Game Art Roles

Character Designer Jobs

Q: What does a character designer earn?

Junior character designers in the US earn $45,000-$68,000. Mid-level $65,000-$98,000. Senior character designers earn $85,000-$138,000. Lead character designers at major studios can reach $175,000 or more.

Character designer jobs at game studios worldwide. 2D concept design, hero character creation, and costume design roles across AAA, mobile, and indie studios. Get every opening delivered the morning it posts.

Get Character Designer Job Alerts

$7/month · Cancel anytime

Character Designer Jobs We Cover

ArtBlast curates every character designer jobs opening at game studios worldwide.

🎨

Character Designer

✏️

Concept Character Artist

👗

Costume Designer

📖

Character Development Artist

🦸

Hero Character Designer

👑

Lead Character Designer

🎮

Game Character Artist

📱

Mobile Character Designer

Studios Hiring Character Designer Jobs

Game studios regularly posting character designer jobs roles.

Blizzard Entertainment

Riot Games

Square Enix

Capcom

Arc System Works

Bandai Namco

NCSoft

Keywords Studios

+ Many More

Character Designer Jobs Salary Guide

US market salary ranges for character designer jobs at game studios.

Junior Character Designer

$45K - $68K

Mid-Level Character Designer

$65K - $98K

Senior Character Designer

$85K - $138K

Lead / Art Director

$125K - $175K+

US market data. Mobile game studios often pay on the lower end of range. AAA studios (Blizzard, Riot, Square Enix) offer competitive salaries with equity.

Skills Studios Look For

What hiring managers want to see from character designer jobs candidates.

🎨 Portfolio Essentials

Character design sheets (front, side, back)
Costume and accessory breakdown
Expression and emotion studies
Style range across realistic and stylized
Process work showing ideation and iteration

🔧 Core Software

Photoshop (industry standard)
Procreate (concept sketching)
Clip Studio Paint
ZBrush (3D reference)
Illustrator (style guides and turnarounds)

🏆 What Gets You Hired

Clear design readable at small sizes
Understanding of game art style targets
Costume and surface variation within a character
Silhouette clarity and pose dynamism
Ability to match established art direction

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a character designer do?

Character designers create the visual concept and look for game characters before 3D production. They produce design sheets covering front, side, and back views, costume details, color palettes, and expression studies that guide 3D character artists and modelers.

Is character designer the same as character artist?

Different roles. Character designers work in 2D and focus on visual concept and design. Character artists work in 3D to build the game-ready mesh. At smaller studios one person may do both. At AAA studios they are separate positions.

What software does a character designer need?

Photoshop is the industry standard. Procreate is popular for ideation and quick sketches. Clip Studio Paint is common for anime and stylized workflows. Many character designers also use ZBrush for 3D reference or sculpture exploration.

What does a character designer earn?

Junior character designers in the US typically earn $45,000-$68,000. Mid-level positions pay $65,000-$98,000. Senior character designers earn $85,000-$138,000. Lead character designers and art directors at major studios can reach $175,000 or more.

What studios hire character designers?

Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, Square Enix, Capcom, Arc System Works, and Bandai Namco all have dedicated character design teams. Mobile studios including Supercell and Zynga also hire character designers for stylized mobile art.

Hiring an Artist?

Post your open role on ArtBlast and reach active artists directly.

Hiring a Character Designer? Post your role on ArtBlast →

Live Job Feed

Latest Character Designer Jobs

Fresh listings from the ArtBlast feed. Members see the studio, salary info, and direct apply link.

Get These Jobs Before They Fill Up

ArtBlast members see the studio, salary info, and the direct apply link the moment a job posts. Apply in the first 24-48 hours, when your odds are best.

Get Today’s Job List

Free to join · Premium $7/month or $60/year (3 months free) · cancel anytime