Visualizing the Future Demand for 3D Graphics and Real-time 3D Across the Economy May 2019 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 2 2 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Table of Contents Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary pg 4 2. Introduction pg 10 3. Methodology pg 14 4. Findings pg 18 5. Implications pg 32 6. Appendix: List of Skills pg 36 7. Acknowledgements pg 40 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 3 2 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Visualizing the Future 1. Executive Summary Advanced 3D technology has demonstrated the potential of the virtual world—real-time 3D is expanding the horizon. Labor market demand for workers proficient in these fields is robust and growing. 4 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Executive Summary Advanced 3D technology has demonstrated graphic technologies fell short of delivering the potential of the virtual world. 3D graphics experiences that allow for exploration have become essential to understanding and interaction, but the growing field of designs and concepts in industries as diverse “real-time 3D” enables these possibilities. as architecture, manufacturing, health care, Real-time 3D skills and technologies have and film. Due to the constraints of prior risen in importance as companies seek to technology, much of this visualization has achieve immersive experiences. Real-time 3D historically been focused on static images extends the horizon of 3D graphics to or limited animations. In the last few years, realize the full potential of the virtual world, however, the explosion of virtual reality to bridge the gap between being on the technology has shifted the paradigm from outside looking in and being on the inside observation to experience. Earlier 3D looking around. 3D Graphics Skills Real-time 3D Skills Over Over 315,000 30,000 Labor Market Demand job postings between October job postings between October 2017 and October 2018 2017 and October 2018 42% 601% faster than the market overall faster than the market overall Demand Growth Average starting salary of Average starting salary of Salary Premium $73,513 $86,533 34% above average 57% above the average advertised salary advertised salary and 18% above the average advertised salary for jobs requesting 3D graphics skills in general © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 5 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Visualizing the Future To be considered real-time, the interaction the economy, it will be necessary to prepare between a user and a virtual scene must a workforce able to leverage these skills. register faster than a blink of an eye. Epic Games partnered with Burning Glass This feat is achieved through real-time Technologies to quantify demand for these rendering. Actions animated at this rate are skills and to investigate factors impacting the indistinguishable from the same actions use and adoption of 3D graphics and real- taking place in real life. Many real-time 3D time 3D skills in the workforce. The analysis applications are already familiar: pilots yielded the following key conclusions: training on flight simulators, video games, virtual reality headsets, or actors in motion • Demand for 3D graphics is robust, capture suits using their performance to drive and demand for real-time 3D skills is animated characters in a live environment. growing quickly. Between October 2017 and October 2018, more than 315,000 Labor market demand for 3D graphics skills job postings requested 3D graphics skills. is spreading across the broader economy. The demand for 3D graphics skills during Real-time 3D is a subset of 3D graphics this time was over 55,000 openings with particularly explosive demand growth. greater than the demand for data 3D graphics and real-time 3D skills are science-related skills. Demand for 3D emerging as a force for innovation in fields graphics skills has grown 42% faster than like engineering, IT, and design. Increasing the market overall. Demand for real-time demand for these skills in business fields 3D skills, which are at the technological such as sales and marketing demonstrates frontier of 3D graphics, has grown 601% the desire to commercialize the associated faster than the market overall and now products. As consumer appetite for accounts for 10% of all openings calling immersive experiences increases, demand for for 3D graphics, up from 4% in 2013. In real-time 3D will continue to spread across total there were 31,339 openings calling the workforce, creating hybrid roles that mix for real-time 3D skills between October skills usually found in distinct occupations. 2017 and October 2018. As real-time and 3D graphics skills become • Real-time 3D is creating “hybrid jobs.” more integral to many occupations across Previous Burning Glass research has 1 “The Hybrid Job Economy: How New Skills are Rewriting the DNA of the Job Market” (Burning Glass Technologies, 2019) www.burning-glass.com/wp-content/uploads/hybrid_jobs_2019_final.pdf 6 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Executive Summary found that many of the fastest-growing 1 in 5 job openings in engineering requests jobs in the economy are hybrids, merging at least one CAD skill. CAD technology is skill sets that aren’t usually found beginning to employ real-time 3D as well, together.1 Hybridization occurs when a with over 2,000 job postings requesting skill previously found in one group of proficiency with at least one real-time occupations spreads to a different set of CAD technique or technology. occupations. Real-time 3D is an engine for such hybridization. In addition to expected • 3D graphics skills have different occupations such as video game artists use cases in different career fields. and programmers, occupations with the In engineering, 3D graphics skills are greatest demand for real-time 3D include important for industrial and boutique software developers and mobile app manufacturing. In information technology developers, highlighting the diversity of and design and media, 3D graphics and use cases for these skills. Further, demand real-time 3D are used to create immersive for these skills is present in business fields experiences. In these career areas, such as sales, marketing, and business animation skills, proficiency with game management, demonstrating the push to engines, and manipulation of virtual commercialize the associated products reality are in high demand. and underscoring the need for workers in these fields to gain familiarity with real- • Real-time 3D skills are undersupplied, time 3D. As demand for real-time 3D skills and that is unlikely to change any time spreads across the workforce, workers soon. Real-time 3D is associated with in hybridizing occupations will be asked a large salary premium: 57% above the to mix skills in new combinations. These average advertised salary and 18% above hybrid roles may not align with traditional the average advertised salary for jobs training programs, making it harder to requesting 3D graphics skills in general. prepare workers for these jobs. In the career fields where these skills are in highest demand, filling a position can • Proficiency with 3D graphics is a often take over 40 days. Real-time 3D foundational skill for engineers. skills are also among the fastest-growing Engineering accounts for 48% of the in the market, which carries the risk of demand for 3D graphics, and 96% of these exacerbating the gap between supply job openings request CAD skills. Currently and demand. © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 7 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Visualizing the Future • Mastering 3D graphics or real-time 3D premium of 24% over other entry-level skills can lead to strong entry-level jobs—and mastering real-time 3D can opportunities and provide a boost lead to a salary premium of 45% above to early-career professionals. Nearly other entry-level jobs. Becoming proficient a quarter (23%) of job openings for 3D with these skills can also benefit early- graphics skills and a fifth (19%) of job career professionals who are already in openings calling for real-time 3D skills are the workforce. Most job openings calling entry-level positions. The vast majority for 3D graphics skills require 3-5 years of of job openings require a bachelor’s level experience. On average, these postings education (77% for 3D graphics and 81% advertise a salary 13% higher than other for real-time 3D). For students or new job postings requiring similar levels of entrants to the job market, mastering experience—and 38% higher for jobs 3D graphics skills can lead to a salary requesting real-time 3D skills. 8 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Executive Summary © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 9 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Visualizing the Future 2. Introduction The difference between the real world and the virtual world is narrowing. As the generation brought up with video games, smartphones, and the internet enters the workforce and as companies explore the opportunities unlocked by advanced visual technology, the growing importance of the virtual world is also reflected in the labor market. 10 © Burning Glass Technologies 2019 Burning Glass Technologies / Epic Games Introduction The initial capabilities of time, the interaction between 3D graphics hinted at a user and a virtual scene Demand for real-time the possibilities of the 3D skills, which are at the must register much virtual world. Being able technological frontier of 3D faster than the blink graphics, has grown to visualize 3D data of an eye—films are brought architectural 601% shot at 24 frames per blueprints to life and faster than the second, but real-time 3D market overall brought previously technologies aim for 90 impossible scenes to the frames per second. Slower silver screen. It aided prosthetists than this rate, a user will judge the in rebuilding the human experience as non-interactive.