Updated Daily

Matte Painter Jobs

Find the latest matte painter jobs from top game and cinematic studios. Skyboxes, background environments, 2.5D scenes, and cinematic plates. Get curated opportunities delivered to your inbox every morning.

Get Matte Painter Jobs Daily

$7/month · Cancel anytime

Live Job Feed

Latest Matte Painter Jobs

Fresh matte painter roles first, then the latest vfx roles. Members see the studio, salary info, and direct apply link.

Types of Matte Painter Jobs We Cover

We curate all matte painting and background art positions from game and cinematic studios worldwide.

🌄

Digital Matte Painter

🌆

Cinematic Matte Painter

🌌

Skybox Artist

🏞️

Background Environment Artist

🎬

VFX Matte Painter

🌃

2.5D Environment Artist

🖼️

Concept Matte Painter

🌟

Environment Illustrator

Studios Hiring Matte Painters

We pull matte painter jobs from game studios, cinematic departments, and VFX houses, including:

Naughty Dog
CD Projekt Red
Rockstar Games
Ubisoft
Epic Games
Blizzard
Riot Games (Cinematics)
Santa Monica Studio
Crystal Dynamics
Square Enix
2K Games
Guerrilla Games
Insomniac Games
+ Hundreds More

Matte Painter Salary Ranges (2026)

What you can expect to earn as a matte painter in the game and cinematic industry.

Junior Matte Painter
$55K - $75K
Mid-Level Matte Painter
$75K - $100K
Senior Matte Painter
$98K - $135K
Lead Matte Painter
$130K - $160K

*US market data. Film and AAA cinematic departments tend to pay at the higher end of these ranges.

Skills Employers Look For

What studios expect from matte painter candidates.

🖥️ Software

  • Photoshop
  • Procreate or Clip Studio Paint
  • Nuke (film and cinematic work)
  • Maya or Blender (projection geo)
  • Unreal Engine (skybox setup)

🎯 Technical Skills

  • Photo bashing and photo integration
  • 2.5D projection techniques
  • HDRI and sky capture creation
  • Parallax and depth layer setup
  • Color grading and mood matching

🎨 Artistic Knowledge

  • Atmospheric perspective
  • Light and shadow across distance
  • World-building through landscape
  • Environmental storytelling
  • Strong traditional painting foundation

💡 What Gets You Hired

  • Portfolio with diverse biomes and moods
  • Before and after compositing breakdowns
  • Layered PSD or project file examples
  • Both realistic and stylized work
  • Cinematic and in-game examples

Matte Painter Jobs FAQ

What does a matte painter do in games?
Matte painters create distant background environments and skyboxes that extend the visual space of a game world beyond what real geometry can practically cover. In games this includes 2.5D matte paintings projected onto simple geometry, skybox panoramas, and cinematic background plates for cutscenes and trailers.
What tools do matte painters use?
Photoshop is the core tool for compositing photo references and painted elements. Procreate or Clip Studio Paint for digital painting. Nuke for film and cinematic compositing. Some matte painters also work in 3D using Maya or Blender to create projection geometry for 2.5D backgrounds, or directly in Unreal Engine for skybox setup.
What is the average matte painter salary?
In the US: Junior Matte Painters earn $55K-$75K, Mid-Level $75K-$100K, Senior $98K-$135K, and Lead positions $130K-$160K. Film and AAA cinematic departments tend to pay toward the higher end of these ranges.
Do matte painters need to know 3D?
Increasingly yes, especially for games. 2.5D matte painting requires basic 3D for projection geometry setup. Some studios want matte painters to work directly in Unreal Engine to set up skyboxes and far-field environments within the game world. Strong 2D painting skills remain the core requirement.
Are matte painter jobs common in games vs film?
In film and VFX, matte painting is a well-established dedicated role. In games, it is more often a specialization within environment or concept art, particularly at studios with cinematic departments. AAA studios with strong cutscene production tend to hire the most dedicated matte painters.

Browse Other Game Art Jobs

Explore curated job boards for every game art discipline.

Compositor Jobs Colorist Jobs Background Painter Jobs Environment Artist Jobs Lighting Artist Jobs Graphic Designer Jobs Game Artist Jobs

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

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