How much does a game programmer earn???
Author
I just wanted to ask you people, how much does a game programmer exactly earn??? I mean, like just your average game programmer. Like how much do they get paid every:
Hour
Day
Week
Month
Year
And if they can work overtime for money, if they get paid a lot in relation to other jobs, and whether it's really enough to support yourself. I mean, I like to program games, but I won't choose it as a career, unless I can make some good money off of it. And, if game programming doesn't make you so much, then what other areas (college and university majors) of computer science can make you a lot of money???
Thanks,
-RSL
Contractors tend to be paid hourly, otherwise usually monthly. Contracting usually pays more as well, though the difference varies.
Off the bat, a university graduate can probably expect to be paid £25,000 - £30,000 as a junior programmer. Apparently game programmers get paid less than other programmers. For example, the average wage for a senior programmer in the UK is £42,748, but for a senior games programmer it is £33,333.
Jobs in Consulting, DBA and Project Management are very high paying (£45,000 - £50,000).
Take a look at the follow website, it has average salaries of pretty much every IT job there is:
http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk
Off the bat, a university graduate can probably expect to be paid £25,000 - £30,000 as a junior programmer. Apparently game programmers get paid less than other programmers. For example, the average wage for a senior programmer in the UK is £42,748, but for a senior games programmer it is £33,333.
Jobs in Consulting, DBA and Project Management are very high paying (£45,000 - £50,000).
Take a look at the follow website, it has average salaries of pretty much every IT job there is:
http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk
They generally earn less than their non-game programming brethren. 80-95% of the equivalent title on normal salary surveys [salary.com] should give you a fair idea. Actual numbers are hard due to salary (and cost of living) disparity by location. And of course that is only in general, situations will vary.
As for the second question, I seem a little confused. What other areas of computer science? Take computer science. Go to the best school you can get into. You can focus on particulars after that is sorted out (usually in your spare time)
(No, not what you can afford... schooling loans are plentiful and what you spend will directly effect your lifetime income potential)
As for the second question, I seem a little confused. What other areas of computer science? Take computer science. Go to the best school you can get into. You can focus on particulars after that is sorted out (usually in your spare time)
(No, not what you can afford... schooling loans are plentiful and what you spend will directly effect your lifetime income potential)
Although slightly outdated, Gamasutra published an article on salaries in the game development industry.
When I left the games industry a year ago my annual salary was $108,000 with a 20% annual bonus target.
For Graduate Game programmers, I believe it can range from £18k - £22k on average in the UK.
Blizzard WoW programmers make about 120-140k US / year, plus bonuses and have to work 60+ hours a week for it. Not a bad gig. According to employees I know, only one of the C++ programmers is married (Read: family).
I work in film as a research engineer. Before film I worked in eng research and simmulation in Australia. My starting salary was 70k a year in security research, also Australia. I'm degree qualified, not masters. In Australia I earnt circa 130 k a year (around 90k - 100k US). I earn roughly the same now with better benifits.
If you are looking for dollarpounds comming out your ears I would suggest you take up stock broking, politics (if you have 0 scruples) or economic / market research or failing that if you hate yourself become an actuary. Not games.
But at least you don't have to die before your art is worth anything :p.
If you are looking for dollarpounds comming out your ears I would suggest you take up stock broking, politics (if you have 0 scruples) or economic / market research or failing that if you hate yourself become an actuary. Not games.
But at least you don't have to die before your art is worth anything :p.
Wow I'd like to know where some of you guys are working lol.
my first game programming job I was making around 22k
second job was a bit bigger company and I was making 30k
now I'm working for a very large company and making 55k
my first game programming job I was making around 22k
second job was a bit bigger company and I was making 30k
now I'm working for a very large company and making 55k
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