Video Game Designer Salary + 2026 Career Guide

Key takeaways

Video game designers have high earning potential and a positive job outlook in the US.

• The median total salary for a video game designer is $84,000 annually in the US [1].

• As a video game designer, your salary will depend on various factors, like your education level, years of experience, the company and industry you work in, and your location.

• You can improve your video game designer salary by staying current on employer requirements for game design jobs, learning trending game design skills, attending networking events, and keeping up with gaming industry news.

Explore your earning potential and the factors that can affect your salary as a video game designer. If you’re ready to start learning skills related to game design, enroll in the Xbox Graphic Designer Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to gain experience with Adobe Photoshop, UI/UX design, game design, visual design, and more. Upon completion in as little as five months, you’ll have earned a career certificate for your resume.

What is the salary of a video game designer? 

Glassdoor’s April 2025 salary data shows that video game designers make a median total pay of $84,000 in the US. This figure combines estimated base salary and additional pay such as cash bonuses, commission, tips, and profit sharing [1]. 

In the table below, we list Glassdoor’s total median salaries for game designers at different levels of experience so that you can see how your earning potential might increase as you develop your career. 

Video game designer vs. video game developer

A video game designer creates games for computers and game consoles by designing storylines, characters, game objectives, methods of winning and losing, and user interfaces.

A video game developer focuses on the coding, software programming, and engineering aspects of bringing a game to life, while a video game designer is responsible for creating the game at the conceptual, experiential, and aesthetic levels. 

Read more: Video Game Developer Toolbox—Software and Tools for Game Development

Factors affecting salary for video game designers

In addition to your level of experience, there are several other factors that can affect your earning potential as a video game designer.

Education 

According to Zippia’s research (updated 2025), 74 percent of video game designers hold a bachelor’s degree [2]. On average, they earn $103,165 [2]. Earning a master’s degree can bring your earning potential to $121,628, and a doctorate can bring it up to $122,676 [2]. For video game designers with an associate’s degree (12 percent), the average salary is $78,852 [2].

Skills 

The range of skills you possess and whether you have any specialized skills may have an impact on what job you land and, therefore, what salary you earn. According to Zippia, the top five skills for video game designers are [3]:

• Motion graphics

• Video content

• Adobe Photoshop

• Video production 

• Animation 

Motion graphics and video content skills each appeared on more than 30 percent of video game designer resumes, signaling that these skills are likely essential for those in the video game design industry [3]. Unity 3D, on the other hand, was listed on 2.3 percent of resumes [3]. If you’re interested in designing VR games for the metaverse, for instance, learning a skill such as Unity or Meta Quest could help you specialize in a skill that fewer designers possess and unlock related career and salary opportunities. 

Company 

Your company may also significantly impact your earning potential. The five companies offering the highest salaries on Glassdoor for video game designers in the US as of November 2025 are [1]: 

• Microsoft: $136,000–$236,000

• PlayStation: $119,000–$195,000

• Pocket Gems: $113,000–$204,000

• Playstudios: $104,000–$186,000

• Electronic Arts: $121,000–$219,000

Industry 

The industry with the highest-paying video game designer jobs is information technology, according to November 2025 data from Glassdoor, with a median total salary of $178,168. Median total salaries in other industries include [1]: 

• Arts, entertainment, and recreation: $122,000

• Government and public administration: $91,000

• Retail and wholesale: $94,000

• Media and communication: $97,000

Location 

Where you live and work may be a factor. To get a feel for how total salaries differ, consider three US city-specific examples of video game designer salary averages from Zippia [4]: 

• San Francisco, CA: $110,854

• New York, NY: $94,156

• Reston, VA: $84,693

What is the expected growth of a video game designer role?

According to Grand View Research's Market Analysis Report, the global video game industry is predicted to grow 12.2 percent by 2030. In 2024, the market value was $298.98 billion and should exceed $600.74 billion in revenue by 2030 [5]. These projections could signal higher salaries for video game designers in the future. 

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not offer any job outlook data on the role of video game designer specifically. That said, the category of special effects artists and animators may be closely related enough to get a rough estimate of the kind of job growth video game designers can expect. 

Between now and 2034, the BLS predicts that jobs for special effects artists and animators will grow by 2 percent, with 5,000 estimated openings each year [6]. Considering the predictions of gaming industry revenue growth and technological evolution, it appears likely that the industry will continue on a growth trajectory. 

Video game designer jobs 

Now that you know video game designer salary ranges, factors that affect salary, and the job outlook for people in video game design, you may be wondering what job opportunities are available to you. While you can find many types of game designer roles, several companies stand out as offering an exceptionally positive employee experience.

Companies currently hiring video game designers and whose employees rate them at least 4 out of 5 on Glassdoor* include [1]: 

• Done by None: 4/5 (2.8K reviews)

• Microsoft: 4/5 (52K reviews)

• MIT: 4.4/5 (4.1K reviews)

• PlayStation: 4.1/5 (1.3K reviews)

• Nintendo of America: 4.1/5.0 (332 reviews)

*Employees can rate the companies they work for based on culture and values, diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, compensation and benefits, career opportunities, and senior management. 

How to boost your video game designer salary

As you continue your job search and develop your career, use these best practices to increase your potential for higher earnings.

1. Refine your research methods.

Stay up-to-date on the skills, experience, education, and other qualifications employers are looking for in a video game designer. Start by creating accounts on job sites like Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, and Indeed. Then:

• Navigate the different data points on each site, such as average salaries, career trajectories, career advice, company reviews, and more. 

• Study job descriptions and sign up to receive notifications when positions open up at different companies.

2. Gain job-ready skills and experience in game design. 

Continuing your education can help expedite career advancement. Use insights from your research to prioritize the skills you learn and opportunities to apply them. For example, you may find that the positions you are most interested in require a degree or a Professional Certificate in game design. You may be able to satisfy employers’ requirements by taking courses on specific topics in game design. If you are able, consider taking on freelance projects to diversify your experience and build a portfolio. 

3. Build a game designer network.

Having a strong network of contacts in the gaming industry can position you to learn about job openings and other career-building opportunities. To build your network, you can: 

• Attend professional conferences and networking events. 

• Join online communities like gamedev.net and GamesIndustry.biz.

• Follow other video game designers on social media and engage with their content. 

4. Monitor gaming industry trends. 

When you monitor trends in this industry, such as the prevalence of new technologies (such as artificial intelligence) and year-over-year revenue growth, you may be able to make some general deductions about the salary you can earn. To monitor these trends, you can: 

• Check the BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook each year for the latest career data.

• Subscribe to sources of gaming industry news, such as Game Rant or GameSpot.

• Read industry surveys and reports, such as the ones from Grand View Research that we referenced in this article.

Get resources to help you build career confidence 

Thinking about expanding your skills? Keep up with the latest trends and skills shaping your industry by subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat! Or if you want to keep exploring skills and careers, check out these free resources:

• Find your career track: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz? 

• Watch on YouTube: From Player to Creator: Your Video Game Design Career Guide 

• Learn key terms: Glossary of UX Terms and Definitions

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