Find the latest rigging technical director jobs from game studios worldwide. Character TD, creature TD, and lead rigging roles at AAA and indie studios. Get curated opportunities delivered to your inbox every morning.
What you can expect to earn as a rigging TD in the game industry.
Junior Rigging TD
$60K – $80K
Rigging TD
$80K – $110K
Senior Rigging TD
$105K – $140K
Lead Rigging TD
$130K – $165K
*US market data. The technical and specialized nature of rigging keeps salaries competitive relative to general art roles at the same experience level.
Skills Employers Look For
What studios expect from rigging TD candidates.
🦴 Rigging Skills
Character and creature rig builds
Skinning and deformation
Facial rig and blend shape systems
IK/FK setups and constraints
Muscle and corrective shapes
💻 Technical Skills
Python scripting for Maya
Maya API for tool development
Procedural rig construction
Unreal Control Rig
Version control (Perforce/Git)
🎮 Game Pipeline Knowledge
Game engine skeleton requirements
Animation export and compression
LOD rig systems
Rig-to-engine integration testing
Collaboration with animators
💡 What Gets You Hired
Rig breakdown portfolio and demos
Python tools shown on GitHub
Shipped character credits
Facial rigging examples
Understanding of animator needs
Rigging TD Jobs FAQ
What does a rigging TD do in a game studio?
Rigging TDs build the skeletal systems, controls, and deformation setups that allow animators to pose and animate characters. They create joint hierarchies, control rigs, blend shapes for facial animation, and skin weights that define how character meshes deform. In games, they also work on getting rigs to function correctly inside game engines — ensuring animations export and play back properly in Unreal or Unity. Strong riggers combine artistic sensibility with deep technical knowledge.
What tools do rigging TDs use?
Maya is the primary rigging tool in the game industry. Python scripting is essential — most riggers build procedural or semi-procedural rigs using Python and the Maya API. Unreal Engine’s Control Rig is increasingly important for in-engine rigging work. Knowledge of skinning tools, deformation systems, and facial rigging setups (FACS, blend shapes) is standard. Some studios use proprietary rigging frameworks built on top of Maya.
What is the average rigging TD salary in games?
In the US: Junior Rigging TDs earn $60K-$80K, mid-level $80K-$110K, Senior Rigging TDs $105K-$140K, and Lead Rigging TDs $130K-$165K. The technical and specialized nature of rigging keeps salaries competitive relative to general art roles at the same experience level.
What is the difference between a rigger and a rigging TD?
A rigger typically refers to an artist who builds rigs using existing tools and workflows — creating joints, controls, and skin weights for characters. A rigging TD implies a higher level of technical involvement: writing Python scripts to automate rigging tasks, building rigging systems and frameworks, developing tools for animators, and solving complex technical problems across the pipeline. At large studios these are distinct roles; at smaller studios one person often covers both.
How do you become a rigging TD?
Most rigging TDs develop their skills through a combination of learning rigging fundamentals in Maya and building Python scripting skills. Starting as a character artist or animator and learning rigging from an animation perspective is a common path. Building a portfolio of rigged characters — ideally with breakdowns showing your control setups and Python tools — is the strongest approach. Understanding how rigs integrate with game engines (export, compression, LOD rigs) sets game rigging TDs apart from film-focused riggers.
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