Well, I just read a thread on Highend3D about job saleries and well, I'm...a little worried. From the looks of it, there is a large group of animators, character artists, texture designers, etc who are underpaid. Apparently, it's also really hard to find jobs, and when you do, it usually only lasts for several months, then you're out looking for another job. This is because the number of people wanting to be in the 3D industry has grown to ten times the size of what it used to be 20 years ago. Saleries usually range from 15 - 18 bucks an hour, however there were a lot of people on the thread who said that their salary is twice that. Companies often hire newly graduated animators since they don't usually have to pay them much as opposed to hiring well-rounded, experienced animators who have been in the business for years. You have to bargain a lot to get paid anything, too.

From what I see, 3D artistry and the like is the backbone of special effects, video games, and is present in nearly every comercial you see on tv, yet the people who put 60 hours+ a week in to make it all get paid nothing and have it the worst. Is there any good side to being in this industry or am I doomed to worry where my next paycheck is going to come from?

I have also considered becoming a teacher for Maya and other 3D related softwares if the chance presents itself to me. Teachers usually seem to stick around for a longer period of time because they run on a set shedule that is the same year-round. Does anyone know how much they get paid or if being a Maya teacher would be very appealing? Thanks.