Animation Career Guide: Roles, Salary 2026 & Future Scope
Pallavi Priyadarshini PandaContent Writer
Animation courses are a great choice for you if you want to join the Arts field. Animators can bring characters to life in a changing setting. Animators work in so many fields like entertainment, education and even military flight or battle simulators. Nowadays, 3D animators are in great demand.
As a fresher who has just completed an Animation course, you can earn around Rs. 4 to 5 lakh. But the professionals at the mid-senior level can get approx Rs.6 to 8 lakh. At the senior level professionals can earn Rs. 10 to 15 lakh.
Average Salary Based on Job Position
You can check the jobs with their average salary in the table below -
|
Job Profiles |
Average CTC (INR) |
|---|---|
|
2D Animator |
INR 2 lakh to INR 6 lakh |
|
3D Animator |
INR 3 lakh to INR 8 lakh |
|
Character Designer |
INR 3 lakh to INR 7 lakh |
|
Storyboard Artist |
INR 3 lakh to INR 7lakh |
|
VFX Artist |
INR 4 lakh to INR 9 lakh |
|
Technical Animator |
INR 4 lakh to INR 9 lakh |
|
Art Director |
INR 6 lakh to INR 12 lakh |
|
Animation Director |
INR 7 lakh to INR 15 lakh |
Note - The salary has been taken from Ambitionbox.com.
Top Careers in Animation
You can take a look at the top job options along with their desciption below:
|
Job Profile |
Description |
Average CTC (INR) |
|---|---|---|
|
2D Animator |
Creates 2D animations for various media projects. |
INR 2 lakh to INR 6 lakh |
|
3D Animator |
They are involved in developing 3D animations for films, games, etc. |
INR 3 lakh to INR 8 lakh |
|
Character Designer |
Responsible for the appearance and personality of characters. |
INR 3 lakh to INR 7 lakh |
|
Storyboard Artist |
Sketches visual narratives for animations and films. |
INR 3 lakh to INR 7 lakh |
|
VFX Artist |
Creates digital effects and enhancements for media. |
INR 4 lakh to INR 9 lakh |
|
Rigging Artist |
Builds the skeletons and controls for 3D characters. |
INR 4 lakh to INR 8 lakh |
|
Technical Animator |
Focuses on the technical aspects of animation. |
INR 4 lakh to INR 9 lakh |
|
Art Director |
Oversees the visual style and direction of projects. |
INR 6 lakh to INR 12 lakh |
|
Animation Director |
Leads animation teams and manages projects. |
INR 7 lakh to INR 15 lakh |
Specialisation Wise Salary for Animation Graduates in India
You can see the salary for each specialisation in Animation field:
|
Specialization |
Entry-Level (INR) |
Mid-Level (INR) |
Senior-Level (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2D Animation |
INR 2 lakh-4 lakh |
INR 3 lakh-5.5 lakh |
INR 4.5 lakh-9 lakh |
|
3D Animation |
INR 2.5 lakh-5 lakh |
INR 3 lakh-6 lakh |
INR 6 lakh-12 lakh |
|
Character Design |
INR 2.5 lakh-4 lakh |
INR 3 lakh-7 lakh |
INR 4.5 lakh-10 lakh |
|
Storyboard Artist |
INR 2.5 lakh-4.5 lakh |
INR 3.6 lakh-6.5 lakh |
INR 5 lakh-9 lakh |
|
VFX Artist |
INR 3 lakh-5.5 lakh |
INR 4.5 lakh-8.5 lakh |
INR 6.5 lakh-12 lakh |
|
Rigging Artist |
INR 3 lakh-5.5 lakh |
INR 4.5 lakh-8 lakh |
INR 6.5 lakh-11 lakh |
|
Technical Animator |
INR 3 lakh-5.5 lakh |
INR 4.5 lakh-8 lakh |
INR 6.5 lakh-11 lakh |
|
Art Director |
INR 4 lakh-7 lakh |
INR 6 lakh-8 lakh |
INR 8 lakh-15 lakh |
|
Animation Director |
INR 5 lakh-8 lakh |
INR 7 lakh-12 lakh |
INR 9 lakh-18 lakh |
Note: The salary is taken from Ambitionbox.com.
