Game Industry Salaries |
Ó
"How much do you make?" is the most-asked question when it comes to any profession, and I doubt the game industry is any different. Game Developer Magazine asked its subscribers to report how much they earn per year and 6000 responses were received. Only data from those with three to six years of experience is included. Salaries are in USD.Art and Animation
Artist: $61,065
Art Director: $65,313
Lead Artist: $68,112
Audio
Composer: $60,093
Audio Director: $62,206
Business and Legal
Marketing: $76,667
Admin: $81,765
Executive: $106,590
Game Design
Game Designer: $54,777
Writer: $61,000
Creative Director: $72,125
Production
Producer: $66,375
Executive Producer (all with more than six years experience): $127, 375
Programming
Programmer / Engineer: $73, 618
Lead Programmer: $81,591
Technical Director: $104,738
Quality Assurance
Tester: $29,722
QA Lead: $43,125
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Comments [refresh]
im an artist and i love video games lol i could make more then my mom thats tight but i like cars more (oh i could do GT games THATS tight)
:) I want to be a tester for Ensemble Studios.
I could practicaly live there. All I need the money for is to buy food.
gg
I'm an artist too using 3d Studio Max 8 and its awesome!! I haven't done to much game developing but I do tons of still frame renders
lol damn tester is pimpin, i rather go for tester $29,722
a year thats good enaf for me.
lol damn tester is pimpin, i rather go for tester $29,722
a year thats good enaf for me.
Programmers make more money than artists. But what if i'm both? I need to design things to put into a game that I program. Do I get the combined total of the jobs?
You likely won't be making that much as a tester. Testers are often hired on a temporary basis and usually at minimum wage. These numbers are for those at 3 - 6 years. Game Testing is such a monotonous job that the likelihood of you staying 3 - 6 years at the job are very low =P
Anywho if I could get hired to test games that would be cool. I would also like to work at the video game hotlines and anwser phone calls. However I do not speak that well. And they don't really use them now that the 'internet' has caught on so I guess thats out of the question....
Four more years and game programming here I come !
I find it hard to believe that those numbers are averages.. wow ! =O
If microsoft actually patented ones and zeros, Every programmer would be jobless. Except for guys that have pet guinea pigs and hamsters.
Schluptnut!
Only a few make good money and actually like the job. Most are getting very low salaries, get to work crunch hours (think 12-16 hours), sleep in the office, have no social life and then get fired when the game ships.
Very few last more than 5 years in the industry.
Here, do a little reading: http://ea-spouse.livejournal.com/274.html
as.a.game.developer.i.can.honestly.say.that.these.numbers.are.inflated...i've.never.worked.with.anyone.aside.from.the.project.leader.that.has.been.with.that.particular.company.for.more.than.three.years.......and.for.those.of.you.planning.on.becoming.a."tester".goodluck.most.of.the.testers.are.either.programmers.or.artists.using.the.2nd.testing.job.as.a.2nd.paycheck.
how do you become a tester? is there any qualifications you need?
how do you become a tester? is there any qualifications you need?
yah man
is this with or without income taxes...?
I would love to be a game tester here in los angeles....anyone know how? that'd be awesome
Wow, this has moved my want to be a programmer from 95% to 100%. Good thing is, I actually have the skills to back it up. Woo.
who cares leave there salaries alone i wouldnt want people knowing my salary and im sure they wouldnt ether
Testing isn't that great a job guys. You can read more about it on many blogs and gaming websites. Also, I've heard programmers get paid less in the game industry than in other industries. Lastly, PLEASE remember that these are after 3 to 6 years!
dipsetpcp1, these guys and gals gave permission for the results to be public. That's why they answered the survey.
I'm an Artist (Maya) and I don't earn that much. In fact my wage isn't even that good, by most standards.
Quick Jesus! Whats your favorite game for PSP?
Jesus: GTA!
And your favorite genre?
Jesus: I like run and guns. I turn on God mode and punish everyone!
Those numbers are very low, especially if you remember that you will be living in an expensive area like California.
for those of you who realize that a job in any related field (software, hardware engineering) plese visit the EE Times website and look up the salary survey for 2005. The games industry is paying way too low. Eitehr read this: http://www.eet.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=30900112
for 2004 or this: http://i.cmpnet.com/eet/salarysurvey/soe_us_2005.ppt
for 2005.
