BLS metro-level wage data places Special Effects Artists and Animators pay in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA at a median of $122,880 per year ($59.08/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $102,030, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom pays +20% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 70 special effects artists and animatorss are employed across the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA in SOC 27-1014.

The Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom pay distribution spans from $72,640 at the 10th percentile to $167,980 at the 90th — a 2.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $87,900 and the 75th at $147,880, so half of Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom-based special effects artists and animatorss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.