Careers / Video Game Designers
Video Game Designers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$104,000
United States, 2025
Employment
113,330
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.
- O*NET code
- 15-1255.01
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
- Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
- Create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
- Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
- Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
- Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
- Document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
- Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$53,750
25th percentile
$73,290
75th percentile
$158,820
90th percentile
$201,550
Most important skills
- Programming4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Active Learning3.5
- Time Management3.4
- Systems Analysis3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Writing3.3
- Monitoring3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programming | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.1 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.4 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Technology Design | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $140,300
Compare with Video Game DesignersSupplemental
National median $83,910
Compare with Video Game DesignersSupplemental
National median $104,300
Compare with Video Game DesignersSupplemental
National median $55,490
Compare with Video Game DesignersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $201,260 | 4,400 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $163,810 | 6,630 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $139,900 | 360 | 2025 |
| CA | $136,110 | 27,090 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $133,760 | 10,330 | 2025 |
| Durham, NC | $133,340 | 510 | 2025 |
| WA | $130,480 | 11,580 | 2025 |
| Ithaca, NY | $125,810 | 40 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $123,850 | 1,270 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $122,270 | 2,330 | 2025 |
| NY | $120,990 | 16,560 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $120,640 | 880 | 2025 |
| Austin, TX | $119,950 | 1,080 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $119,190 | 14,990 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $118,190 | 1,890 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $114,220 | 60 | 2025 |
| Manchester, NH | $113,700 | 140 | 2025 |
| MA | $113,540 | 2,740 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $112,840 | 480 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $111,420 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Video Game Designers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.