How much do Special Effects Artists and Animators make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Percentile spread

For Special Effects Artists and Animators, the published 10th percentile is $99,280 and the 90th percentile is $215,680. The difference is $116,400, which is 74.2% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $120,950 to the 75th at $188,410, covers $67,460.

The mean annual wage is $161,540, which sits above the median of $156,950. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median is 53.8% higher than the national median of $102,030 for Special Effects Artists and Animators. In 2024 national prices the local median is $142,135, which is 39.3% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 20.2% higher than the California median of $130,540.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 110.423, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $156,950 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Special Effects Artists and Animators at $142,135 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

2 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Special Effects Artists and Animators. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks 1st of 3 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is 78 miles away, with a median of $136,770 and employment of 1,440. That median is 12.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $118,300, against $142,135 here.
• Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA is 132 miles away, with a median of $122,880 and employment of 70. That median is 21.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $115,196, against $142,135 here.

Employment share

Special Effects Artists and Animators accounts for 0.04% of wage-and-salary employment in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (510 of 1,134,970). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (19,970 of 155,495,730). The local share is 3.50 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.