It depends on where you''re working. In some areas you''ll get paid more than others because the cost of living is higher.
If you''re very good at what you do, you can expect a very good salary. The sky''s the limit if you can offer something rare. Generally, in Britain, game programmers start off at between £18-25k (that''s approx $30-40k), and that scales all the way up to...well, anything, really, depending on your experience and skill. Senior programmers can rake in £60-80k ($100-130k) or more. Most companies also give bonuses/royalties It really all depends on how hard you work, and how dedicated you are. If you''re one of the best, you can make a very good living indeed.
The issue of hours in game development isn''t a myth, but it is slowly changing. The average age in game dev teams is rising, and that means families, less flexibility etc. Meaning less crazy hours. Better scheduling generally will/would also help in this area. But it is beginning to change, and at some of the bigger companies, you''ll already work more regular hours.
The best way to gauge salaries is to go to a recruitment website, and check out the salaries quoted in job specs there.
Programmers Pay
Actual game programmers, not management or designers or publishers etc. are pretty much in the business cause they love what they do 
. There''s ways to make money in the game programming business but if all you want is money, game programming is prolly a really stupid choice
. There''s ways to make money in the game programming business but if all you want is money, game programming is prolly a really stupid choice
I just love to program period, but being able to program games? how great is that! and money too?! somebody wake up me :D
quote:Original post by superpig
Anyone care to put forward some actual figures?
I''m doing testing/basic level design (placing enemies where the design tells me, etc) for £3.60/hr (minimum wage in the UK), though someone older than me - and taking up a position lasting more that two months - would probably get more.
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3 | Enginuity4
National Minimum Wage for under 22 year olds, at least.
- CheeseMonger
quote:Original post by Mosh
PS: Hey Superpig, which company do you work for, just out of interest?
Rebellion.
I''m working on a title called ''Sniper Elite'' (you may possibly have heard of it, it was demo''d at E3).
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3 | Enginuity4
LMAO..
"average professional game programmer" who makes Halo.
Um.. if the average programmer could make Halo, then we wouldn''t be holding our breaths for Half-Life 2, Halo 2, and Doom 3.
Out of that group, I would suggest the developers are rewarded a little more generously than "average".
"average professional game programmer" who makes Halo.
Um.. if the average programmer could make Halo, then we wouldn''t be holding our breaths for Half-Life 2, Halo 2, and Doom 3.
Out of that group, I would suggest the developers are rewarded a little more generously than "average".
In Sweden it''s something between €2500 and €3000 each month for beeing a codemonkey at a gamestudio.
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Petter Nordlander
"There are only 10 kinds of people in the world. The who understand binary and those who don''t"
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Petter Nordlander
"There are only 10 kinds of people in the world. The who understand binary and those who don''t"
It depends on a few factors.
1. Where you work
2. What part of the world you work
3. Your skill
4. Your position
Bussiness programmers seem to make a little more then game programmers, but game programmers still get good pay. Sometimes, they do get thrown away in the basement of a building, locked up, and fed donuts to make sure they still are are alive.
Scott Simontis
If it wasn''t for C, we''d be using BASI, PASAL and OBOL
1. Where you work
2. What part of the world you work
3. Your skill
4. Your position
Bussiness programmers seem to make a little more then game programmers, but game programmers still get good pay. Sometimes, they do get thrown away in the basement of a building, locked up, and fed donuts to make sure they still are are alive.
Scott Simontis
If it wasn''t for C, we''d be using BASI, PASAL and OBOL
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