Some digital media professionals use light pens as primary tools.
According to Marist College, digital media is considered one of the "fastest growing areas of employment." The field covers many types of jobs, including webpage design, video editing and animation. An undergraduate degree in the field can provide jobs with such varied employers as advertising agencies, film studios, game companies and corporate design departments. Salaries depend on the type of position.
Education
Digital media professionals can enter their professions with traditional art degrees such as in graphic design or advertising. Many colleges also offer degrees specific to particular fields, such as the Bachelor of Science in Digital Media at Marist College. This type of education begins with a traditional foundation in art history, design fundamentals and drawings. Additional liberal arts courses are required such as in social and natural sciences, philosophy, literature and history. Technical subjects include digital versions of animation, painting, photography and layout; designing for the web, 3-D modeling and multimedia authoring.
Designers
A designer with a digital media career is one who specializes in designing for web pages, mobile technology or applications. He is at least three years out of school and can work on projects with a great deal of autonomy or as a member of a team. A 2011 salary survey by AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) shows this profession earning an average of $52,000 per year. The lowest 25 percent receive $45,000 a year while the highest 75 percent earn $65,000. Junior designers, who are less than three years out of college and require supervision, make an average of $42,000 per year while senior designers, who are in charge of projects and may supervise juniors, earn a mean $64,000 annually.
Motion Graphics Animators
Motion graphics animators create moving images for websites, games, mobile media splash pages and videos. They may demonstrate expertise with such products as Adobe Flash, Actionscript, illustration programs or 3-D modeling applications. According to the AIGA survey, they make a mean $60,000 per year, with the lowest quarter earning $48,000 annually and the highest quarter earning $75,000 per year. Those who work for themselves often charge an average hourly rate of $60, which works out to about $120,000 per year. However, freelancers must spend uncompensated time looking for clients and performing administrative work.
Video Editors
Motion video editors perform post-production work on animation projects and are responsible for making these creations presentable to the client or the general public. They may add or remove frames from video, rearrange the sequence of shots, adjust appearance, such as brightness and color saturation, apply special effects, such as motion blur or fish-eye lens, and add credits. The AIGA survey shows them earning a mean $56,500 per year, with the highest 26 percent earning $70,000 annually and the lowest 25 percent getting $45,000. Freelance salaries run $55 per hour or $110,000 per year.
Tags: AIGA survey, average year, digital media, earning annually, highest percent, lowest percent
