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The differences between game designers and level designers 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 level designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a level designer has an average salary of $96,455, 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 level designer are unreal engine, unity, and maya.
| Game Designer | Level Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,645 | $96,455 |
| Hourly rate | $42.14 | $46.37 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,227 | 45,696 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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 level designer is an expert at designing and developing gameplays, including its characters and obstacles. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with the creative and development teams, conceptualizing plans and diagrams, performing extensive research and analysis, studying client feedback and current market trends, constructing prototypes, and performing tests to ensure the efficiency of the game. Furthermore, as a level designer, it is essential to monitor the entire production process, coordinating with staff every step of the way for quality end products.
Game designers and level designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Designer | Level Designer | |
| Average salary | $87,645 | $96,455 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $127,000 | Between $62,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a game designer and a level designer in terms of educational background:
| Game Designer | Level Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between game designers' and level designers' demographics:
| Game Designer | Level Designer | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 13% |