Build a Career You'll Love

Gameplay Programmer Salary in the United States

How much does a Gameplay Programmer make in the United States? The salary range for a Gameplay Programmer job is from $79,578 to $98,015 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Gameplay Programmer job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

Average base salary
updated at March 01, 2025
$88,377
Per Year
The average salary for a Gameplay Programmer is $88,377
per Year in the United States.
Individually reported data submitted by users of our website

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Base Salary
$79,578
$88,377
Medium
$98,015

Highest Paying Cities for Gameplay Programmer in the United States

Gameplay Programmer salaries in the United States will pay differently by cities. Below following are the eight cities with the highest income for Gameplay Programmer jobs in the United States. The city with the highest salary is San Jose. Click on the Gameplay Programmer salary in cities you are interested in to view detailed job salary information.

States with Higher Salaries for Gameplay Programmer

The five states where Gameplay Programmer jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Massachusetts. Compared with the average salary of a Gameplay Programmer in the United States, the state of District of Columbia with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and New Jersey respectively. The high or low salary paid to Gameplay Programmer by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.

How Much Do Similar Professions Get Paid in the United States?

There are some different titles for Gameplay Programmer jobs, and the job title of Gameplay Programmer will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Gameplay Programmer, start to view Gameplay Programmer-related jobs you are interested in.
Senior Gameplay Programmer
Average salary
United States
$121,723
per Year
Gameplay Designer
Average salary
United States
$78,025
per Year
Gameplay Animator
Average salary
United States
$95,764
per Year
Gameplay Engineer
Average salary
United States
$128,622
per Year
Senior Gameplay Engineer
Average salary
United States
$124,422
per Year
Programmer
Average salary
United States
$78,049
per Year

How Much Should You Be Earning?

Get an estimated calculation of how much you should be earning and insight into your career options.

What Does a Gameplay Programmer Do?

A good gameplay programmer knows when to do it right (when the design is solid and the code will be used in many places), and when to do it quickly (when the design is still being worked out, and your code has a good chance of being discarded once tested).

December 22, 2021

Though all programmers add to the content and experience that a game provides, a gameplay programmer focuses more on a game's strategy, implementation of the game's mechanics and logic, and the "feel" of a game.

December 16, 2021

Collaboration: work closely with the lead designer, gameplay programmer, AI programmer, art department and other programmers.

December 09, 2021

To learn to be a gameplay programmer, you'd take someone else's engine, and use it in as many different ways as you can.

December 06, 2021

Engine programmers make technology and systems, which gameplay programmers and content creators can then use to realise the design.

November 30, 2021

Most Common Benefits for Gameplay Programmer

Social Security
Healthcare
401(k)
Pension
Disability
Time Off (days)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about salaries for a Gameplay Programmer
Get a personal salary report to know your salary based on location, education, experience, and other influence factors.
Is this information useful?
Thank you!
A good gameplay programmer knows when to do it right (when the design is solid and the code will be used in many places), and when to do it quickly (when the design is still being worked out, and your code has a good chance of being discarded once tested).
Is this information useful?
Thank you!
Is this information useful?
Thank you!
Explore our personal salary report to know the Gameplay Programmer market value in the United States. And find out if any places are having a higher Gameplay Programmer salary.
Is this information useful?
Thank you!
The highest Gameplay Programmer salary is $98,015, while the lowest is $79,578 in the United States.
Is this information useful?
Thank you!

Career Insights

What is Pay-for-Performance Compensation?
pay and salary
What is Pay-for-Performance Compensation?
What Is a Salary Grading Scale?
pay and salary
What Is a Salary Grading Scale?
The Gender Pay Gap in America in 2022
pay and salary
Understanding the Gender Pay Gap in America