Motion graphics designers typically work with computer applications like Adobe After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, and Apple Final Cut Pro. Technology in this industry is evolving and improving all the time, allowing designers to continually expand the limits of their creativity.
Motion Graphics Skills Can Give You a Variety of Career Options
Motion graphics skills don’t just lead to one specific job. Instead, because motion graphics are utilized in almost every type of digital media, motion graphics artists can find a variety of different types of jobs. Jerron Smith, the Director of the Motion Graphics Program at Noble Desktop explains that while many people associate motion graphics with the film and television industries, it has become so much more widespread than that. He says, “Yes, there is television work, there’s commercial work, there are motion graphics in film, definitely…but the number of jobs doing television and film work is a drop in the bucket compared to corporate video. Again, companies produce internal video. There are televisions everywhere showing animated ads, shopping malls, gyms. I worked for the Army War College in Carlisle, PA because on their posts, the Army has TV screens showing information. They used to be just still images, but they decided that they could get more people to watch them if they are moving. So they started making animated ads and they did screens and presentation graphics in After Effects. There are tons of moving graphics everywhere. On social media, you have the ads. The New York Public Library Instagram has animations. It’s everywhere.” Because motion graphics have become so widespread, becoming a motion graphics designer can lead to job opportunities in a number of different industries.
A Useful Tool
One of the reasons that motion graphics have become so popular is that this type of media is a very effective way to get the attention of an audience, to help them understand and remember information, and to persuade them to a particular point of view. Researchers have found that two-thirds of people are visual learners, meaning that they learn best when new information is presented in a visual format, like through motion graphics. Even those people who are not primarily visual learners can have an easier time understanding and remembering something when it is presented visually. Not only are motion graphics visual, but they are generally short, which also makes them easy to watch. One advertising and web design agency blog post explains, “Motion graphics are a creative way of delivering complex ideas in a simple way that anyone—from children to the elderly—can engage with and understand. Put simply, they’re highly accessible.” The blog post also points out that another advantage of motion graphics is that this format allows designers a huge amount of creative freedom. The author says, “The world is your oyster when it comes to motion graphics. Do you want a rhinoceros stampeding across the moon wearing your brand’s sports sneakers? No problem. How about a tap-dancing unicorn to sell your gourmet jelly beans? You got it. We can bring anything to the table with motion graphics, no matter how absurd it may seem.”
You’ll Have an In-Demand Skill
The ability to create motion graphics is currently an in-demand skill. In a 2022 Forbes article, members of Forbes Coaches Council discuss some of the skills that employers are currently looking for, and modern communication–which includes motion graphics and other types of video content–is on their list. They explain, “Modern communication is an essential skill. Soon to be gone are days of long, boring PowerPoints and PDFs. Skills in micro-learning, video production/editing and using pictures to tell stories are skills needed today. This is an age where people are learning and shifting fast. Younger generations are accustomed to video games and video-based instruction (think TikTok/YouTube), and attention spans are condensed.” According to a 2025 report by application and network intelligence company Sandvine, more than 65 percent of all internet content in 2022 was video, and that percentage appears to be increasing every year.
Job Security
Motion graphics design is also a stable career field, with consistent job growth predicted for the future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (the BLS) is a federal agency that provides statistics about the labor market. The agency predicts that over the next ten years, the employment of motion graphics designers–which is included under the category of special effects artists and animators–will grow at a rate of approximately 5 percent. This is about as fast as average. According to the BLS, California is the state that employs the most special effects artists and animators, followed by Washington, and New York. California is also the state with the highest annual mean wage, followed by New Jersey and New York. According to Glassdoor, which posts information about average salaries across the United States, motion graphics designers earn an average of $70,000 per year. Some areas pay more than this, for example, in Los Angeles the annual wage for a motion graphics designer is almost $80,000 per year.
Improve Your Resume
Motion graphics have become so common in digital media that even if you don’t plan to work as a motion graphics designer, learning something about motion graphics can still be useful because there is a good chance your job might involve working with this type of content in some way. For instance, if you work in advertising, it is likely that you will be working with ad campaigns that include motion graphics. By understanding something about motion graphics, you can more effectively collaborate with your team. Learning a skill like motion graphics can also be a great way to stand out in the job market. Adobe says, “If you want employers’ attention, it’s no longer enough to rely solely on what you learned in school. These days it’s crucial to research and develop additional skills on your own and take actionable steps to ensure you learn them as early as possible.”
Create Your Own Online Content
Another common reason for learning motion graphics is so that you can make better social media content. While social media is just a form of entertainment for many people, for others, it is a serious business. Content creators who accumulate a lot of followers can also earn a lot of money. For example, Forbes reports that MrBeast, who is the highest-paid YouTuber, earned $54 million in 2021. Adding motion graphics is one way to make better social media content, and can lead to more likes and views.
Skills Related to Motion Graphic
It can be beneficial for motion graphics designers to learn related skills such as video editing, graphic design, and animation. Learning additional skills like this can help a designer become more well-rounded and versatile, and also give them a bigger toolkit to draw upon for motion graphics projects. An article on the Adobe website explains that having a diverse set of skills is a great way to improve your job prospects. It says, “A professional with diverse knowledge and skills can solve problems outside the normal scope of their designated role—giving them a significant competitive advantage. 89% of survey respondents said they believe they could receive more compensation if they better understood a diversity of complex skills, allowing them to gain a more holistic perspective of how their professional role fits into the overall company landscape.”
