How to Become a Video Game Designer
Design the mechanics, worlds, and stories that make games worth playing. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $104,000 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$104,000/yr
Middle half
$73,290 to $158,820
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
9,100
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Game Mechanics Design
- Level Design
- Narrative Design
- Prototyping
- Playtesting
Helpful certifications
- Shipped-game portfolio
- Unity/Unreal certifications
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
66/100
Work-life balance
45/100
Stress level
46/100
Related careers
- Computer and Information Research Scientist$140,300 median
- Database Architect$139,500 median
- Computer Network Architect$134,050 median
- Computer Systems Analyst$105,850 median
- Computer Programmer$100,390 median
- Network Support Specialist$76,220 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Video Game Designer make?
The median pay for a Video Game Designer is $104,000 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $73,290 and $158,820 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Video Game Designer?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Game Design, Computer Science, Digital Media, and Animation.
Is Video Game Designer a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 9,100 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Video Game Designer use most?
Common skills for this role are Game Mechanics Design, Level Design, Narrative Design, Prototyping, and Playtesting.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).