What are the main factors that influence a Games Designer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Games Designer's salary?

A Games Designer's salary grows with experience: a Games Designer (2-4 years)earns $107,534, a Mobile Applications Developer, Sr. (4-7 years)earns $130,538, a Mobile Applications Development Manager (7+ years)earns $158,860,

What are the highest paying states for a Games Designer?

Games Designer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Games Designer roles are District of Columbia $121,194, California $120,734, Massachusetts $119,125. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Games Designer roles make?

Salaries for Games Designer level roles vary by specialization: Games Developer: $120,971; Games Producer: $98,642; Games Manager: $73,613; Games Artist: $59,625; Table Games Floor Supervisor: $56,906.

How do different companies affect a Games Designer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Games Designer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Games Designer Salary in the United States

How much does a Games Designer make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Games Designer in the United States is $109,460 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $53.

However, a Games Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $127,114
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $99,898 to $118,701
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $91,193

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Games Designer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$118,701	$9,892	$2,283	$57
Average	$109,460	$9,122	$2,105	$53
25th Percentile	$99,898	$8,325	$1,921	$48

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Key Factors That Influence Games Designer Salaries

A Games Designer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Games Designer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Games Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $121,194.
California: $120,734.
Massachusetts: $119,125.

District of Columbia $121,194 California $120,734 Massachusetts $119,125 Washington $118,687 New Jersey $118,644 Alaska $118,490 Connecticut $116,980 New York $116,367

Hawaii $114,408 Rhode Island $113,488 Maryland $112,864 Minnesota $112,010 Colorado $111,682 Illinois $111,573 Oregon $111,157 Delaware $110,850

New Hampshire $110,657 Virginia $110,226 Pennsylvania $108,967 Nevada $108,333 North Dakota $108,125 Michigan $107,796 Wisconsin $107,676 Vermont $107,435

Texas $106,767 Maine $106,724 Arizona $106,658 Ohio $106,581 Georgia $105,574 Indiana $105,071 Wyoming $104,972 Utah $104,819

Iowa $104,753 Kansas $104,228 Louisiana $104,075 North Carolina $104,020 Missouri $103,998 Florida $103,571 Montana $103,341 Nebraska $103,122

Kentucky $103,002 South Carolina $102,564 Tennessee $102,290 Idaho $102,181 New Mexico $101,382 Oklahoma $101,207 Alabama $100,561 South Dakota $99,477

Arkansas $98,886 West Virginia $98,569 Mississippi $97,616

Top Paying Cities for Games Designers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $138,062
San Francisco: $136,705
Oakland: $133,673

