As you can see there are many positions that are filled and are necessary in Game Development. Many of them are well paying jobs, although some are just your average annually income. Here is a rundown of the positions and what the salary possibilities are (many are based on years of experience).
RESULTS FROM 2007 SURVEY:
PROGRAMMERS: $83, 383
Less than 3 years experience:
$57,665
More than 6 years experience:
$94, 525
LEAD PROGRAMMER: $103,409
GAME PRODUCERS: $78,716
Less than 3 years experience:
$62,500
Between 3-6 years experience:
$89,184
More than 6 years experience:
$125,000
GAME ARTIST: $66,594
Less than 3 years experience:
$43,657
More than 6 years experience:
$74,335
ART DIRECTORS: $102,806 (over 6 years experience)
GAME DESIGNER: $55,600
Less than 3 years experience:
$46,000
More than 6 years experience:
$70,000
SOUND PROGRAMMERS: $66,000
Less than 3 years experience:
$50,000
More than 6 years experience:
$74,000
MUSICIANS OR COMPOSERS: $55,000
More than 6 years experience:
$62,000
Over 6 years experience:
$90,000-$215,000
GAME TESTERS:
Despite the job's difficulty, game testing doesn't pay a great deal and is usually paid hourly (around $10 – $12 an hour). Testing management is usually more lucrative, but this type of job usually requires years of experience and some type of college degree. For this reason, as mentioned earlier, most game testing jobs are taken as "foot in the door" positions, used as a stepping stone for more lucrative lines of work in game development. An annual survey found that testers earn an average of $39,063 annually. Testers with less than three years experience earn an average of $25,142 while testers with over six years experience earn $43,056. Testing leads with over six years experience earn on an average of $70,658 a year.
Some employers offer bonuses for the number of bugs a tester finds. While this approach may seem initially reasonable, it often leads to testers reporting game features they personally don't care for as bugs, or reporting features as bugs simply for the extra money.






