Transparency
Where our numbers come from
Every link below was fetched and confirmed to return its expected primary content in 2026. Though we strive to provide accurate information, things may change or be incorrect. We do our best to cross reference our numbers across multiple sources. Each entry shows publisher, what years it covers, methodology, access type, and what you should use it for.
Animation & Motion Design
Base rates, day rates and union floors for 2D/3D animators, motion designers and rigging artists.
Primary references5 verified
- Publisher: IATSE Local 839 — The Animation GuildCovers: Effective Aug 1, 2024 – Jul 31, 2027Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Collectively bargained minimums covering Disney TV, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Atomic Cartoons, Rough Draft, et al.
Use for: Hard weekly/hourly minimums by classification (writer, story artist, animator, designer, etc.).
- Publisher: IATSE Local 839 — The Animation GuildCovers: Live index, updated each MBA cycleVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Index of all current studio-specific CBAs (Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Titmouse, etc.)
Use for: Latest signed agreement for any specific covered studio.
- Publisher: Motion HatchCovers: 2025 (most recent published)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Global freelance motion designer survey, ~1,400+ respondents
Use for: Region- and experience-tiered freelance motion design rates.
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal payroll survey covering ~830 occupations
Use for: Hourly and annual wage percentiles by state and metro.
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: Current editionVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal occupational outlook with median pay + 10-year demand projection
Use for: Median annual pay and job-growth outlook.
Salary aggregators3 verified
- Publisher: PayscaleCovers: Rolling (updated monthly)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Crowd-sourced self-reported pay; ~217 active profiles
Use for: Median and 10th/90th percentile hourly pay for animators in the US.
- Publisher: GlassdoorCovers: Updated Apr 10, 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: 1.8K self-reported salaries blended with government data via Glassdoor's ML model
Use for: Total pay range, base pay vs. additional pay, by US market.
- Publisher: ZipRecruiterCovers: Rolling (live job postings)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Wage data scraped from live US job postings
Use for: Percentile distribution of advertised animator wages.
Not every aggregator publishes a deep link for this industry. Missing slots are left out rather than guessed.
Illustration
Per-piece, editorial and licensing benchmarks for illustrators and concept artists.
Primary references3 verified
- Publisher: Graphic Artists Guild / MIT PressCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Industry-curated pricing matrices, ethics, contracts — 504 pages
Use for: Editorial, advertising, book and licensed illustration price matrices.
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal payroll survey
Use for: Wage percentiles for fine artists, painters, sculptors and illustrators.
- Publisher: Society of IllustratorsCovers: OngoingVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Member community discussions & exhibitions
Use for: Community-reported rate ranges for editorial and book illustration.
Salary aggregators3 verified
- Publisher: PayscaleCovers: Rolling (updated monthly)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Crowd-sourced self-reported pay
Use for: Median annual pay + skill modifiers (e.g. digital illustration, character design).
- Publisher: GlassdoorCovers: Updated Apr 10, 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: 954 self-reported salaries + ML model
Use for: Total pay $53K–$95K, median $70K for illustrators.
- Publisher: ZipRecruiterCovers: Rolling (live job postings)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Wage data scraped from live US job postings
Use for: Live distribution of US illustrator wages by percentile.
Not every aggregator publishes a deep link for this industry. Missing slots are left out rather than guessed.
Graphic & Brand Design
Brand identity, web/UI and print design rates for solo designers and small studios.
Primary references3 verified
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal payroll survey, n≈200K+ designer records
Use for: Authoritative US median + 10th/90th percentile pay for graphic designers.
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: Current editionVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal occupational outlook with median pay + projections
Use for: Median annual pay and 10-year demand outlook.
- Publisher: Graphic Artists Guild / MIT PressCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Industry-curated pricing matrices
Use for: Brand identity, logo, web design and print project price matrices.
Salary aggregators4 verified
- Publisher: PayscaleCovers: Rolling (updated monthly)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Crowd-sourced self-reported pay
Use for: Annual pay + skill/city modifiers for graphic designers.
- Publisher: GlassdoorCovers: Updated Apr 10, 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: 64.2K self-reported salaries + ML model
Use for: Total pay $50K–$80K, median $63K for graphic designers.