San Jose, CA $138,062

San Francisco, CA $136,705

Oakland, CA $133,673

New York, NY $126,853

Queens Village, NY $126,032

Paramus, NJ $125,157

Passaic, NJ $125,047

Bergenfield, NJ $124,938

Stamford, CT $124,773

Huntington, NY $124,664

Newark, NJ $123,953

Bridgeport, CT $123,734

New Brunswick, NJ $123,372

Vallejo, CA $123,143

Middlesex, NJ $123,077

Somerset, NJ $122,978

Petaluma, CA $122,727

Santa Cruz, CA $122,300

Boston, MA $122,081

Monterey, CA $121,533

Fairbanks, AK $121,457

Los Angeles, CA $121,249

Washington, DC $121,194

Seattle, WA $120,997

Santa Rosa, CA $120,975

Juneau, AK $120,658

Orange, CA $120,297

Anchorage, AK $120,100

Anaheim, CA $120,023

Santa Ana, CA $119,859

Nassau, NY $119,793

Long Beach, CA $119,749

Danbury, CT $119,716

Santa Maria, CA $119,344

Everett, WA $119,322

Bremerton, WA $118,786

Trenton, NJ $118,578

Sacramento, CA $118,534

San Diego, CA $118,480

Brockton, MA $118,436

Tacoma, WA $118,392

Santa Barbara, CA $118,239

Lowell, MA $117,801

New Suffolk, NY $117,757

Nashua, NH $117,626

Lompoc, CA $117,451

Ventura, CA $117,341

Stockton, CA $117,308

New Haven, CT $117,089

Atlantic City, NJ $116,805

Hartford, CT $116,564

Modesto, CA $116,509

Poughkeepsie, NY $116,268

New Britain, CT $116,214

Olympia, WA $116,060

Kennewick, WA $116,060

New London, CT $116,039

Norwich, CT $116,006

Lawrence, MA $115,951

Bakersfield, CA $115,644

Riverside, CA $115,491

New Bedford, MA $115,491

Richland, WA $115,382

Portsmouth, NH $115,294

Vineland, NJ $115,272

San Bernardino, CA $115,185

Boulder, CO $114,878

Worcester, MA $114,791

Portland, OR $114,692

Saint Paul, MN $114,561

Minneapolis, MN $114,561

Philadelphia, PA $114,408

Honolulu, HI $113,827

Springfield, MA $113,444

Providence, RI $113,433

Chicago, IL $113,116

Bellingham, WA $112,985

Baltimore, MD $112,864

Chico, CA $112,591

Wilmington, DE $112,404

Pittsfield, MA $112,295

Manchester, NH $112,087

Spokane, WA $111,605

Denver, CO $111,594

Albany, NY $111,080

Troy, NY $111,036

Schenectady, NY $110,806

Burlington, VT $110,566

Portland, ME $110,182

Salem, OR $110,095

Yakima, WA $110,073

Ann Arbor, MI $110,040

Rochester, MN $109,734

Fresno, CA $109,679

Reno, NV $109,679

Milwaukee, WI $109,580

Detroit, MI $109,471

Allentown, PA $109,438

Carson City, NV $109,427

Houston, TX $109,263

Colorado Springs, CO $109,252

Syracuse, NY $109,197

Eugene, OR $108,989

Bismarck, ND $108,858

Gary, IN $108,858

Galveston, TX $108,858

Springfield, OR $108,770

Medford, OR $108,508

Fort Collins, CO $108,464

Austin, TX $108,376

Mesa, AZ $108,146

Phoenix, AZ $108,125

Dallas, TX $108,092

Reading, PA $108,026

Saint Cloud, MN $107,982

Concord, NH $107,884

Madison, WI $107,840

Utica, NY $107,544

Raleigh, NC $107,457

Las Vegas, NV $107,446

Rochester, NY $107,369

Des Moines, IA $107,358

Atlanta, GA $107,183

Battle Creek, MI $107,150

Salt Lake City, UT $107,118

Lancaster, PA $106,953

Champaign, IL $106,931

Harrisburg, PA $106,800

Durham, NC $106,702

Kansas City, MO $106,691

Kansas City, KS $106,669

Fort Worth, TX $106,658

Boca Raton, FL $106,614

Cleveland, OH $106,603

Columbus, OH $106,581

Pittsburgh, PA $106,570

Richmond, VA $106,526

Indianapolis, IN $106,505

Cincinnati, OH $106,362

Petersburg, VA $106,198

Billings, MT $105,957

Lansing, MI $105,957

Huntsville, AL $105,957

Lebanon, PA $105,946

Dayton, OH $105,935

Pueblo, CO $105,935

Appleton, WI $105,903

Buffalo, NY $105,859

Racine, WI $105,804

Charlotte, NC $105,793

Saint Louis, MO $105,760

Springfield, IL $105,716

Elkhart, IN $105,695

York, PA $105,695

Gastonia, NC $105,684

Benton Harbor, MI $105,684

Beaumont, TX $105,618

Lorain, OH $105,596

Toledo, OH $105,552

Binghamton, NY $105,498

Rock Hill, SC $105,487

Rockford, IL $105,432

Fargo, ND $105,377

Elyria, OH $105,377

Flagstaff, AZ $105,301

Fort Lauderdale, FL $105,235

Miami, FL $105,169

Duluth, MN $104,994

Bangor, ME $104,852

Cedar Rapids, IA $104,731

Louisville, KY $104,677

Grand Rapids, MI $104,655

Hialeah, FL $104,644

Casper, WY $104,491

Scranton, PA $104,359

New Orleans, LA $104,326

Virginia Beach, VA $104,315

Akron, OH $104,261

Peoria, IL $104,118

Sarasota, FL $104,096

Green Bay, WI $104,020

Baton Rouge, LA $103,965

Charleston, SC $103,943

Nashville, TN $103,910

Jamestown, NY $103,888

Davenport, IA $103,888

Tucson, AZ $103,834

Cheyenne, WY $103,801

Saint Petersburg, FL $103,768

Tampa, FL $103,746

Omaha, NE $103,724

Port Arthur, TX $103,681

Evansville, IN $103,681

Bradenton, FL $103,637

Santa Fe, NM $103,440

Orlando, FL $103,330

Clearwater, FL $103,210

Canton, OH $102,980

La Crosse, WI $102,980

Grand Forks, ND $102,947

Albuquerque, NM $102,914

Tulsa, OK $102,914

