Creative pay 2026
Motion designer salary in Pennsylvania (2026)
Motion designers and animators in Pennsylvania earn a median $71,760 a year ($34.50 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 30% below the US median of $102,030; Pennsylvania is 20th of 31 states. The median for every job in Pennsylvania is $49,690, so this pays 44% more than the typical job there.
- $71,760median a year in Pennsylvania
- $34.50median an hour
- −30%vs the US median ($102,030)
- 300employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a motion designer in Pennsylvania?
Half of motion designers and animators in Pennsylvania earn between $57,490 and $93,410. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.1 times the 10th, against 3.0 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $49,680 | $58,600 | $23.89 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $57,490 | $75,490 | $27.64 |
| Median | $71,760 | $102,030 | $34.50 |
| 75th | $93,410 | $139,130 | $44.91 |
| 90th percentile | $103,940 | $177,110 | $49.97 |
The mean (average) is $74,780, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Pennsylvania compare with other states?
Pennsylvania sits 20th of 31, between Indiana ($75,250) and Ohio ($67,000).
| Maryland | $85,830 | +20% | 170 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $96,770 | +35% | 1,540 |
| Ohio | $67,000 | −7% | 200 |
| West Virginia | $60,940 | −15% | 40 |
How many motion designers and animators work in Pennsylvania?
BLS estimates 300 employee jobs, 0.05 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.39, where 1 is the US average. The employment estimate is rough: its relative standard error is 44%.
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 Pennsylvania?
2 of the 5 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in Pennsylvania.
| UX/UI designer | $104,160 | 2,820 |
|---|---|---|
| Copywriter | $77,410 | 1,080 |
| Graphic designer | $60,730 | 8,150 |
| Videographer | $51,760 | 670 |
| Photographer | $40,520 | 1,870 |
What do freelance motion designers and animators charge?
Upwork, motion graphics designers list $18 to $35 an hour, worldwide. Pennsylvania's employee median of $34.50 an hour is inside that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average motion designer salary in Pennsylvania?
The median is $71,760 a year and the mean is $74,780, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 300 employee jobs.
How much does a motion designer make an hour in Pennsylvania?
The median hourly wage is $34.50. The bottom 10% earn under $23.89 and the top 10% over $49.97.
What does a starting motion designer earn in Pennsylvania?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of motion designers and animators in Pennsylvania earn under $57,490 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $49,680, 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 = 300 jobs in the Pennsylvania 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
- Illinois $81,180
- Indiana $75,250