Animator

O*NET: Multimedia Artists and Animators·27-1014.00

The Verdict:AI generation tools create 2D and 3D animations, storyboards, and illustrations from text at professional quality, handling core production tasks. Humans direct complex narratives and refine outputs, but creative pipelines now produce more with fewer staff. The shift to AI-assisted workflows is accelerating, reshaping demand over the next decade.

Resilience Score

/100

High Risk

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$100k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

+1.6%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 5 of 13 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

38%

Moderate exposure

Task Analysis

Most of this role rewards AI fluency.
62% of tasks (8 of 13) become more productive with AI tools — learning to use them is the highest-leverage career move.

Read the action plan for high-risk roles

5exposed

8AI leverage

0human-essential

View all 13 tasks

AI Can Handle This5 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.

Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.

Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.

Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.

Assemble, typeset, scan, and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.

AI Leverage8 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.

Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.

Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.

Implement and maintain configuration control systems.

Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.

Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.

Create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, edited, colored, textured, or animated by computer.

Use models to simulate the behavior of animated objects in the finished sequence.

Human Advantage0 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

No resilient tasks identified

Resilience Landscape

Animator lands in Well-Paid, High Risk

Higher Resilience Paths in Creative

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Task Analysis

Resilience Landscape

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