Find the latest rigging artist jobs from game studios worldwide. Character riggers, creature riggers, and technical rigger roles at AAA and independent studios. Get curated opportunities delivered to your inbox every morning.
What you can expect to earn as a rigging artist in games and film.
Junior Rigging Artist
$52K – $70K
Mid-Level Rigging Artist
$70K – $98K
Senior Rigging Artist
$95K – $130K
Lead Rigging Artist
$125K – $160K
*US market data. Technical riggers with strong scripting skills (Python, MEL) and film VFX experience tend to command higher salaries.
Skills Employers Look For
What studios expect from rigging artist candidates.
🖥️ Software
Autodesk Maya
Python and MEL scripting
MotionBuilder
Unreal Engine or Unity
Houdini (creature/simulation rigs)
🎯 Technical Skills
Joint hierarchy setup
Skin weighting and deformers
Blend shapes and correctives
Control rig systems
Cloth and hair simulation rigging
🎮 Game Knowledge
Real-time rig optimization
Bone count budgets
Engine rig implementation
Animation state machine awareness
LOD rig setup
💡 What Gets You Hired
Strong Python rig automation skills
Shipped character rig examples
Creature rig complexity
Animation workflow understanding
Rig tool development experience
Rigging Artist Jobs FAQ
What does a rigging artist do in a game studio?
Rigging artists create the skeletal and deformation systems that allow characters, creatures, and props to move and be animated. They build joint hierarchies, skin weights, blend shapes, and control systems that animators use to bring characters to life. Riggers work closely with character artists, animators, and technical artists to ensure characters deform correctly in the game engine.
What software do rigging artists use?
Maya is the industry standard for rigging in games and film. Many riggers also use Python or MEL scripting to build automated rig systems and tools. MotionBuilder is used in some studios for motion capture workflows. For real-time engines, riggers also work within Unreal Engine or Unity to implement and validate rigs in the target platform.
What is the average rigging artist salary in games?
In the US: Junior Rigging Artists earn $52K-$70K, Mid-Level $70K-$98K, Senior $95K-$130K, and Lead Riggers $125K-$160K. Technical riggers and those with strong scripting skills tend to earn at the higher end of each level.
Do riggers need to know how to animate?
Having animation knowledge is a major advantage for riggers. Understanding how animators will use a rig helps you design better control systems and anticipate usability issues. Many studios specifically look for riggers who have worked closely with animation teams and understand the animation workflow. You do not need to be a full animator, but animation literacy makes you significantly more effective.
What is the difference between a character rigger and a technical animator?
Character riggers build the rig systems that animators use, while technical animators typically work on implementing and troubleshooting animation content within the game engine, including state machines, blending, and locomotion systems. The roles overlap significantly and some studios combine them. Large studios often split the two, while smaller studios may ask one person to cover both.
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