Newport News, VA $102,903

High Point, NC $102,871

Ogden, UT $102,827

Corpus Christi, TX $102,739

Laramie, WY $102,673

Norfolk, VA $102,673

Rock Island, IL $102,608

Saginaw, MI $102,586

Jacksonville, FL $102,575

Salisbury, NC $102,553

Memphis, TN $102,531

Moline, IL $102,476

Fort Myers, FL $102,444

Waterloo, IA $102,301

Spartanburg, SC $102,192

Lincoln, NE $102,137

Fort Wayne, IN $102,115

Birmingham, AL $101,995

Cedar Falls, IA $101,973

Provo, UT $101,962

Springfield, OH $101,951

San Antonio, TX $101,929

Greensboro, NC $101,885

South Bend, IN $101,874

Winston Salem, NC $101,863

Boise, ID $101,831

Savannah, GA $101,754

Muskegon, MI $101,557

Lima, OH $101,426

Lake Charles, LA $101,382

Anderson, IN $101,360

Lexington, KY $101,327

Augusta, GA $101,294

Greenville, SC $101,294

Wichita, KS $101,196

Tuscaloosa, AL $101,196

Columbia, SC $101,097

Bloomington, IN $100,824

Roanoke, VA $100,758

Asheville, NC $100,616

Knoxville, TN $100,430

Shreveport, LA $100,419

Wilmington, NC $100,276

Frankfort, KY $100,068

Oklahoma City, OK $99,992

Chillicothe, OH $99,948

Longview, TX $99,937

Topeka, KS $99,904

Mobile, AL $99,740

Terre Haute, IN $99,696

Erie, PA $99,685

Altoona, PA $99,630

Melbourne, FL $99,598

Amarillo, TX $99,554

Killeen, TX $99,521

Fayetteville, AR $99,433

Sioux Falls, SD $99,357

Chattanooga, TN $99,291

Idaho Falls, ID $99,280

Gainesville, FL $99,050

Portsmouth, OH $98,996

Little Rock, AR $98,974

Lynchburg, VA $98,974

Lafayette, LA $98,930

Youngstown, OH $98,930

Temple, TX $98,886

Daytona Beach, FL $98,864

Clarksville, TN $98,853

Pensacola, FL $98,842

Hopkinsville, KY $98,514

Charleston, WV $98,503

Florence, SC $98,448

Sioux City, IA $98,383

Macon, GA $98,065

Tallahassee, FL $98,054

Fayetteville, NC $98,032

Waco, TX $98,010

Wichita Falls, TX $98,010

Pine Bluff, AR $97,967

Vincennes, IN $97,759

Lubbock, TX $97,715

Great Falls, MT $97,649

Alamogordo, NM $97,638

Abilene, TX $97,551

Rapid City, SD $97,408

Monroe, LA $97,408

Albany, GA $97,343

Huntington, WV $97,332

Jackson, MS $97,321

Greenville, MS $97,310

Parkersburg, WV $97,200

Montgomery, AL $97,179

Johnstown, PA $97,157

Springfield, MO $97,069

Biloxi, MS $97,014

Sumter, SC $96,785

Columbus, GA $96,774

Twin Falls, ID $96,708

Pascagoula, MS $96,566

Kingsport, TN $96,281

Gulfport, MS $96,248

Alexandria, LA $95,887

Fort Smith, AR $95,613

El Paso, TX $95,318

Helena, MT $95,175

Las Cruces, NM $94,825

Harlingen, TX $94,519

Pocatello, ID $94,420

Florence, AL $94,387

Brownsville, TX $94,365

Dothan, AL $94,190

Mcallen, TX $94,136

Columbus, MS $93,326

Altus, OK $92,822

Lawton, OK $92,614

Pierre, SD $92,220

What Skills Can Increase a Games Designer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 2.48% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Mobile Applications (Mentioned in 3.46% Job Postings): A mobile application, most commonly known as an app, is a kind of application software intended to run on a mobile phone, for example, a smartphone or tablet PC.
JavaScript (Mentioned in 2.55% Job Postings): Using JavaScript in the development and maintenance of Web-based application systems.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	2.48%
Mobile Applications	3.46%
JavaScript	2.55%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Games Designer's salary.

Debugging: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Debugging	$112,744	3%
Presentation	$111,649	2%
Coaching	$111,649	2%
Insight	$111,649	2%
Networking	$111,649	2%
Android	$110,555	1%

Get Latest Data

Games Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Games Designer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on March 01, 2026

$99,898

Average $109,460/year

$118,701

$8,325

Average $9,122/month

$9,892

$1,921

Average $2,105/week

$2,283

$48

Average $53/hour

$57

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$118,701	$9,892	$2,283	$57
Average	$109,460	$9,122	$2,105	$53
25th Percentile	$99,898	$8,325	$1,921	$48

Salaries of jobs related to Games Designer

Salary Trends for Games Designer

Salaries for a Games Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $104,084 in 2023 to around $103,939 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Games Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Games Designer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$104,084

2024

$105,072

2025

$103,939

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$104,084
2024	$105,072
2025	$103,939
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Games Designer

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

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Time Off (days)

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