Industry veterans, please advise on the career choice. Where to grow from 3D artist position?

TOMSONJO

 I have questions about career advancement.  

Ashervisalis

I think it also depends on how well the studio is doing. A small 20 person studio which hasn't released a game yet might be adverse to increasing your wage by $11,000. You might also have more luck at increasing your salary by jumping to a different studio.
@R3D

PixelMasher

the chances of them giving you an almost 25% raise when the usual yearly raise is 3-5% is probably really low, especially for a small studio like that. It would be more feasible to hit that 50k/year salary for your 2nd year inhouse in the industry and then 55 in your 3rd year is more realistic. in most studios they don't ask you what you want for your raise, they just tell you based on your performance how much they are bumping you. 

You can get larger raises but that like ash said is usually by jumping ship to a different studio and asking for like 10-15k more. You could probably try and get a job at EA vancouver or The Coalition if your portfolio is good and get a decent bump.

Vancouver is high cost of living but seniors do make a decent wage, I know quite a few senior artists making 100-150k range, but that is with having 10+ years of experience and multiple shipped titles. it takes time, experience and shipped titles to bump your salary up. 

I mean feel free to try and ask for more for sure, just be weary of getting your expectations up too high for raises at studios you are already working at. 

RyRyB

@TOMSONJO

I agree with the other responses that asking for a 25% raise is probably not the best course of action. I won't retread those arguments.

Another angle, however, is to ask for a bonus. It's much easier for a company to digest a one-time payout vs. committing to a perpetual increase. And while it may not be the best outcome for you, it may be the best outcome for both parties involved. The company doesn't take the risk with an increase in salary and you still get a payout to help with finances.

Long-term...well it all depends on what you want to do with your career. Want to move into production? Tech art? Stay firmly in the art department? If I was in your position (and I have been), I'd stay put as a 3d artist, ship the title and update your portfolio, and then put out feelers for other opportunities in the area.

Generally, getting 5-7 years of experience as an artist will translate nicely to both tech art and art production. Jumping off your current path too early will just hamstring your career arc in the mid-term since you are basically going from one junior position to another.

Food for thought!

poopipe

From your manager's perspective the review "should" be about both assessing what you've done over the last year and what can be done to support your ambitions over the next.


In answer to 1. 
If you feel you have gone above and beyond what's required of your nominal role then ask to be rewarded for it - if they've been paying attention and agree then they will try to do something. 
If you're literally starving yourself to work there then it might be an idea to bring that up. 

Realistically.. 
The size of a raise is probably out of your manager's hands - usually there's a % range they can work with and they can only recommend where in that range you sit. 
And.. 
You don't have enough experience to get a senior role yet - you havent completed a development cycle so you have no idea what it involves and thus cannot pass on your experiences to more junior staff (which is what seniors are for) 

As for your future role... 
What's your motivation?  
If it's money, you're in the wrong business cos you don't get rich making games. 
If it's not money,  what do you want to do all day? That really ought to be the driving force behind the decision. 
If you don't know yet, it doesn't matter because you've only just started and there's plenty of time to jump around between roles.