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The differences between game designers and game programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a game designer, becoming a game programmer takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a game programmer has an average salary of $94,000, which is higher than the $87,645 average annual salary of a game designer.
The top three skills for a game designer include unity, UI and game development. The most important skills for a game programmer are unreal engine, game development, and math.
| Game Designer | Game Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,645 | $94,000 |
| Hourly rate | $42.14 | $45.19 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 45,227 | 186,952 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
A video game designer is responsible for making a concept of a video game and creating the storylines, scenarios, maps, character development, user interfaces, and in-game objectives. Typical responsibilities include adding computer scripting using computer software, which will then generate events, objects, commands, and characters that end-users can choose from to interact with during the game. Additionally, you will write code using different computer programming languages and designing characters, animation, and levels. To become a successful video game designer, you must be creative, innovative, and ambitious.
A game programmer is a type of software engineer who works in the gaming industry. They write code for games and work closely with other departments like game design and animation. If they are the lead programmer, they may be expected to assign jobs and manage the whole development process. If they are not the lead, they may be expected to develop codes so the game has 2D and 3D graphics.
Game designers and game programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Designer | Game Programmer | |
| Average salary | $87,645 | $94,000 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $127,000 | Between $65,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a game designer and a game programmer in terms of educational background:
| Game Designer | Game Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between game designers' and game programmers' demographics:
| Game Designer | Game Programmer | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 19.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |