Technical Animator
Group: Art
Roll-out by scenario
| Scenario | Engagement | Window | Rate | Year-one cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: full-time studio | Full-time remote employee | M2–M11 | $85,000–$125,000 base/yr | $88,542–$140,625 |
| B: lean core + contracts | Contract, 360–520 hours | M2–M8 | $60–$100/hr | $21,600–$52,000 |
Employee cost = base × months ÷ 12 × (1 + 25–35% employer load). Contract cost = hours × hourly rate.
Responsibilities
- MetaHuman Animator solves (face, mono-camera body)
- Control Rig, gesture library, idles, retargeting
- Expression Editor and Pose Editor work in MetaHuman for Maya
- Garment and prop skinning (Tutorial — Skinning Garments and Props to a MetaHuman)
Skills
- MetaHuman DNA/RigLogic
- Maya (HumanIK, Skin Tools/ngSkinTools)
- Unreal Control Rig and animation blueprints
- Mocap cleanup
Requirements
- 4+ years technical animation; MetaHuman experience strongly preferred
- Reel showing face and body solves
Training (local tutorials)
- Tutorial — Expression Editor Fundamentals
- Tutorial — HumanIK Mocap Cleanup for MetaHuman
- Tutorial — Hand Pose Library for Gestures
- Tutorial — Skinning Garments and Props to a MetaHuman
- Tutorial — Pose Editor Correctives for Period Tailoring
- Tutorial — FBX Export Presets for Unreal
- Tutorial — MetaHumans in Unreal
- Tutorial — Sequencer for Monologues
- Tutorial — Authoring a Q&A Experience with Ambient Idle
- Tutorial — Source Control Setup
- Tutorial — Running a Capture Day
- Tutorial — Single-Camera Body Capture
- Tutorial — Gesture Library and Tags
- Tutorial — Capturing Idle Takes
- Tutorial — Period Movement Coaching
Remote working
Travels for capture days (M4–M5).
Rate evidence
- Glassdoor technical animator $56k–$103k, senior higher (2026); contract premium
- Glassdoor, technical animator salary 2026: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/technical-animator-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm