $65.79 |
| 90th percentile | $176,190 | $177,110 | $84.71 |
The mean (average) is $110,760, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does New York compare with other states?
New York is in the top five for motion designers and animators' pay. Only Washington, California and Nevada pay more.
| Massachusetts | $80,640 | −17% | n/a |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $71,760 | −26% | 300 |
How many motion designers and animators work in New York?
BLS estimates 1,540 employee jobs, 0.16 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 1.24).
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 New York?
2 of the 5 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in New York.
| UX/UI designer | $120,990 | 16,560 |
|---|---|---|
| Video editor | $103,440 | 3,710 |
| Videographer | $93,410 | 2,930 |
| Graphic designer | $77,340 | 14,530 |
| Photographer | $60,050 | 3,650 |
What do freelance motion designers and animators charge?
Upwork, motion graphics designers list $18 to $35 an hour, worldwide. New York's employee median of $46.52 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 New York?
The median is $96,770 a year and the mean is $110,760, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 1,540 employee jobs.
How much does a motion designer make an hour in New York?
The median hourly wage is $46.52. The bottom 10% earn under $28.94 and the top 10% over $84.71.
What does a starting motion designer earn in New York?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of motion designers and animators in New York earn under $76,420 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $60,190, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
Get the Slice Weekly
One free email every Friday: tools for creators and the best advice we found from people who make things.
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 = 1,540 jobs in the New York estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
Get the data
Free · CSV and JSON · 2 files
This page’s own figures as a CSV, and the full files behind What creative jobs pay in 2026. One email unlocks every download on Slice’s data pages.
- This page’s figures (CSV) Every table and figure on this page, with its source line.
- Every role, country and source (CSV) One row per role, country and measure: percentiles for employees and every published freelance rate, with its source.
- The full dataset (JSON) Everything above plus every US state and metro table, the outlook figures and the source records.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “Slice (tryslicemedia.com)” and link to this page. Leave the box unticked and we send you nothing. Everything on this page stays free to read without an email.
Motion designer pay in other states
- Washington $133,480
- California $130,540
- Nevada $97,350
- North Carolina $88,350
- Utah $88,210
- Florida $85,870
- Virginia $81,510
- Georgia $81,390
- Illinois $81,180
- Indiana $75,250
- Pennsylvania $71,760