Disney animators work behind the scenes to turn ideas into a visual reality. At Disney animation studios, animators work together to create animated movies, artwork, comics and more. The most experienced animators set the framework for the drawings, leaving some gaps for another artist to fill. The "inbetweener" draws in between the areas to complete the images. Pay varies depending on the animator's role in the studio.
Minimum Pay Rates
Pay for animators varies based on experience and skill. Disney has an agreement with the Animators Guild, which sets a minimum wage requirement for a specified duration. As of July 2014, the minimum wage for a Disney animator is $39.93 an hour or $1,597.04 weekly for the first six months of employment. For the next six months to a year, the minimum hourly pay rate is $40.84 or $1,633.48 weekly. During the first year, the minimum annual salary is $83,993.52. After one year, the animator achieves Journey status, which leads to a pay rate of $42.36 an hour or $1,694.36 a week. The annual salary for a Journey animator is $88,106.72 a year. An inbetweener earns an hourly rate of $28.74 or $1,149.40 for the first six months with the studio, and $29.57 an hour or $1,182.60 a week for the next six months. The minimum annual salary for an inbetweener during the first year is $60,632. Once the inbetweener reaches journey status, the minimum salary is $30.65 an hour, $1,225.84 a week or $63,743.68 annually. Since these numbers are just the minimum, animators are free to negotiate higher wages directly with Disney.
