The Game Industry Salary Survey 2007

[09.03.07]
- Jill Duffy

GAME DESIGN
Average salary for three or fewer years experience: $44,574
Average salary across all experience levels: $61,538

Be prepared to hear the following words of wisdom over and over again: it is nearly impossible to become a game designer fresh out of college. Game design job are almost never appropriate for entry-level candidates. Designers typically make their way into the industry through some other discipline (for example, by spending two or three years as a programmer or producer), then become a designer later. None of this advice is meant to be discouraging-it's meant to help you formulate a clear and realistic path to your dream job.

The average salary of writers with less than 3 years' experience dropped by $6,631 since last year, and writers with 3-6 years saw a $12,500 drop in pay. If these salaries sound low, bear in mind that more than half of all designers earn fairly large bonuses on top of their base salaries, which can amount to nearly $10,000 in additional pay.