Game environment artistry is a popular field for creative folks who want to combine their passion for art and love of video games. A novice looking to become a game environment artist isn’t always sure whether there’s enough money in it, and whether to focus on art or design. There’s enough conflicting information on the internet about game environment designers to make researching the topic even more confusing. Read on for a brief overview that cuts through the nonsense and gives a clear accounting of the salary information out there for game environment artists.
What is the salary of a game environment artist?
The salary of a game environment artist is the same as that of other game artists, although lower than senior artists, leads, and technical artists. The specific salary varies based on location, both globally and within nations, with the most comprehensive data coming from the US. Game designers make a similar salary to environment artists, so an aspiring game developer ought to think about more than salary when making the decision of which field to choose.
The median salary of a game environment artist is $88,000 per year. Senior game environment artists start at a similar rate of $93,000, but the salaries go as high as $184,000 for the most experienced. The global market for environment artists has a different average. Finding data for the whole world isn’t possible here, but around $45,000 in US dollars is the average in Europe. All salary information for positions is sourced from Glassdoor, unless otherwise stated.
The salary data for the US is the most detailed, as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps detailed records of salaries by occupation. Filtering by only fine artists, graphic designers, art directors, and the arts and entertainment category, the salaries vary widely from state to state, with a couple states having no data whatsoever. If searching for an art job in the US, though, consider a position in California or New York. States offering a slightly lower salary like Washington have the advantage of that area’s lower cost of living compared to the two highest paying states.
Environment artists make $20,000 more on average than generalized 3D artists. The distinction between environment and 3D artists doesn’t exist in every studio, though. Animators, who are more specialized, make a median salary of $112,000 per year according to Glassdoor, although this figure includes animators for movie studios. Technical artists, a common ending point for artists who work in animation or rigging, make $108,000 per year, which is about $20,000 more than environment artists. Adding technical skills is a helpful career boost for some artists.
Game environment artists make similar rates to other disciplines in game design. Game programmers make from $56,000 to $119,000 per year depending on their position. On the lower end, beginner designers make $56,000 per year, while experienced level designers make $70,000, narrative designers make $92,000, and gameplay designers make $103,000. In senior positions, game designers expect to make $119,000, which is comparable to senior artist salaries.
Game environment designer is thrown out as a position on salary sites, but there isn’t a standard role with that title in the games industry. The designers that work closest to environment artists are level designers, as they’re the ones who decide the layout and placement of objects in the environment. Level designer salaries are similar to if not slightly lower than artist positions’, as shown in the previous graph.
