Computer and Video Game Designers

Most development companies spend up to two years designing a game even before any of the mechanics (such as writing final code and drawing final graphics) begin; more complex games take even longer. Companies budget anywhere from $1 to $5 million to hundreds of millions to develop just one game for a personal computer. Online games cost between $1 million and $100 million to produce, according to Sonamine, an analytics and marketing agency in the gaming industry. The company says that "a casual game for a VR platform can cost as much as $100,000, while more complex titles cost up to $10 million to make." If a game is a success, designers are often rewarded with bonuses. In addition to bonuses or royalties (the percentage of profits designers receive from each game that is sold), designers' salaries are affected by their amount of professional experience, their location in the country, and the size of their employer.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual wage for special effects artists and animators who worked for software publishers was $123,480 in May 2023. The lowest 10 percent of all special effects artists and animators earned less than $57,090, and the top 10 percent earned more than $169,580.

Seventy-three percent of salaried game developers made more than $50,000 annually in 2023, according to the 2023 Developer Satisfaction Survey from the International Game Developers Association. Thirteen percent of developers made between $50,000 and $75,000; another 8 percent earned between $75,000 and $100,000 a year. Thirteen percent of respondents earned between $20,000 and $40,000 annually.

Any major software publisher will likely provide benefits such as medical insurance, paid vacations and sick leave, as well as retirement plans. Designers who are self-employed must provide their own benefits.