Game designer demographics and statistics in the US
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Game designer demographics by:
Game designer gender statistics
11.8% of game designers are women and 88.2% of game designers are men.
- Male, 88.2%
- Female, 11.8%
Game designer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 88.2% |
| Female | 11.8% |
Game designer gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$87,254
Female income
$82,555
Game designer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in game designer positions over time. Currently, 11.8% of game designers are female.
Game designer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 93.44% | 6.56% |
| 2011 | 92.79% | 7.21% |
| 2012 | 93.34% | 6.66% |
| 2013 | 93.89% | 6.11% |
| 2014 | 93.28% | 6.72% |
| 2015 | 93.33% | 6.67% |
| 2016 | 93.88% | 6.12% |
| 2017 | 93.57% | 6.43% |
| 2018 | 89.23% | 10.77% |
| 2019 | 88.33% | 11.67% |
| 2020 | 88.75% | 11.25% |
| 2021 | 88.24% | 11.76% |
Game designer related jobs gender ratio
We compared game designers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Game Designer | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Game designer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among game designers is White, which makes up 67.7% of all game designers. Comparatively, 12.0% of game designers are Asian and 8.8% of game designers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.7%
- Asian, 12.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.8%
- Black or African American, 6.2%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Game designer race
| Game designer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.7% |
| Asian | 12.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.2% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Game designer race and ethnicity over time
See how game designer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Game designer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.09% | 9.39% | 10.78% | 7.43% |
| 2011 | 70.82% | 9.26% | 10.08% | 6.76% |
| 2012 | 68.23% | 9.76% | 11.84% | 7.55% |
| 2013 | 68.24% | 9.08% | 13.31% | 7.03% |
| 2014 | 68.30% | 8.60% | 13.45% | 6.77% |
| 2015 | 69.40% | 8.46% | 11.85% | 7.58% |
| 2016 | 68.76% | 7.94% | 12.50% | 7.70% |
| 2017 | 68.46% | 8.03% | 12.72% | 8.01% |
| 2018 | 72.30% | 6.27% | 11.30% | 7.41% |
| 2019 | 71.06% | 6.68% | 11.46% | 8.08% |
| 2020 | 68.88% | 6.11% | 11.53% | 8.82% |
| 2021 | 67.73% | 6.24% | 11.99% | 8.82% |
Game designer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian game designers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american game designers have the lowest average salary at $84,060.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $86,050 |
| White | $86,784 |
| Black or African American | $84,060 |
| Asian | $94,684 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $85,087 |
Average game designer age
See how the average age of game designers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Game designer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 45 |
| Unknown | 42 | 42 |
| Asian | 42 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 41 |
| White | 44 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 44 | 46 |
Game designer age breakdown
The average age of game designers is 40+ years years old, representing 62% of the game designer population.
Game designer age breakdown
| Game Designer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 62% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Game designer educational attainment
The most common degree for game designers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of game designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Game designers by degree level
| Game designer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 74% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 11% |
| High School Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Game designer jobs you might like
Game designer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, game designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $104,914 annually. With a Master's degree, game designers earn a median annual income of $104,278 compared to $92,792 for game designers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $104,278 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,792 |
| Doctorate Degree | $104,914 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $76,696 |
Game designer employment statistics
Most game designers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where game designers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where game designers work.
Game designer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 11% |
Game designer jobs by company type
Employees with the game designer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most game designers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Game designer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 13% |
| Public | 25% |
| Private | 59% |
| Government | 2% |
Game designer jobs by industry
The most common industries for game designers are technology, education and media.
Game designer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 32% |
| Education | 10% |
| Media | 10% |
| Start-up | 9% |
| Hospitality | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Internet | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Government | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Game designer turnover and employment statistics
Game designer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for game designers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Game designer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Game designer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.08% |
| 2011 | 4.28% |
| 2012 | 4.87% |
| 2013 | 3.52% |
| 2014 | 3.32% |
| 2015 | 3.15% |
| 2016 | 2.86% |
| 2017 | 2.28% |
| 2018 | 2.52% |
| 2019 | 2.66% |
| 2020 | 3.94% |
| 2021 | 3.69% |
Average game designer tenure
The average game designer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,437 game designers resumes in Zippia's database.
Game designer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 32% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Game designer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of game designers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,557 |
| Senior Configuration Analyst | 8.42% | 77,403 |
| Senior Sql/Report Developer | 8.46% | 83,551 |
| Security System Engineer | 8.59% | 97,083 |
| Operations System Administrator | 9.03% | 173,494 |
| Game Designer | 10.54% | - |
| Senior Technical Advisor | 10.88% | 113,871 |
Similar game designer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,557 |
| Senior Configuration Analyst | 8.42% | 77,403 |
| Senior Sql/Report Developer | 8.46% | 83,551 |
| Security System Engineer | 8.59% | 97,083 |
| Operations System Administrator | 9.03% | 173,494 |
| Senior Technical Advisor | 10.88% | 113,871 |
Foreign languages spoken by game designers
The most common foreign language among game designers is Spanish at 27.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Japanese at 11.3% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 9.7%.
- Spanish, 27.4%
- Japanese, 11.3%
- Chinese, 9.7%
- Mandarin, 9.7%
- French, 8.1%
- Other, 33.8%
Game designer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 27.4% |
| Japanese | 11.3% |
| Chinese | 9.7% |
| Mandarin | 9.7% |
| French | 8.1% |
| Other | 33.8% |
