How much does a Video Game Developer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Video Game Developer in the United States is $62,510 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.
However, a Video Game Developer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,031
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $55,697 to $69,588
Key Factors That Influence Video Game Developer Salaries
A Video Game Developer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Video Game Developer 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 Video Game Developers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $78,844
San Francisco: $77,981
Oakland: $76,338
San Jose, CA$78,844
San Francisco, CA$77,981
Oakland, CA$76,338
New York, NY$71,974
Paramus, NJ$71,099
Queens Village, NY$71,095
Passaic, NJ$71,036
Bergenfield, NJ$71,030
Stamford, CT$70,893
Huntington, NY$70,867
Newark, NJ$70,405
Bridgeport, CT$70,273
Vallejo, CA$70,149
New Brunswick, NJ$70,124
Petaluma, CA$70,087
Middlesex, NJ$69,968
Somerset, NJ$69,924
Santa Cruz, CA$69,843
Boston, MA$69,461
Monterey, CA$69,242
Seattle, WA$69,099
Santa Rosa, CA$69,086
Los Angeles, CA$69,068
Juneau, AK$68,905
Washington, DC$68,836
Orange, CA$68,614
Santa Ana, CA$68,449
Long Beach, CA$68,386
Anaheim, CA$68,374
Anchorage, AK$68,343
Santa Maria, CA$68,155
Everett, WA$68,142
Danbury, CT$67,922
Bremerton, WA$67,836
Tacoma, WA$67,611
New Suffolk, NY$67,610
Sacramento, CA$67,592
Santa Barbara, CA$67,524
Trenton, NJ$67,455
San Diego, CA$67,455
Brockton, MA$67,386
Fairbanks, AK$67,233
Lompoc, CA$67,074
Lowell, MA$67,023
Ventura, CA$67,011
Nashua, NH$66,999
Stockton, CA$66,992
Modesto, CA$66,536
Poughkeepsie, NY$66,398
Olympia, WA$66,280
Kennewick, WA$66,280
New Haven, CT$66,255
Lawrence, MA$66,030
Hartford, CT$65,967
Riverside, CA$65,955
New Bedford, MA$65,892
Richland, WA$65,892
Bakersfield, CA$65,805
San Bernardino, CA$65,780
New Britain, CT$65,773
Atlantic City, NJ$65,773
New London, CT$65,748
Norwich, CT$65,730
Portsmouth, NH$65,717
Boulder, CO$65,585
Portland, OR$65,498
Worcester, MA$65,492
Minneapolis, MN$65,298
Philadelphia, PA$65,211
Honolulu, HI$65,004
Saint Paul, MN$64,974
Vineland, NJ$64,961
Providence, RI$64,779
Chicago, IL$64,598
Bellingham, WA$64,523
Springfield, MA$64,473
Baltimore, MD$64,454
Chico, CA$64,298
Pittsfield, MA$64,129
Manchester, NH$64,011
Spokane, WA$63,736
Denver, CO$63,729
Albany, NY$63,435
Troy, NY$63,410
Nassau, NY$63,344
Schenectady, NY$63,279
Wilmington, DE$63,229
Burlington, VT$63,142
Salem, OR$63,117
Portland, ME$62,923
Yakima, WA$62,860
Rochester, MN$62,667
Reno, NV$62,635
Fresno, CA$62,635
Milwaukee, WI$62,579
Detroit, MI$62,517
Ann Arbor, MI$62,506
Allentown, PA$62,498
Colorado Springs, CO$62,392
Syracuse, NY$62,360
Carson City, NV$62,360
Houston, TX$62,273
Eugene, OR$62,242
Gary, IN$62,166
Springfield, OR$62,116
Bismarck, ND$62,104
Galveston, TX$62,060
Medford, OR$61,966
Fort Collins, CO$61,941
Concord, NH$61,910
Austin, TX$61,891
Mesa, AZ$61,760
Reading, PA$61,754
Phoenix, AZ$61,748
Dallas, TX$61,729
Saint Cloud, MN$61,669
Madison, WI$61,585
Utica, NY$61,416
Rochester, NY$61,316
Des Moines, IA$61,310
Raleigh, NC$61,304
Atlanta, GA$61,210
Battle Creek, MI$61,191
Salt Lake City, UT$61,173
Lancaster, PA$61,079
Harrisburg, PA$60,991
Kansas City, MO$60,929
Champaign, IL$60,916
Kansas City, KS$60,916
Fort Worth, TX$60,910
Columbus, OH$60,899
Boca Raton, FL$60,885
Pittsburgh, PA$60,860
Richmond, VA$60,835
Indianapolis, IN$60,823
Cleveland, OH$60,816
Las Vegas, NV$60,741
Cincinnati, OH$60,741
Petersburg, VA$60,647
Huntsville, AL$60,554
Lansing, MI$60,512
Lebanon, PA$60,504
Pueblo, CO$60,497
Appleton, WI$60,479
Buffalo, NY$60,454
Dayton, OH$60,435
Racine, WI$60,422
Charlotte, NC$60,416
Saint Louis, MO$60,397
York, PA$60,360
Elkhart, IN$60,360
Gastonia, NC$60,348
Billings, MT$60,333
Beaumont, TX$60,316
Lorain, OH$60,304
Benton Harbor, MI$60,291
Toledo, OH$60,279
Binghamton, NY$60,247
Rock Hill, SC$60,241
Rockford, IL$60,210
Springfield, IL$60,185
Elyria, OH$60,179
Fargo, ND$60,179
Flagstaff, AZ$60,135
Fort Lauderdale, FL$60,097
Duluth, MN$60,060
Miami, FL$60,060
Cheyenne, WY$60,016
Grand Forks, ND$60,016
Bangor, ME$59,879
Cedar Rapids, IA$59,810
Durham, NC$59,784
Louisville, KY$59,779
Grand Rapids, MI$59,766
Hialeah, FL$59,760
Casper, WY$59,672
Scranton, PA$59,597
New Orleans, LA$59,579
Virginia Beach, VA$59,572
Akron, OH$59,541
Peoria, IL$59,460
Sarasota, FL$59,447
Nashville, TN$59,404
Omaha, NE$59,404
Green Bay, WI$59,404
Baton Rouge, LA$59,372
Charleston, SC$59,360
Jamestown, NY$59,329
Davenport, IA$59,329
Tucson, AZ$59,297
