How much does a game programmer earn???

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31 comments, last by Kylotan 17 years, 3 months ago
in the UK, you'll be lucky to make more than £2000 / month (£1600 after tax) as a junior programmer. But with pay reviews, it goes up quite quickly.

Programmers with a few years experience get around £2200 - £2800 after tax. That can go up to the £3.5K if you are lead and senior.

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I've been contracting for the last ten years earning anything between 25 and 55 GBP per hour. I don't get paid holidays or sick days but I have free time to work on other projects - swings and roundabouts. For example, in 2006 I probably earned around 100k with additional projects.

Unfortunately some companies pay less because they think it's a privilege to work in the gaming industry, but the right company will pay good money for people with good skills - instead of pigeon holing you as junior/senior whatever...

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Quote:Original post by Dancin_Fool
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


Don't forget that some people are quoting in pounds rather then dollars ;).

Steven Yau
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I`d like to ask somebody from UK - how much does one receive (after taxes) at his bank account each month with a salary of 35k ? About 2400 GBP ?

VladR My 3rd person action RPG on GreenLight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=92951596

Quote:Blizzard WoW programmers make about 120-140k


All second hand info... Take it with a grain of salt - ex employees don't typically have glowing things to say about their employers. It may also have changed in the last year or so.

I am a bit surprised if that is common. I know a pair of ex Blizzard guys who left because they had higher offers elsewhere. Granted, they weren't on WoW, but they were paid well industry average at the time. Their feeling was that Blizzard felt like people should take a pay cut for the priviledge of working there.
Quote:Original post by VladR
I`d like to ask somebody from UK - how much does one receive (after taxes) at his bank account each month with a salary of 35k ? About 2400 GBP ?


Possibly less but that is about right.

Steven Yau
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I'm starting on £22,000 in the summer, fingers crossed.

Generally, you get a fixed wage, so overtime isn't taken into consideration. I hear that working in IT for investment bankers and other large financial organisations pays very well.
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Quote:Original post by Dancin_Fool
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


So, when I started at EA in 1999 I was making $70k, and when I left in 2003 I was making $92k. Took a job at Sony at $100k and left in 2005 at $108k. Now I work for a semiconductor company at $115k, and I'm expecting at least a 4% raise. Also FWIW, I don't have a college degree (although I do have some college, and many years of experience).

As for the comments about the programmers at Blizzard - and I do know at least three people that work or have worked on World of Warcraft as we worked together at EA - I can imagine that many (but not all, certainly) of the senior programming staff make about the amount that was quoted. They also live in a more expensive market, and these people would make around 15% to 20% more than what they would make in Austin. Also, every large team has junior/mid-range staff that I can guarantee you do not make $100k.

I don't buy that most of them (senior staff) do not have families. That would be extremely abnormal.


Quote:Original post by yaustar
Quote:Original post by VladR
I`d like to ask somebody from UK - how much does one receive (after taxes) at his bank account each month with a salary of 35k ? About 2400 GBP ?


Possibly less but that is about right.


My salary is approx 30K and I tend to get about 1600 each month, after tax.
Quote:Original post by SunTzuMy salary is approx 30K and I tend to get about 1600 each month, after tax.


Does the rate of tax go up that much when you earn more. I am currently on a lot less then 30k and get 1200 every month.

Steven Yau
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