- Publisher: ZipRecruiterCovers: Rolling (live job postings)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Wage data scraped from live US job postings
Use for: Distribution of advertised graphic designer wages.
- Publisher: Built InCovers: Rolling (Built In submissions)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Anonymous employee submissions to Built In
Use for: Tech-startup-weighted base + additional comp for graphic designers.
Video, Film & VFX
Day rates, kit fees and post-production benchmarks for editors, colorists, DPs and VFX artists.
Primary references3 verified
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal payroll survey
Use for: Hourly and annual wage percentiles by state and metro.
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: Current editionVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal occupational outlook with median pay + projections
Use for: Median annual pay and demand outlook for editors and operators.
- Publisher: IATSE Local 839Covers: Effective Aug 1, 2024 – Jul 31, 2027Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Collectively bargained minimums
Use for: Floor rates for in-house VFX classifications at covered studios.
Salary aggregators2 verified
- Publisher: GlassdoorCovers: Updated Apr 10, 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: 8.2K self-reported salaries + ML model
Use for: Total pay $53K–$94K, median $70K for video editors.
- Publisher: ZipRecruiterCovers: Rolling (live job postings)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Wage data scraped from live US job postings
Use for: Distribution of advertised video editor wages.
Not every aggregator publishes a deep link for this industry. Missing slots are left out rather than guessed.
Writing & Content
Per-word, per-project and retainer benchmarks for copywriters, content strategists and scriptwriters.
Primary references4 verified
- Publisher: Editorial Freelancers AssociationCovers: 2026Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Survey of 1,100+ EFA members (Nov 2025–Jan 2026) on 2025 calendar-year work
Use for: Per-word, per-hour and per-project median ranges for editing, writing, proofreading.
- Publisher: WGA WestCovers: 2023 MBA, effective May 2024–May 2026Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Collectively bargained minimums for screen and TV writing
Use for: Schedule of minimums for screenplays, teleplays, rewrites, polishes.
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCovers: Current editionVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Federal occupational outlook with median pay + projections
Use for: Median annual pay and 10-year demand outlook for writers.
- Publisher: ContentGrowCovers: 2024–2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Global freelance writer survey, segmented by region and niche
Use for: International rate benchmarks for journalists, content writers, scriptwriters.
Salary aggregators4 verified
- Publisher: PayscaleCovers: Rolling (updated monthly)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Crowd-sourced self-reported pay
Use for: Hourly rate distribution for US copywriters.
- Publisher: GlassdoorCovers: Updated Apr 10, 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: 12.3K self-reported salaries + ML model
Use for: Total pay $65K–$109K, median $84K for copywriters.
- Publisher: ZipRecruiterCovers: Rolling (live job postings)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Wage data scraped from live US job postings
Use for: Median advertised copywriter wage $76,412/yr.
- Publisher: Built InCovers: Rolling (Built In submissions)Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Anonymous employee submissions to Built In
Use for: Tech/startup-weighted copywriter comp; avg base $73,671.
Cross-industry aggregators
Top-level entry points to look up any role we haven't pre-linked. The four big salary aggregators (Payscale, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, Built In) feed both the per-industry blocks above and our internal master database.
- Publisher: PayscaleCovers: RollingVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Crowd-sourced self-reported pay across thousands of job titles
Use for: Look up any role we haven't pre-linked.
- Publisher: GlassdoorCovers: RollingVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Employee-reported + employer-reported pay, ML-blended
Use for: Base pay, bonus, and additional comp by employer and city.
- Publisher: ZipRecruiterCovers: RollingVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Wage scraping from live US job postings
Use for: Live wage distribution percentiles for any US role.
- Publisher: Built InCovers: RollingVerified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Anonymous employee submissions across US tech hubs
Use for: Tech-startup pay for design, content, engineering, product roles.
- Publisher: Santiago SaysCovers: 2025Verified: 2026-06-22
Methodology: Notion DB blending Payscale, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter and Built In into median + average per role and experience level
Use for: The canonical role/category dataset Rate Forge's calculator reads from.
Have a good data source?
- Email alexander@santiagosays.com.