Top Recruiters for Animation Students
You can see the list of top recruiters below:
|
Top Employment Areas for Animation Graduates |
|
|---|---|
|
Entertainment |
Media Houses |
|
News Channels |
Films |
|
Schools |
Colleges |
You can see the top recruiters for each specialisations below:
|
Entertainment Recruiters |
||
|---|---|---|
| Circle Creation Entertainment | Rockstar Games | Viga Entertainment |
| Walt Disney | Crazy Animation | Game Berry Labs |
|
Academics Recruiters |
||
|
Chandigarh University |
Lucknow University |
Parul University |
|
XLRI |
Amity University |
Indian Institute of Management |
|
Media Houses Recruiters |
||
| NDTV | Aaj Tak | BBC |
| India Tv | Times Internet | News Nation |
|
Private Organisations |
||
|
Accenture |
Cognizant |
Infosys |
|
IBM India |
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) |
Wipro |
Top Animation College for Placements
You can check the list of colleges with high placements below:
|
Institute |
Average Annual Salary in 2023 |
|---|---|
|
INR 6.87 LPA |
|
| Gujarat University |
INR 5.4 LPA |
|
INR 6.3 LPA |
|
|
INR 6.6 LPA |
|
| Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi |
INR 3.6 LPA |
| Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar |
INR 4.7 LPA |
| Parul University, Vadodara |
INR 5.7 LPA |
| Amity University, Noida |
INR 8.7 LPA |
| Loyola College, Chennai |
INR 9.4 LPA |
| Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik |
INR 5 LPA |
Top Indian Cities to Get Lucrative Jobs After Animation
You can see the list of top cities for Animation jobs below:
|
City |
Job Opportunities |
Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
|
Delhi |
Animation Studios, VFX Companies, Schools, etc. |
INR 3 lakh- INR 6 lakh |
|
Mumbai |
Colleges, Schools, Production Houses, etc. |
INR 3 lakh - INR 6 lakh |
|
Pune |
VFX Industry, Schools, Colleges, etc. |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 5 lakh |
|
Hyderabad |
Colleges, Media Houses, etc. |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 5 lakh |
|
Bangalore |
VFX Industry, Schools, Animation Studios, Colleges, etc. |
INR 3 lakh- INR 5.5 lakh |
|
Chennai |
Photo Studios, VFX Industry, Colleges, etc. |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 6 lakh |
|
Chandigarh |
VFX Industry, Schools, Colleges, etc. |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 4.5 lakh |
|
Kolkata |
Animation Studios, Colleges, Hospitals, etc |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 5 lakh |
|
Ahmedabad |
Private Organisations, Hospitals, VFX Industry, etc. |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 4.5 lakh |
|
Jaipur |
Colleges, Media Houses, Private Organisations, etc |
INR 2.5 lakh- INR 4.5 lakh |
Animation Salary Abroad
You can see the salary of Animation professionals abroad below:
|
Country |
Salary Offered |
|---|---|
|
USA |
|
|
United Kingdom |
|
|
Canada |
|
|
Germany |
|
|
Australia |
|
Note - The salary is taken from Ambitionbox.com.
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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Candidates must pass Class 12 or equivalent from a recognised board to apply for BA Graphic Design and Digital Marketing at Manipal Institute of Communication. Aspirants also need to appear for a Home-Based Test followed by a PI round to get admission in this course.