Working as a game tester sounds fun since all you do is just playing games and get paid to do it; what can you ask for more, right?
Well, it sounds fun but it's more like working in a cage, playing games for hours and hours...
You are qualified as long as you can write, read, communicate, and be able to describe specific bugs, no big deal.
I worked as a game tester, working on N64 and Xbox, and there's nothing like forcing yourself playing same video games day after day-
I would recommend it for a freshmen in college just for heck of it- other than that, skip it.
well, if you are serious about working in the video game industry, I would recommend graduating from college/specialized school with specific goal in mind such as programming or composing.
The only good memory about working as a game tester was playing Xbox when it didn't even come out yet- and also playing VS with coworkers- that's about it.
Where did you guys get these numbers? Come on now, my gamedev buddies earned more than this 5 years ago (in LA, mind you). My first tip to anyone wanting to go into the gamedev business - don't. Not unless you like tons of contracting and temporary jobs.
There really should be a "S" after the most titels they wrote about.
for those of you who realize that a job in any related field (software, hardware engineering) plese visit the EE Times website and look up the salary survey for 2005. The games industry is paying way too low. Eitehr read this: http://www.eet.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=30900112
for 2004 or this: http://i.cmpnet.com/eet/salarysurvey/soe_us_2005.ppt
for 2005.
At least the Qa tester Salary is wrong. I know that for a fact. I worked as a QA tester for 5 years at 3 different companies (Activision, THQ, and Take Two Interactive) In that 5 years I never made more than $9.50 an hour. Do the math that $9.50 an hour equals $18,240.00 a year. That is no where near $29,000 dollars. I saw a few other comments above about how people would love to be a tester. Let me tell you its not what its cracked up to be. For that 9.50 an hour they want everything from you. and let me tell you they get it to. Its all fun and games untill you hit 2 to 3 months of crunch time, and you are "asked" to work from 9am to 1 or 2am. After which you have to be back to work at 9am again and work another 17 or so hours. Oh did I mention this is for on the average 30 days straight without a day off(I have worked for 2 months straight). In that 1 month or 2 months straight god forbid you need a day off. Taking a day off during crunch time means no job when the project comes to an end. While everyone else get put onto new projects you get the sorry we dont need you anymore speech. So trust me when I say work at home depot or burger king. And if you doubt whether im legit or not google my name and you will see the proof Ray or Raymond Ploesser. I have worked on jedi knight 2, soldier of fortune 2, moto gp 2, wwe raw, a lame scobby doo game, fairly odd parents, and to many more to think of.
Thos numbers are way off..check game developer magazine (print) and youll see art directors up near 100k
You guys can go ahead and code the games and ill make the website for you.
A First year web master make around 45,000
and after 4-5 years they can make 100,000 in a year.
so much better of a job if you ask me.
And then the question arouses where the games profits over long timespans gooo... sounds like the music industy all over again ... whining how expesive it is to produce a game when they pay badly to the 300 people who invest their sweet and tears into the game just so an exec can drive around in a Ferarri and the MPAA and RIAA can be used as off shore accounts for the filtfy bussiness practices of the big kahuna... This neokapitalistic doctrin wants to make me puke!!!!
I work as a QA Tester for x company and i make 12.5 dolars a day.
And yes being a tester is not all fun and games, i have been playing the same game for 3 weeks now doing the exact same tests over and over for each new version of the same game the developers send me.
I do think i could work as a Tester for a long time but only if my salary would reach at least half of what the survey says.
I work as a QA Tester for x company and i make 12.5 dolars a day.
And yes being a tester is not all fun and games, i have been playing the same game for 3 weeks now doing the exact same tests over and over for each new version of the same game the developers send me.
