Get the Latest Video Game Designers' Salary Information
Whatever game design specialty you'd like to pursue, go into your studies with a knowledge of video game designers' salaries.
Ask video game designers why they got involved in the gaming industry, and most will probably tell you it was a labor of love: an ongoing devotion to video games, a knack for technical design, and, for many, the inevitable follow-up to attending video game design school. However, the average video game designer's salary isn't a bad motivation, either. Although the average gaming industry salary declined four percent between 2008 and 2009 to $75,573,* it still compares favorably to the average salary for computer programmers across industries, which was $74,690 in May 2009.**
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has more good news for would-be video game designers: salaries are also high in the software publishing industry, a sector which includes video game publishers. Nevertheless, wages can vary widely depending on your specific job title and area of expertise. So if your goal is to work for a company like Electronic Arts or Microsoft, take a look at the following median salaries before choosing your video game design schools.
| Occupations in Software Publishing | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $93,750 |
| Computer Software Engineer | $89,840 |
| Programmer | $83,750 |
| Producer/Director | $77,340 |
| Multimedia Artist/Animator | $65,090 |
| Sound Engineering Technician | $56,680 |
| Graphic Designer | $49,540 |
Source: BLS, 2009
Video Game Designers Salary and Experience Level
For more detailed information about salaries for video game designers, industry-specific resources are a good outlet to explore. Game Developer Research, a branch of the same industry authority that publishes Game Developer magazine, conducts an exhaustive annual salary survey covering a range of careers in the gaming industry. The 9th such survey reported 2009 earnings for video game designers; salary was shown to increase significantly according to number of years of experience across all categories of careers in game design.
| Average Video Game Designer's | 3 Years or Less | 3 to 6 Years | 6 Years or More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Game Programmer | $54,618 | $74,665 | $105,729 |
| Lead Programmer | $59,773 | $80,300 | $107,917 |
| Artist/Animator | $45,114 | $61,121 | $90,536 |
| Game Designer | $45,208 | $59,619 | $77,500 |
| Creative Director/Lead Designer | $57,500 | $69,167 | $101,810 |
| Associate Producer | $43,833 | $53,750 | $65,000 |
| Sound/Audio Designer | $37,500 | $81,667 | $75,833 |
Source: Game Developer Salary Survey, 2009
Other Factors that Affect a Video Game Designer's Salary
Experience, of course, isn't the only variable that contributes to video game industry salaries. Factors such as overall market forces, company size and the level of education you attained at video game design school can all have an effect on your earnings. Even your geographic location can lead to significant differences in salary. In 2009, for instance, the Midwest region paid the highest salaries for game designers, while those with jobs in programming, art and animation, production or audio earned the most in the Western states.
Whether or not you're in a management position is another factor influencing salary level. For those in managerial roles with at least six years of experience, there were clear differences in average salary between the various game industry sub-fields.
| Management Positions in the Video Game Industry | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Lead | $67,500 |
| Sound/Audio Director | $87,500 |
| Project Lead | $95,058 |
| Creative Director | $101,810 |
| Executive Producer | $103,611 |
| Art Director | $104,853 |
| Technical Director | $121,750 |
Source: Game Developer Salary Survey, 2009
No matter how you break it down, though, the video game industry continues to grow and provide excellent employment opportunities for game designers with the right training and education. Research schools in our extensive database today to find your ideal video game design school.
Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
**Ninth Annual Salary Survey, Game Developer Magazine
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