Video Editing
Video editors take content such as video clips, audio, and special effects, and manipulate and rearrange them into something new. Like motion graphics designers, they work in a wide range of different industries including marketing, education, film and television, and social media. Motion graphics projects involve editing, so learning something about the editing process can be useful to a motion graphics designer.
Graphic Design
Graphic designers combine visual elements in a way that communicates particular messages and ideas to an audience. A graphic design education includes learning about the principles of design, where every design choice has a specific effect on the audience. For example, graphic designers know how to use contrast, colors, or different font styles to evoke certain emotions in an audience. By learning techniques like this, motion graphics designers are able to create more effective designs.
Soft Skills
Soft skills such as communication and teamwork can make you more successful in any job. Motion designers frequently work as part of a team, but even if you’ll be spending most of your time working alone on a computer, you’ll still need to know how to interact with fellow employees, clients, and employers. Learning soft skills can make your interactions easier and more productive.
Animation
Motion graphics designers often work on animated content, so they can benefit from a deeper understanding of the principles of animation. For example, animators need to understand how physics affects the movements of animated objects and characters. This knowledge helps them create realistic and believable animations. In 1981, two Disney animators compiled some of the most important principles in a guide, and these 12 principles remain a fundamental part of animation. Adobe explains, “Follow each step and you’ll be able to create animation that makes the viewer believe your creations are living, breathing creatures—just like those created by Disney animators through the years.”
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Motion Graphics?
When you start learning motion graphics, you might initially feel overwhelmed by how much there is to learn, and you may feel like it will take you forever to master it all. Feeling like this is not uncommon for beginning motion graphics designers. Some designers who have already gone through the learning process advise developing your time management skills as a way of dealing with this challenge. If you learn how to better manage your time, you will be better able to handle the time requirements of a motion graphics class, in addition to any other obligations such as work, friends, and family. Time management skills are also likely to be useful throughout your motion graphics career; when you’re working on something creative like motion graphics, it can be easy to lose track of time, so time management skills can be particularly useful.
Many beginning designers also say that they struggle with feeling confident as a designer. When you start to learn about motion graphics, you’ll be exposed to a lot of creative and professional-looking content, and you might feel intimidated and wonder whether you’ll ever be able to produce at that level. Experts also have advice for this common challenge. Start small, they say; begin by working on a small skill or project, and master that, before moving on to something more difficult. Eventually, you’ll be ready to tackle more complex projects. Practice is also an important part of mastering motion graphics design. Adobe explains that you can even improve your creativity through practice. It says, “If you feel like you struggle with creativity right now, there’s no need to worry. Creativity is something you can learn and improve over time. It’s not a ‘you either have it, or you don’t’ scenario.” Experienced designers also stress that you’ll probably make mistakes along the way too, but they say you shouldn’t be discouraged by mistakes because they are also part of the learning process and will ultimately make you into a better designer. One designer says, “No matter how talented you are, no matter how many tutorials you take in, you’re still going to mess up from time to time. That’s how pretty much everything works. If your first attempts suck, congratulations, you’re in the same league as everyone else. You have to start somewhere.”
How to Choose a Motion Graphics Class
There are many different types of motion graphics training, and they vary in cost, flexibility, the level of interaction that you get with the instructor and other students, and the amount of time you need to invest. If you’re trying to choose a class, one way to start is to think about what kind of education you want, how much time you have to spend learning, and how much you can afford to pay.
The three most common class formats are in-person, live online, and on-demand. Some students like the immediate, face-to-face interaction that comes with in-person classes, however, this is also the least flexible format because it requires commuting to a classroom. Live online classes are more flexible because they can be taken from anywhere, and like in-person classes, they also provide live interaction. On-demand classes provide the most flexibility since they let students work through the material at their own pace, however, there is no live instruction.
In addition to these different class formats, you’ll also find a variety of different class lengths. Shorter, introductory courses generally only take a few days to complete, and are relatively inexpensive. Longer, more comprehensive bootcamps and certificate courses are more expensive, but also cover a lot more information.
After you’ve decided what format works best, and whether you want a shorter or longer course, you can start looking at specific schools and class options. Reading course descriptions and syllabi is a great way to get a better understanding of what the class will be like. Reading online reviews about the class or school that have been written by former students is another good way to get more information.
Is it Difficult to Learn Motion Graphics?
The process of learning motion graphics is different for everyone. Your experience will be affected by how much experience you already have in this area, how dedicated you are, and how you choose to learn. Many students find it easier to learn by enrolling in a paid motion graphics class. With a paid class, you get training from an expert who can share some of the tips, tricks, and common pitfalls that could take you years to learn alone. Another advantage of a paid class is that you know that you are getting reliable and up-to-date information. This is particularly important in a field like motion graphics where technology changes quickly.
There are many different types of classes. Shorter, introductory classes typically take only a few days to complete, however, if you want to master motion graphics, an introductory class is unlikely to be enough. Instead, a longer course like a bootcamp or certificate program may be a better choice. These types of classes can take weeks, or even months, to complete. They are usually more expensive than introductory courses, however, they also give students a comprehensive education designed to prepare them to work as a motion graphics designer.
In addition to taking a class, you’ll need to spend a lot of time practicing your motion graphics skills. Most professional designers say that this is an important part of the learning process. For instance, one designer says, “Watching tutorials can only get you so far. At the end of the day, you need to simply put your fingers on the keyboard and start creating. They say that it takes 10,000 hours to master something, but in the motion-design world, it’s probably closer to 20,000.”
Learning motion graphics can take anywhere from weeks to years, depending on your experience, skill, and persistence. However, while the time and difficulty involved might differ from person to person, ultimately, motion graphics is a skill that almost any student can master.