# UK
UK creative-tech careers.
The UK CG sector employs around 30,000 people across VFX, animation, motion graphics, and games (BFI + Animation UK + Ukie 2024 data). Concentrated in four clusters: Soho VFX (film + streaming), Bristol animation (Aardman + Cartoon Network Studios Europe), Manchester (Realtime + Flix + Rocket), and remote-first freelance nationwide.
# salary
Salary and freelance pay.
UK-specific salary pages, verified from Glassdoor UK, Indeed UK, LinkedIn Talent Insights, and the ScreenSkills 2025 pay survey. All figures GBP, gross, before tax.
- 3D artist salary UK: junior £24k, mid £34k, senior £50k+. Progression ladder + regional bands.
- VFX artist salary UK: junior £28k, mid £42k, senior £65k+. IMDB Pro credits weight above £70k.
- Freelance CG artist guide: day-rate bands £250–£800, IR35 status, invoicing, insurance, tax basics.
# studios
Studio clusters.
Which studios exist in each UK cluster, what disciplines they hire, and which have the strongest junior pipelines.
- Soho VFX studios: 40+ film + streaming VFX houses (Framestore, DNEG, MPC, The Mill, Union, Nvizible, Milk, Territory, Molinare, Passion).
- Bristol animation studios: Aardman, Wildseed, Kilogramme, Second Home, Bomper, plus adjacent VFX.
- Manchester VFX + motion studios: Realtime, Flix Facilities, Rocket, Zodiak, BBC-adjacent motion houses.
# courses
Courses and universities.
The UK-focused course landscape: what to actually enrol on vs what to avoid.
- UK universities compared: NCCA Bournemouth, Ravensbourne, UCA, NFTS, Escape Studios BA, Hertfordshire, Teesside. SFE-eligible programmes only.
- Animation courses in London: NFTS, Central Saint Martins, Escape Studios, London Met.
- Motion design courses in London: School of Motion (remote), Escape Studios MoGraph, RCA Digital Direction.
# UK career context
What UK CG artists actually earn.
£24k–£32k
3D artist junior UK
£45k–£70k
VFX artist senior UK
40+
Soho VFX studios
12+
Bristol animation studios