A video game animation degree can help you land a career where you're paid to play--literally. Video and PC game sales were over $20 billion in 2009, according to eweek.com. With the video game industry being as strong as it is, a career in video game animation does not have to be a pipe dream: there is room for talented and enthusiastic video game animation professionals.

Launching Video Game Design Careers

While playing endless video games can inch you toward a video game animation career, the increasing complexity of gaming software and hardware often makes completing video game design school necessary. As California's Digital and Multimedia Occupational Guide recommends, in addition to completing video game school, you should join trade organizations and seek internships with video game design companies. Attending workshops is also a great way to gain knowledge and to meet potential employers. But make sure you bring your portfolio, which video game designers should constantly be building.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), video game designers generally fall under two categories: software engineers and multimedia artists. While the two careers vary, both these fields include professionals who design video games, and video game design schools can be part of both types of degree programs. Below are employment and salary statistics of both, taken from the BLS:

• Software engineers: 2008 median salary was $44.44 per hour, projected growth of 29.3 percent by 2018.
• Multimedia artists: 2008 median salary was $29.99, projected growth of 14 percent by 2018.

Video game design school can bring you closer to your video game animation dream job.