Saint Petersburg, FL$59,260
Tampa, FL$59,247
Evansville, IN$59,210
Port Arthur, TX$59,210
Bradenton, FL$59,185
Santa Fe, NM$59,072
Orlando, FL$58,960
Clearwater, FL$58,941
Canton, OH$58,810
La Crosse, WI$58,810
Albuquerque, NM$58,772
Newport News, VA$58,766
High Point, NC$58,747
Ogden, UT$58,722
Corpus Christi, TX$58,672
Norfolk, VA$58,635
Laramie, WY$58,635
Rock Island, IL$58,597
Saginaw, MI$58,585
Jacksonville, FL$58,578
Salisbury, NC$58,566
Boise, ID$58,553
Moline, IL$58,522
Fort Myers, FL$58,503
Memphis, TN$58,491
Tulsa, OK$58,460
Waterloo, IA$58,422
Spartanburg, SC$58,360
Lincoln, NE$58,328
Fort Wayne, IN$58,316
Provo, UT$58,310
Cedar Falls, IA$58,235
San Antonio, TX$58,210
Greensboro, NC$58,185
South Bend, IN$58,178
Savannah, GA$58,110
Muskegon, MI$58,085
Birmingham, AL$58,078
Winston Salem, NC$58,048
Lake Charles, LA$57,897
Anderson, IN$57,885
Lexington, KY$57,866
Augusta, GA$57,847
Greenville, SC$57,847
Lima, OH$57,797
Wichita, KS$57,791
Tuscaloosa, AL$57,791
Columbia, SC$57,735
Springfield, OH$57,722
Asheville, NC$57,622
Bloomington, IN$57,578
Knoxville, TN$57,353
Shreveport, LA$57,347
Wilmington, NC$57,266
Roanoke, VA$57,266
Topeka, KS$57,153
Frankfort, KY$57,146
Oklahoma City, OK$57,103
Chillicothe, OH$57,078
Longview, TX$57,072
Melbourne, FL$57,066
Sioux Falls, SD$56,966
Mobile, AL$56,959
Terre Haute, IN$56,934
Altoona, PA$56,897
Amarillo, TX$56,853
Killeen, TX$56,834
Fayetteville, AR$56,784
Chattanooga, TN$56,766
Sioux City, IA$56,709
Idaho Falls, ID$56,697
Lynchburg, VA$56,647
Gainesville, FL$56,566
Portsmouth, OH$56,534
Little Rock, AR$56,522
Lafayette, LA$56,497
Youngstown, OH$56,497
Daytona Beach, FL$56,459
Clarksville, TN$56,453
Pensacola, FL$56,447
Temple, TX$56,442
Hopkinsville, KY$56,259
Erie, PA$56,247
Florence, SC$56,222
Charleston, WV$56,122
Great Falls, MT$56,090
Macon, GA$56,003
Tallahassee, FL$55,997
Fayetteville, NC$55,984
Waco, TX$55,972
Helena, MT$55,928
Pine Bluff, AR$55,904
Vincennes, IN$55,828
Lubbock, TX$55,803
Alamogordo, NM$55,765
Twin Falls, ID$55,709
Rapid City, SD$55,690
Jackson, MS$55,578
Huntington, WV$55,574
Greenville, MS$55,572
Parkersburg, WV$55,508
Montgomery, AL$55,497
Wichita Falls, TX$55,434
Springfield, MO$55,434
Biloxi, MS$55,403
Monroe, LA$55,340
Johnstown, PA$55,297
Sumter, SC$55,272
Columbus, GA$55,265
Pascagoula, MS$55,147
Abilene, TX$55,147
Kingsport, TN$54,984
Albany, GA$54,984
Gulfport, MS$54,965
Alexandria, LA$54,759
Fort Smith, AR$54,603
El Paso, TX$54,434
Las Cruces, NM$54,153
Harlingen, TX$53,994
Pocatello, ID$53,984
Florence, AL$53,903
Brownsville, TX$53,890
Mcallen, TX$53,759
Dothan, AL$53,671
Columbus, MS$53,300
Altus, OK$53,009
Lawton, OK$52,890
Pierre, SD$52,665
Video Game Developer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Video Game Developer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Financial Services and Software & Networking
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Video Game Developer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Video Game Developer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Video Game Developer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services
$93,765
$45.0
50%
Software & Networking
$90,640
$44.0
45%
Energy & Utilities
$87,514
$42.0
40%
Pharmaceuticals
$84,389
$41.0
35%
Aerospace & Defense
$81,263
$39.0
30%
How Education impacts a Video Game Developer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Video Game Developers enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Video Game Developer with a No Diploma is between
$57,312
and $61,825).
Video Game Developer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Video Game Developer'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.
Salaries for a Video Game Developer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $45,762 in 2023
to around $45,967 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Video Game Developer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Video Game Developer Over Time
$???
$45,762
$46,585
$45,967
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$45,762
2024
$46,585
2025
$45,967
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Video Game Developer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Video Game Developer
Here are companies hiring for Video Game Developer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Video Game Developer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Video Game Developer?
The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Video Game Developer roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