I do think i could work as a Tester for a long time but only if my salary would reach at least half of what the survey says.
man am I glad i recently realized QA is crap work. I was recently tryin to become one at activision (Im curently a student majoring in game design). a few ppl i know actually told me the same thing everyone else is mentioning. repetetive work and low salaries. Ill have to pass on that one. and to be honest, i thought designers made much more. but oh well, i guess its better then working at some crap pet store...
of course QA = low salaries and long work hours.
the job is made for morons
i mean, all you need is to be literate and have basic reading and writing comprehension skills. every grad 11 has that.
i can't believe people choose it as a profession, takes no skills therefore no need for education thus the low wages
IF you last 3-6 years in the industry then yes you get reasonable pay. I have done testing with EA and Codemasters and both were very different but still only temp work paid at minimum wage (Just a point but Yanks haven't had minimum wage pay increase for 8 years wtf?). Codemasters were very strict and I was not able to communicate with anyone, I had to sit in a booth and get on with the work. At EA it was much better, I had chance to communicate with everyone including the leads and I felt much more involved with the game production. If I could have stayed there, then I would have but it was not a choice. Before you go into testing make sure that you understnad the companys policies on testers and make sure that its is open or you will never stay there. get promoted.
Quick Jesus! Whats your favorite game for PSP?
Jesus: GTA!
And your favorite genre?
Jesus: I like run and guns. I turn on God mode and punish everyone!
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Thank god im learning programming, I bet by the end of this year Ill be driving a bmw.
My life dream is to be involved in music.. computers and music are my forte, so I figured I'd do something like being a composer for movies or games. 60k isn't all that much, really though for such a specialized job... Still... I love music so much I'll do it anyways.
These guys are truly being paid didly squat. I hope their salary is higher if they live here in the bay area. Here you need at least 90,000 plus to actually live with the bare minimum.
These guys are truly being paid didly squat. I hope their salary is higher if they live here in the bay area. Here you need at least 90,000 plus to actually live with the bare minimum. The average dumpy house here is 700,000 dollars, and its something thats worth like 50,000 or less in Texas.
EA hires testers on da condition u pass 2 exams:
1. Spelling, reading
2. A fault diagnostic test 4 engineers
Question: Wots da 2nd test do wit n e fink related 2 games testing?
...EA sux ass...
EA hires testers once 2 conditions r met:
1. Spelling & reading
2. A fault diagnostic engineers manual test
Question: Wot's 2nd test related 2 games testing? Answer: Nothing!
...EA sux ass...
...hasnt increased in 8 years?"
Hmm....so much for george W's politics being good for the low-middle class.
people game testing sucks, they asign you a level, sometimes not even a level just a quandrant of a level and all you do is hit all the buttons and combos.moves in a paticular spot to test for glitches you rarely play a level thru and even rarer play the whole game through its usually just a small area and they have you jump 20 times or kick 20 times very boring stuff but hey if you dont mind that stuff then maybe its for you
"I can't live on 90,000 a year"
Then you're not smart enough to work in the games industry. Might I suggest janitor? You might be able to do that one, though you'll probably be fired for drooling.
I'm a graphics coder (not games industry) with over 20 years experience. The jaw dropping level of low salaries and employment abuse in both the games and film effects industries needs urgent addressing, but it won't happen until young skilled engineers realize their worth and start to threaten corporations (e.g. walk out and bust all their deadlines).
Those stupid arguments about 'well you're doing something you love' is just part of the abuse they rely on to keep you under their thumb. Don't you think musicians, successful writers, directors and artists love their work ? - and you can add a few zeroes to a lot of their income.
Its also a factor of lack of competition (that's enough to warrant anti-trust) that is very intentional. It's "you work for us or nobody". Its about time people starting walking away. Related to this is the lack of salary figures in job adverts. They won't even tell you when you enquire. Its intentional to reduce competition and inherently "price fix" salaries between the big few.
As a comparison, in the UK, at ICL (business apps) in 1986, a reasonable project manager salary was £80k ($140k). Games salaries are less than this 20 years later !! Also, right now, I know business masters graduates work in the city on starting salaries of £100k plus ($170k) in their mid twenties with frankly, literally 100 times less skill or experience than a good coder. If you think the games publishers can't afford to pay well, run the annual profit per head. Some time it'll hit the fan and masses of EA and the like will do a walk out and about time too. Its amazing that so many industries can do this, but the supposedly intelligent workforces don't seem to have what it takes. They're fueled by the young, eager to impress for nothing, but they sadly need to take on board the messages from the burned out and bitter that its time to stop.