Game Developer Entry Level Jobs are a great way to get your foot in the door, and they can be a great place to start your career.
Game Developers need strong technical skills that allow them to create games and other interactive experiences. A game developer may work on their own or with a team, depending on their role. They may focus on one specific area or multiple areas of game development, such as programming, art or design.
Game developers typically work long hours and may have irregular hours depending on how busy they are with projects. Most game developers are self-employed or freelance and can set their own hours based on client needs and deadlines.
Game Developer Entry Level Jobs
$20,000$59,261 /year$146,500
$28 /hour
Entry Level Game Developer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$59,261
Lagos, NG
$59,332
How much does an Entry Level Game Developer make?
As of Jun 24, 2022, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Game Developer in the United States is $59,261 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.49 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,140/week or $4,938/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $146,500 and as low as $20,000, the majority of Entry Level Game Developer salaries currently range between $31,000 (25th percentile) to $84,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $123,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Entry Level Game Developer varies greatly (by as much as $53,000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Entry Level Game Developer job market in both Lagos, NG and throughout the entire state of is not very active as few companies are currently hiring. An Entry Level Game Developer in your area makes on average $59,332 per year, or $71 (0%) more than the national average annual salary of $59,261. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Entry Level Game Developer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Entry Level Game Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Entry Level Game Developer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry Level Game Developer Jobs
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Entry Level Game Developer job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Francisco, CA, with Fremont, CA and San Jose, CA close behind in the second and third positions. San Jose, CA beats the national average by $9,328 (15.7%), and San Francisco, CA furthers that trend with another $13,689 (23.1%) above the $59,261 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Entry Level Game Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top ten cities varies very little at 10% between San Francisco, CA and Barnstable Town, MA, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Entry Level Game Developer role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $72,950 | $6,079 | $1,403 | $35.07 |
| Fremont, CA | $71,086 | $5,924 | $1,367 | $34.18 |
| San Jose, CA | $68,589 | $5,716 | $1,319 | $32.98 |
| Oakland, CA | $67,902 | $5,658 | $1,306 | $32.64 |
| Jackson, WY | $67,794 | $5,649 | $1,304 | $32.59 |
| Hayward, CA | $66,606 | $5,550 | $1,281 | $32.02 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $66,400 | $5,533 | $1,277 | $31.92 |
| Seattle, WA | $66,267 | $5,522 | $1,274 | $31.86 |
| Vallejo, CA | $66,171 | $5,514 | $1,273 | $31.81 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $65,893 | $5,491 | $1,267 | $31.68 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Game Developer Jobs in the U.S.
We found at least five jobs related to the Entry Level Game Developer job category that pay more per year than a typical Entry Level Game Developer salary. Top examples of these roles include: GAME Engineer, 3D Game Developer, and Senior Game Programmer.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $54,898 (92.6%) and $79,455 (134.1%) more than the average Entry Level Game Developer salary of $59,261. If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Entry Level Game Developer jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Entry Level Game Developer position.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAME Engineer | $138,716 | $11,560 | $2,668 | $66.69 |
| 3D Game Developer | $130,065 | $10,839 | $2,501 | $62.53 |
| Senior Game Programmer | $119,166 | $9,930 | $2,292 | $57.29 |
| Senior GAME Designer | $114,166 | $9,514 | $2,196 | $54.89 |
| Remote Game Developer | $114,159 | $9,513 | $2,195 | $54.88 |
