Author Topic: Games Industry pay scales 2008  (Read 1262 times)

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ZOldDude

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Games Industry pay scales 2008
« on: May 02, 2009, 04:35:28 am »
According to the Game Developer magazine's annual Game Developer Salary Survey, the video game industry saw 2008 salaries increase in nearly every position over 2007. The recession has certainly had an impact on the game development field over the last 6-12 months, with more layoffs than you can shake a stick at. But those who survived downsizing or bankruptcy went home with a little extra money in their pocket.

The average 2008 salary of a games industry worker in America was an impressive $79,000, up seven percent from the 2007 average of $74,000.

Business and marketing personnel sat at the top of the heap, bringing home an average of about $102,000. Those who reported that they had six years of experience or more in such roles took home even more -- over $131,000.

Not surprisingly, Quality Assurance employees were the lowest tier in the survey. The unsung heroes of game development took home slightly more than $39,000 a year, with almost no salary growth over 2007. This doesn't come as much of a shock, since 48 percent of testers polled had less than three years experience. The one positive note for testers was the number of female testers, which now make up 14 percent of all surveyed, compared to six percent the year before.

Of course, there are so many other positions in the games industry to consider. Programmers took home $85,000; artists averaged $69,500; game designers raked in $67,000; production averaged $82,000; and audio designers took home about $78,100. Of all the different fields examined, production is the most friendly to women, who account for 21 percent of the field.

While QA/testing saw little to no salary increase, every other position in the games industry did - not bad considering the worldwide recession. With any luck, the next 12-24 months will see this same kind of growth combined with more jobs and new studios.

*While we crash and burn, small, low tech, agrarian societies such as the Hmong in the mountains of Laos will continue on without so much as blinking an eye.*

[TKC]Symantic

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Re: Games Industry pay scales 2008
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2009, 09:26:45 am »
eggrado game developers brought home a wopping $00.01 yearly sallery income.
Enjoy your creative game-play, whatever that may include.

M. O.

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Re: Games Industry pay scales 2008
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2009, 03:28:15 pm »
Didn't know programmers earned that much. Here they get lousy wages + a lot of overtime. And I guess that can drop a lot with competition from India and China.

eggrado game developers brought home a wopping $00.01 yearly sallery income.


It's not meant to be sold commercially. But I guess the experience you get from working on it is better than cash.
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MrMedic

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Re: Games Industry pay scales 2008
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2009, 05:53:46 pm »
nothing is better than cash m8 :) .. cash makes the world go around , btw ^ that is not a lot in retrospect but it is a respectable amount.
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ZOldDude

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Re: Games Industry pay scales 2008
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2009, 11:33:10 pm »
I think over $100K per year to manage a few workers is good money...and the tax rate is allot lower here than in many places.

The people that I know that do game testing (QA) sit around and eat pizza and smoke pot in the parking lot...while they get paid $1K per week.
Manageing a dozen people like that basically involves reminding them the contract ends in another 5 months and if they don't sit down and try to make the game crash the Gravy Train is over for them.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2009, 10:53:12 pm by ZOldDude »

*While we crash and burn, small, low tech, agrarian societies such as the Hmong in the mountains of Laos will continue on without so much as blinking an eye.*

Follis

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Re: Games Industry pay scales 2008
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2009, 12:43:13 pm »
sweet?
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MrMedic

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Re: Games Industry pay scales 2008
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2009, 05:23:34 pm »

LOL^ .. some sick sense of humour
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