Best Animation Classes in Baltimore

Animation skills are increasingly in demand across many tech careers, including 3D Modelers, Art Directors, Graphic Designers, and more. Professionals and beginners alike can start or advance their animation careers through immersive bootcamps or certificate programs, such as those offered in Baltimore.

Key Insights

Animation extends beyond its traditional realm, and is now utilized by tech roles such as 3D Modelers, Art Directors, Character Riggers, and Graphic Designers.
Animation programs like Adobe's After Effects or Animate, Autodesk's 3ds Max and Maya, and Maxon's Cinema 4D are commonly used tools in the industry.
Baltimore offers several options for animation training programs, such as those provided by Ledet Training, Lumenbrite Training, Think BIG. Learn Smart, and Certstaffix Training.
The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area hosts a wide range of industries that require animation professionals, including Agriculture, Cybersecurity, Healthcare, Information Technology, Life Science, Logistics, and Manufacturing.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary in the Baltimore area is around $69,000, with animation-related roles such as Video Editors, Motion Graphics Designers, Video Managers, 3D Animators, and Art Directors earning higher than average salaries.
Bootcamps or certificate programs can provide a solid foundation for launching or advancing an animation career, equipping students with practical skills and experience in widely used animation software.

Animation is a more complex skill set today than when it first developed.

From social media posts to Hollywood movies, animation software allows users to create drawings in a storyboard format. Animation professionals can then add music, voiceovers, and other elements to make their creations come alive.

Animators are not the only workers to use animation tools and skills. Among the many tech pros who use animation are:

3D Modelers
Art Directors
Character Riggers
Graphic Designers
Motion Graphics Designers
Storyboard Artists
Video Editors

If you plan to work in animation, expect to learn programs like After Effects or Animate from Adobe, 3ds Max and Maya from Autodesk, and Cinema 4D from Maxon. To get the best training for your investment, consider enrolling in an immersive bootcamp or certificate program in Baltimore.

Best Animation Classes & Schools in Baltimore

Located around 40 miles outside of Washington, DC, Baltimore is the most populous city in Maryland. The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is home to nearly three million people, and boasts an average income well above national averages.

Many animation pros in the Baltimore/DC area begin their training through attending a bootcamp or certificate program, either in-person or live online. Consider some of the following options:

Ledet Training—Ledet offers Adobe, Autodesk, and Google authorized training for animation and other tech pros in Washington, DC and around the country. Their 3ds Max Fundamentals course introduces the design and visual presentation software to novices, from Animators to Architects. There are no prerequisites for this three-day class.

Lumenbrite Training—Lumenbrite provides Adobe Authorized Training, including multiple tools for animation beginners. Their live online After Effects Training Bootcamp gives students the tools for creating motion graphics and special effects for film, TV, or web.

Think BIG. Learn Smart—Another respected tech training and certification provider goes by the memorable moniker Think BIG. Learn Smart. Their Adobe Animate Bootcamp is a live online program that offers Adobe Authorized Training for animation pros. Additional programs for certification are also available.

Noble Desktop—Noble Desktop offers numerous programs that feature animation training or include it within a broader motion graphics or video editing curriculum. Among their most popular live online programs is the Motion Graphics Certificate. This immersive certificate covers Adobe After Effects, Portfolio, and Premiere Pro, plus Cinema 4D Lite from Maxon. Applicants should have Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator experience before enrolling.

Certstaffix Training—Certstaffix Training provides tech training courses students can take live online or at one of the many Certstaffix computer labs. Their Adobe Captivate Essentials equips beginners with knowledge and hands-on experience with Captivate essentials like Smart Shapes, click boxes, and videos. Graduates receive a digital certificate of completion.

Future Media Concepts—Another course provider that offers numerous live online tech programs is Future Media Concepts. Animation novices can take their Introduction to Premiere Pro CC to learn this popular Adobe software program. Online training is not available in New York.

Baltimore Industries That Use Animation

The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MSA hosts every type of industry and sector. Many urgently need animation professionals. According to the Greater Baltimore Committee, the top industries in this massive metropolitan area include:

Agriculture
Cybersecurity
Healthcare
Information Technology
Life Science
Logistics
Manufacturing

Healthcare, IT, and life sciences companies have much of the demand for workers with advanced animation skills. Healthcare and life science roles can include everything from Animators who create videos for social media posts to Compositing Artists who create scientific 3D visualizations. IT roles can range from Animation Engineers who work in gaming to Animation Support Specialists who provide tech support to animation users.

Nor are these top industries the only source of animation jobs in Baltimore. Government, non-profits, media, arts, entertainment, and the financial sector also need animation professionals, from Visualization Designers and Social Media Managers to specialized roles like 3D Maya Animators and Animation Engineers.

Animation Jobs & Salaries in Baltimore

As the most populous city in Maryland, Baltimore attracts high-tech workers in every industry. Animators, Video Producers, and Motion Graphics Artists are a few of the top roles in the Baltimore metro area.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MSA is around $69,000,11% above the US national average. These figures represent the mean hourly pay, and Baltimore ranks higher than national averages in 13 of 22 occupational categories.

While an experienced Video Editor can expect to earn about $58,000 annually in the Baltimore area, other animation-related roles typically pay much higher salaries. For example, a skilled Motion Graphics Designer makes around $78,000 annually, a significant jump.

Video Managers earn still more, with average annual salaries currently around $85,000 in the Baltimore metro area—higher than the national average for comparable positions.

On the high end of the Baltimore pay scale, a 3D Animator can anticipate earning an average annual salary of about $88,000. And an Art Director supervising a team of animation pros can command an annual salary as high as $91,000.

Salaries for positions that require animation skills vary from industry to industry and even company to company within the same industry. Many animation professionals gain entry-level experience before they qualify for the highest-paying positions. However, if you want to launch an animation career, a bootcamp or certificate may be all you need to begin. High-tech workers with animation skills, like Video Editors and Motion Graphics Designers, often get their first experience with Adobe Animate or After Effects through one of these immersive programs.

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