Computer Animation

Cost: $7,500
Length: 24 weeks
Working 6 months later: 56%

Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.

What happened to people who took this

People enrolled: 13

Small group — treat with caution

Finished the program: 89%Based on 9 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Working 6 months later: 56%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Earnings in one quarter after: $14,625A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.

The job this trains for

This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.

Where California publishes a separate figure for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Job ads may call this: Artist · Animator · Digital Artist · Graphic Artist

Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.

Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.

Typical pay in California: $134,194per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $132,879
Projected openings: 17,760Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 10,080
Projected change: +7%
Usually needs: Bachelor's degree

Getting in

Experience needed first: None
Training after you are hired: None

No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.

These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Four-year degree — 42% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: Bachelor's degree. 44% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma: 3%
High school diploma: 15%
Started college, no degree: 17%
Two-year degree: 9%
Four-year degree: 42%
Master's degree: 13%
Doctorate or professional degree: 2%

This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.

Program details

This program provides online instruction, e-learning, or distance learning only.

This program covers the essential skills sets for learning to become a computer animation (or CG) artist using the latest software and industry techniques. This course will introduce student artists to software such as Maya, Cinema 4D, etc., to develop skills as CG animators, lighters, modelers, texture artists, etc. Suggested classes include, but are not limited to, Maya 101, Cinema 4D 101, Houdini 101, Python 101, Modeling, Textures, Lighting, Character Animation, Toon Boom Harmony 1, Flash 101, After Effects 101, Textures, Lighting, Rigging, et. al. Course duration is 24 to 36 weeks, depending on student class load and class availability.

Someone else may be able to pay for this

This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.

The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California

A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.

The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator

Northeast Los Angeles WorkSource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 323-539-2000
342 North San Fernando RoadGoodwill Southern California - LA CampusLos Angeles, CA 90031about 1.5 miles away
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm
Verdugo Jobs CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 818- 937-8000
1255 South Central AvenueGlendale, CA 91204about 3 miles away
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - :5:00 pm
Has a veterans' representative
Boyle Heights WorkSource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 323-267-5930
1505 E. 1st StreetLos Angeles, CA 90033about 3.6 miles away
Hours: Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday by appointment
Has a veterans' representative

Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.

Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List

How this gets paid for, and what to ask →

Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.

The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.

How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →