Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects

Stem Major

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Total Degrees
Awarded in 2024

6,026

growing 7.4%

Median In-State
Public Tuition

$5,202

growing 18.6%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$43,000

growing 1.78%

Average Wage

$78,093

growing 2.06%

People in Workforce

103,922

growing 6.7%

Average Employee Age

37.6

growing 0.619%

About

In 2024, the locations with the highest concentration of Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects degree recipients are Savannah, GA, New York, NY, and Chicago, IL. In 2024, the locations with a relatively high number of Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects degree recipients are Redmond, WA, Laguna Beach, CA, and Sarasota, FL. The most common degree awarded to students studying Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is a bachelors degree.

Communication Technologies Graphic Communications

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects and the types of students that study this field. Savannah College of Art and Design awards the most degrees in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects in the US, but Digital Media Institute and Ringling College of Art and Design have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects.

Tuition costs for Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects majors are, on average, $5,202 for in-state public colleges, and $43,000 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects programs are Public, 2-year institutions (125 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (2,358 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects (2024)

Savannah College of Art and Design
724 degrees awarded
Academy of Art University
167 degrees awarded
Front Range Community College
144 degrees awarded

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (2,358 completions in 2024).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$5,202

Median In-State Public

$43,000

Median Out of State Private

Savannah College of Art and Design has the most Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects degree recipients, with 724 degrees awarded in 2024.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

Digital Media Institute
87%
Ringling College of Art and Design
35.9%
DigiPen Institute of Technology
33%

Out of all institutions that offer Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Digital Media Institute has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects, with 87%.

Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects

Chatham County, GA
724 degrees awarded
Los Angeles County, CA
697 degrees awarded
Cook County, IL
263 degrees awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects by year.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Communication Technologies graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Communication Technologies majors is $78,093 and the most common occupations are Artists & related workers, Graphic designers, and Other managers.

The industry that employs the most Communication Technologies majors is Computer Systems Design, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Metals & minerals (except petroleum) merchant wholesalers.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

$78,093

Average Wage in Workforce

± $5,949

2.06%

1 Year Growth

± 10.7%

The average salary for Communication Technologies majors is $78,093 and the most common occupations are Artists & related workers, Graphic designers, and Other managers.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Communication Technologies majors.

Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Communication Technologies majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Communication Technologies majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

The most common occupations for Communication Technologies majors, by number of employees, are Artists & related workers, Graphic designers, and Other managers.

Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Communication Technologies majors working as Artists & related workers, Broadcast & sound engineering technicians & radio operators, & media & communication equipment workers, all other, and Television, video, & motion picture camera operators & editors.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Communication Technologies majors are Firstline supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, & groundskeeping workers, Dental assistants, and Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes.

Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

103,922

2024 Workforce

± 7,912

6.7%

1 Year Growth

± 10.3%

The number of Communication Technologies graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 6.7%, from 97,398 in 2023 to 103,922 in 2024.

The largest single share of Communication Technologies graduates go on to work as Artists & related workers (5.23%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Communication Technologies by share of the total number of graduates.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

The most common industries that employ Communication Technologies majors, by number of employees, are Computer Systems Design, Motion pictures & video industries, and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

The highest paying industries of Communication Technologies majors, by average wage, are Metals & minerals (except petroleum) merchant wholesalers, Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing, and Cement, concrete, lime, & gypsum product manufacturing .

Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

103,922

2024 Workforce

± 7,912

6.7%

1 Year Growth

± 10.3%

The number of Communication Technologies graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 6.7%, from 97,398 in 2023 to 103,922 in 2024.

The industry which employs the most Communication Technologies graduates by share is Computer Systems Design, followed by Motion pictures & video industries. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Communication Technologies.

Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Communication Technologies majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Communication Technologies majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Communication Technologies in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Communication Technologies is 37.6.

The most common degree type these workers hold is a Bachelors Degree. Female employees are more likely to hold Communication Technologies degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Communication Technologies (2,436 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

37.6

Average Age in 2024

± 0.872 Years

0.619%

1 Year Change

± 3.31%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Communication Technologies. The most common ages of employees with this major are 27 and 28 years old, which represent 4.63% and 4.18% of the population, respectively.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects are Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree, and Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years.

Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Communication Technologies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Female (51.4%)

Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Degrees

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
2,436 degrees awarded in 2024
Hispanic or Latino
1,295 degrees awarded in 2024
Non-resident Alien
766 degrees awarded in 2024

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects for each race & ethnicity.

In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Degrees

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination

White Female
773 degrees awarded
White Male
586 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
273 degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects.

White Female students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects is from the 2 Digit Course Communication Technologies.

Most Common Countries of Origin

China
1,179 degree recipients
Mexico
907 degree recipients
India
871 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

Czech Republic
14.7 times more than expected
Mongolia
9.77 times more than expected
Scotland
7.63 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Czech Republic that hold Communication Technologies degrees (14.7 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is China (1,179 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects majors need many skills, but most especially Active Listening. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects majors need more than the average amount of Operation and Control, Equipment Selection, and Programming.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, & Special Effects majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Operation and Control is very distinctive for majors, but the Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Thinking are the three most important skills for people in the field.