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The duration of Sheridan College Bachelor of Animation (Hons.) course is 4 years. This course is PGWP-aligned. Students are going to learn from industry professionals, using the same tools that students will require in the workplace. After Year 3, students are going to gain professional experience d
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Nottingham Trent University offer various facilities which are related to Animation courses. These facilities help Animation and related courses students excel in the program. Some of these facilities are-
IT studio
Animation and Digital Screen Arts Facilities
New Art & Design Building
Library
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Contributor-Level 10
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No, there is no separate campus for Animation courses at NTU, UK. However, there is separate building at City Campus which covers all Arts and Design related courses including Animation. This new building is known as Design & Digital Arts Building.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
All the 3 universities are ranked among top universities for Animation according to various top ranking publications. Table mentioned below shows the Animation courses ranking of these universities in UK as well as in the world-
Top Ranking Bodies (Animation) | Nottingham Trent University | University of the Arts London | Manchester Metropolitan University |
|---|---|---|---|
QS World Global 2025- Art & Design | #51-100 | #2 | #51-100 |
Complete University Guide 2025 | #13 | #21 | #16 |
The Guardian Ranking | #14 | #7 | #6 |
THE World Ranking 2025 | #501-600 | - | #501-600 |
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Animation graduates of the Nottingham Trent University are very much in demand to some of the most prominent companies in UK & worldwide.
Given below are some of the institute's prominent recruiters:
· Cubaka Studio
· Lupus Films
· Blue Zoo
· Random42 Scientific Communication
·
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes Nottingham Trent University offer placement opportunities to students for Animation at some best animation companies in UK and in world.
Students are encouraged to undertake short periods of work experience along with their studies. Students normally complete these placements during holiday per
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Animation program students gain various skills while studying this course at Nottingham Trent University, UK. These skills help students to get placement in top industries. The table mentioned below shows the skills and the percentage of students who gained those skills-
Top Skills | Percentage of students |
|---|---|
Adobe Photoshop | 25.7% |
Animation | 23.8% |
Graphic Design | 17.9% |
Adobe Illustrator | 17.2% |
After Effects | 15.4% |
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Acceptance rate of Animation course is not mentioned by Nottingham Trent University. Overall acceptance rate of Nottingham Trent University, UK is around 22% for all its national and international students. This shows the university is bit selective in accepting students.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
It is not explicitly mentioned by the university regarding the requirement of interview during admission. But what university asks for admission to this course is a portfolio. The portfolio must include- previous animation work, sketches or other relevant animation and design related work.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Admissions are open for UG courses at NTU. Interested candidates can submit respective applications before Jan 14, 2026 which is late application deadline for UG courses.
The university prioritises applications that are submitted during the early application window, before considering the ones sent
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Several prominent ranking platforms rank the institute very highly for its Animation course.
Some global university ranking platforms rank the institute among the top 20 best institutions for Animation program. Other ranking platforms like Shiksha rank UG Animation course at #54 in UK.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Nottingham Trent University is considered among the best universities for Animation in UK as well as in the world. Top ranking publishers like Complete University Guide 2025, The Guardian Ranking 2025- Animation and Game Design, etc.. rank the university among top 20 universities in world for Anima
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, Animation courses at Nottingham Trent University is not part of Russell Group. But Nottingham Trent University is well known in UK for its Animation courses.
Some universities that are part of Russell Group are listed below:
· Oxford University
· Cambridge University
· UCL
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Undergraduate Animation program, i.e., BA Hons in Animation tries to cover all the subject areas related to Animation. These subject areas have been broken down throughout the courses ranging from basics to a higher level. Some subjects which are covered under Animation course are-
Animation and VF
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes Nottingham Trent University offer scholarships to students pursuing Animation course. These scholarships are not just limited to Animation course students but to all UG and PG courses offered at NTU, UK. Some of these scholarships are mentioned below-
NTU Excellence Scholarships
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Tuition fee for 1 year MA in Animation at Nottingham Trent University is GBP 18,300 (INR 22.14 L).
Students who plan to pursue higher studies from UK must also consider some other cost associated with staying in country such as rent, food, utilities, travel, etc.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Nottingham Trent University built perfect spaces for Animation students. NTU offer dedicated studios, editing suites, creative spaces for better learning, etc.. Other than this university also offer-
Fashion Management, Marketing and Communications Facilities
Fine Art Studios and Workshops Faciliti
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes there are some colleges that provide part-time courses in VFX. You can check the list in the table mentioned below -
S
Contributor-Level 7
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