Game Dev Salary
$32.5K - $46K
4% of jobs
$46K - $59.5K
10% of jobs
$59.5K - $73K
8% of jobs
$78.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$73K - $86.5K
10% of jobs
$86.5K - $100K
16% of jobs
The median wage is $102.6K / yr.
$100K - $113.5K
19% of jobs
$121.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$113.5K - $127K
16% of jobs
$127K - $140.5K
1% of jobs
$140.5K - $154K
2% of jobs
$154K - $167.5K
6% of jobs
$167.5K - $181K
10% of jobs
$32.5K
$103.5K
$180K
$108,471
/year
$52.15
/hour
Game Dev Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$108,471
Columbus
Ohio
$104,772
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How much does a Game Dev make?
As of Jul 17, 2026, the average annual pay for a Game Dev in the United States is $108,471 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $52.15 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,085/week or $9,039/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $180,000 and as low as $32,500, the majority of Game Dev salaries currently range between $81,500 (25th percentile) to $124,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $179,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Game Dev varies greatly (by as much as 42500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Game Dev in your area makes on average $104,772 per year, or $3,699 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $108,471. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Game Dev salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Game Dev jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Game Dev on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Game Dev Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Game Dev job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $22,201 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $26,086 (24.0%) above the $108,471 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Game Dev appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Nome, AK, and Daly City, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Game Dev role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $134,557 | $64.69 |
Berkeley, CA | $132,816 | $63.85 |
Sitka, AK | $130,672 | $62.82 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $129,049 | $62.04 |
Santa Clara, CA | $128,102 | $61.59 |
Menlo Park, CA | $127,828 | $61.46 |
San Francisco, CA | $127,797 | $61.44 |
Livermore, CA | $127,235 | $61.17 |
San Jose, CA | $127,127 | $61.12 |
Daly City, CA | $125,684 | $60.42 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Game Dev Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Game Dev category.
For example Activision Game Designer jobs pay as much as $40,647 (37.5%) more than the average Game Dev salary of $108,471. If you're qualified, finding work as a Activision Game Designer may help you make more money than that of the average Game Dev position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Activision Game Designer | $149,118 | $71.69 |
Rbi Leadership Development Program | $120,059 | $57.72 |
Business Development Support | $60,525 | $29.10 |
Dream Vacations | $57,077 | $27.44 |
Google Internship | $35,995 | $17.31 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
