The average salary for a game designer is $110,036 per year (pre-tax) as of January 2025, according to Glassdoor’s data. Game design salaries have an average base of $89,160 with additional payments averaging $20,876 annually in the form of bonuses, overtime, and profit-sharing agreements. Average salaries for game designers vary according to factors like location, experience, and seniority. A game designer earns more in states with large tech hubs like Washington, Texas, New York, and California than in those with fewer game studios like Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Keep reading to learn about average salaries for game designers and the factors that determine them.
What is the average entry-level salary for a game designer?
The average entry-level salary for a game designer is $58,393 base rate in the USA. Entry-level game designers earn overtime, bonuses, and additional pay, increasing their average take-home pay to $74,080. (Data from Glassdoor survey 2025.) A game designer makes a higher salary in states with large tech hubs like New York and California, and less in states without a game development scene. Calculating the averages for freelance entry-level game designers paid per hour, or on shorter per-month contracts, represents more of a challenge because the range is larger and the work is more informal. A freelance, entry-level game designer earns between $25 and $35 per hour in the USA.
Where to find entry-level game designer jobs?
To find entry-level game designer jobs, job seekers must search job listing boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn using filters to find relevant openings. Indeed.com, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn job postings regularly feature listings for video game industry jobs. Game design opportunities on more industry-specific websites are a better place to look because the jobs posted haven’t been exposed to as large a pool of candidates. Established game designers hear about job openings earlier through their network. Build up your network as an entry-level designer to increase your chances of hearing about open positions early.
Find entry-level game designer jobs at the tech job-focused career platforms below.
- Dice.com. Dice is a tech job-focused career platform listing job posts across the tech sector, including the video game industry. The site also features career advice and resources useful to entry-level designers.
- Gamedevmap.com is an interactive directory and map of game developers and publishers. The website lists each company’s location and its specialties and focus. Because it’s community-driven, Gamedevmap is an excellent place to find up-to-date information on game studios in your area.
- Gamedeveloper.com (formerly Gamasutra) offers career advice and resources for up-and-coming designers.
- Creativeheads.net is a specialized job board featuring openings in video games, animation, visual effects (VFX), television, film, and 3D technology. Search these sites to find game industry-focused openings.
What is the average salary for a game designer?
The average salary for a game designer is $110,036 per year, including profit sharing and other bonuses. (Data from Glassdoor.) Community-driven sources like Reddit put the figure for an average designer salary closer to between $115,000 and $120,000. Salaries vary according to state, with game designers in major gaming hubs like California and New York representing the top earners.
The median salary of a game designer in California is $124,952, according to Glassdoor. Game designers in New York make an average salary of $108,462 according to Glassdoor. The average salary for game designers is lower in states without major gaming hubs. For example, the average salary for a designer in Alaska is $93,430, in Hawaii, $93,240, and in South Carolina, $85,240. At the lowest end of the scale, game designers in Nebraska earn an average of $57,963, and designers in South Dakota earn $56,635.
What is a senior game designer’s salary?
An average senior game designer’s salary in the USA is $148,279, according to Glassdoor, where they list a range of base salaries between $89,000 and $146,000 with additional payments in the form of bonuses, overtime, and profit sharing, which range from $26,000 to $48,000 yearly. The average annual salary in Los Angeles, California, as of February 1, 2025, for a senior game designer is $158,000. The estimated total pay per year in the San Francisco area for a senior game designer is $189,359, according to Glassdoor, while in New York, senior designers earn approximately $154,770 yearly.
Who earns more, a game designer or a game developer?
Game developers earn slightly more than game developers in the USA on average, according to Glassdoor data, but significant salary variation exists based on location, experience, and seniority. The average salary for a game designer is $110,006, while the average salary for a game developer is $116,722. Game designer careers start at a lower base pay rate of $85,000 because they have fewer demonstrable skills than an educated programmer who starts at a base pay of $93,613. Despite the initial discrepancy in average salary, the professions’ pay levels out with experience.
What are the benefits of being a video game designer?
The benefits of being a game designer are working in a creative field where you can express your passion and creativity in a dynamic environment while earning a competitive salary. Passion and enthusiasm drive the design of the most successful games, as humans have an innate feeling for the authentic. Game designers must truly find fun and fulfillment in their work and environment to succeed. Being a game designer offers significant job satisfaction despite the occasional long hours, challenging work-life balance, and competitive market.
How many hours does a video game designer work per day?
A video game designer works an average of 40 to 50 hours per week during regular periods, with more intense hours during crunch periods. How many hours game designers do per day is influenced by what state their current project is in. The average across the industry is 8 in a standard workday, 10 during busy periods, 12 during crunch time, and 16 in extreme cases before major releases.
Senior designers with management duties are the most likely to work the longest hours, as their decision-making is required on crucial issues. Entry-level designers work under supervision and make fewer decisions, so they generally work fewer hours overall than their senior counterparts.
