How Much Does a Lead Game Designer Make in California?

Updated March 01, 2025
As of March 01, 2025, the average annual pay of Lead Game Designer in California is $166,403. While Salary.com is seeing that Lead Game Designer salary in CA can go up to $202,067 or down to $121,896, but most earn between $143,106 and $185,071. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and your experience levels. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
25% $143,106 10% $121,896 90% $202,067 75% $185,071 $166,403 50%(Median)
Related Job Titles to Lead Game Designer
Lead Video Game Designer
$125,527
California
Per Year
Junior Game Designer
$84,087
California
Per Year
Senior Game Designer
$92,652
California
Per Year
Associate Game Designer
$75,579
California
Per Year
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Similar Job Salaries to Lead Game Designer by Company

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Company average base salary in (usd) range
Digital Eclipse
Lead Technical Game Designer (UI/UX)
$134,710/yr
$120,757
$148,664
RANGE: $120,757 - $148,664
Netflix
Lead Technical Game Designer, Games Innovation
$154,174/yr
$137,900
$170,447
RANGE: $137,900 - $170,447
VirtualVocations
Game Designer
$87,743/yr
$74,957
$100,528
RANGE: $74,957 - $100,528
Digital Eclipse
Lead Technical Game Designer (UI/UX) Job at Digital Eclipse in Emeryville
$153,422/yr
$135,250
$171,593
RANGE: $135,250 - $171,593
RemoteWorker CA
RemoteWorker CA is hiring: Lead Game Designer, Creative Development in Glendale
$116,645/yr
$101,198
$132,093
RANGE: $101,198 - $132,093
The Walt Disney Company (France)
The Walt Disney Company (France) is hiring: Lead Game Designer, Creative Develop
$99,736/yr
$86,731
$112,740
RANGE: $86,731 - $112,740
Iron Systems, Inc
Game Designer V
$129,115/yr
$111,872
$146,358
RANGE: $111,872 - $146,358
Sony Playstation
Game Systems Designer
$88,696/yr
$78,020
$99,371
RANGE: $78,020 - $99,371
Tbwa Chiat/Day Inc
Game Systems Designer
$88,696/yr
$78,020
$99,371
RANGE: $78,020 - $99,371
Pure Imagination Management LLC
Unreal Game Designer
$91,724/yr
$81,474
$101,973
RANGE: $81,474 - $101,973

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Top 10 Highest Paying Cities For Lead Game Designer Jobs in California

It is important to understand how location impacts your career prospects in the United States. There are some cities where a Lead Game Designer can find a job easily with a greater salary paid then achieve a higher standard of living. Below is the top cities list for Lead Game Designer job salaries in California. Some cities can pay higher salaries for Lead Game Designer jobs, which can indicate that there is a large demand for Lead Game Designer positions in this city.
The following table shows top 10 cities where the Lead Game Designer salary is higher than other cities in California. San Jose takes first place in this list, followed by Santa Clara, Fremont. The Lead Game Designer salary is $189,335 in San Jose, which is higher than the national average. There are 76 cities' Lead Game Designer salary higher than national average in California.
The average salary for a Lead Game Designer in California is $166,403, but we found that the city with the highest salary for Lead Game Designer jobs is San Jose, CA, and it is higher than Santa Clara. Lead Game Designer jobs in San Jose can have the opportunity to earn higher salaries than in other cities in California.
CITY ANNUAL SALARY MONTHLY PAY WEEKLY PAY HOURLY WAGE
San Jose $189,335 $15,778 $3,641 $91
Santa Clara $189,335 $15,778 $3,641 $91
Fremont $189,033 $15,753 $3,635 $91
San Francisco $188,580 $15,715 $3,627 $91
Daly City $188,580 $15,715 $3,627 $91
Berkeley $184,054 $15,338 $3,540 $88
Oakland $184,054 $15,338 $3,540 $88
Hayward $183,753 $15,313 $3,534 $88
Antioch $173,796 $14,483 $3,342 $84
Vallejo $169,722 $14,144 $3,264 $82

What Does a Lead Game Designer Do?

In this career, you work closely with graphic designers, programmers, and other production teams to come up with a concise plan for designing the game.
Updated November 30, 2021
These worlds are courtesy of video game designers, who are responsible for the content and environment of every video game.
Updated October 19, 2021
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead game designer resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.
Updated October 06, 2021
A game will undergo millions of changes throughout its making, and game designers are required to constantly recheck and recode thousands of lines of code.
Updated December 22, 2021
Able to drive and follow-up on prototyping  (both digital and paper based) with other game designers and programmers.
Updated December 15, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions About a Lead Game Designer Salaries

What is the average of a Lead Game Designer in California?

The Lead Game Designer salary range is from $143,106 to $185,071, and the average Lead Game Designer salary is $166,403/year in California. The Lead Game Designer's salary will change in different locations.

Which location pays the highest Lead Game Designer salary in the United States?

The Lead Game Designer salary in San Jose, CA is $189,335 which is the highest in the US.

What kinds of reasons will influence the Lead Game Designer's salary?

Besides the location, employees' education degree, related skills, and work experience also will influence the salary. Try to improve your skills and experience to get a higher salary for the position of Lead Game Designer.

What is the growth rate of the Lead Game Designer's salary?

If you are thinking of becoming a Lead Game Designer or planning the next step in your career, find the detailed salary report of a Lead Game Designer.