Game developer demographics and statistics in the US
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Game developer demographics by:
Game developer gender statistics
12.3% of game developers are women and 87.7% of game developers are men.
- Male, 87.7%
- Female, 12.3%
Game developer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 87.7% |
| Female | 12.3% |
Game developer gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$88,558
Female income
$82,097
Game developer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in game developer positions over time. Currently, 12.3% of game developers are female.
Game developer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.96% | 14.04% |
| 2011 | 85.80% | 14.20% |
| 2012 | 86.72% | 13.28% |
| 2013 | 86.65% | 13.35% |
| 2014 | 87.39% | 12.61% |
| 2015 | 87.19% | 12.81% |
| 2016 | 88.22% | 11.78% |
| 2017 | 87.87% | 12.13% |
| 2018 | 87.89% | 12.11% |
| 2019 | 87.72% | 12.28% |
| 2020 | 87.68% | 12.32% |
| 2021 | 87.75% | 12.25% |
Game developer related jobs gender ratio
We compared game developers 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 Developer | 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 developer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among game developers is White, which makes up 52.6% of all game developers. Comparatively, 30.0% of game developers are Asian and 8.1% of game developers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 52.6%
- Asian, 30.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.1%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Black or African American, 4.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Game developer race
| Game developer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 52.6% |
| Asian | 30.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Black or African American | 4.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Game developer race and ethnicity over time
See how game developer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Game developer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.73% | 5.43% | 25.80% | 5.61% |
| 2011 | 61.19% | 5.66% | 25.30% | 5.32% |
| 2012 | 60.10% | 5.20% | 26.68% | 5.76% |
| 2013 | 60.49% | 4.72% | 26.49% | 5.57% |
| 2014 | 59.37% | 5.23% | 27.14% | 5.70% |
| 2015 | 58.54% | 5.04% | 27.26% | 6.28% |
| 2016 | 58.04% | 5.03% | 27.98% | 6.27% |
| 2017 | 56.62% | 4.91% | 28.53% | 6.64% |
| 2018 | 57.27% | 4.76% | 27.75% | 7.25% |
| 2019 | 56.44% | 4.85% | 28.95% | 6.88% |
| 2020 | 54.64% | 4.59% | 28.71% | 7.69% |
| 2021 | 52.62% | 4.35% | 30.01% | 8.08% |
Game developer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian game developers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american game developers have the lowest average salary at $84,722.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $89,300 |
| White | $88,975 |
| Black or African American | $84,722 |
| Asian | $93,947 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $86,127 |
Average game developer age
See how the average age of game developers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Game developer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37 | 46 |
| Unknown | 37 | 34 |
| Asian | 38 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Game developer age breakdown
The average age of game developers is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the game developer population.
Game developer age breakdown
| Game Developer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Game developer educational attainment
The most common degree for game developers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of game developers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Game developers by degree level
| Game developer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 75% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Game developer jobs you might like
Game developer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, game developers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $107,042 annually. With a Master's degree, game developers earn a median annual income of $97,928 compared to $89,013 for game developers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,928 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,013 |
| Doctorate Degree | $107,042 |
Game developer employment statistics
Most game developers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where game developers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where game developers work.
Game developer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Game developer jobs by company type
Employees with the game developer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most game developers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Game developer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 24% |
| Public | 22% |
| Private | 53% |
| Government | 1% |
Game developer jobs by industry
The most common industries for game developers are technology, education and media.
Game developer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 21% |
| Technology | 21% |
| Media | 11% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Start-up | 5% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
Game developer turnover and employment statistics
Game developer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for game developers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Game developer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Game developer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.07% |
| 2015 | 2.26% |
| 2016 | 2.33% |
| 2017 | 2.17% |
| 2018 | 1.80% |
| 2019 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 2.40% |
| 2021 | 2.07% |
Average game developer tenure
The average game developer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,206 game developers resumes in Zippia's database.
Game developer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 34% |
| 1-2 years | 24% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Game developer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of game developers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Communications Distribution Designer | 7.31% | 69,232 |
| Information Systems Planner | 8.42% | 129,224 |
| Game Developer | 8.46% | - |
| Security Systems Specialist | 8.59% | 117,676 |
| Middleware Administrator | 9.03% | 57,416 |
| Principal Test Engineer | 10.54% | 96,539 |
| Telecom Specialist | 10.88% | 57,424 |
Similar game developer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Communications Distribution Designer | 7.31% | 69,232 |
| Information Systems Planner | 8.42% | 129,224 |
| Security Systems Specialist | 8.59% | 117,676 |
| Middleware Administrator | 9.03% | 57,416 |
| Principal Test Engineer | 10.54% | 96,539 |
| Telecom Specialist | 10.88% | 57,424 |
Foreign languages spoken by game developers
The most common foreign language among game developers is Spanish at 32.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 16.3% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 16.3%.
- Spanish, 32.6%
- Chinese, 16.3%
- Japanese, 16.3%
- Mandarin, 11.6%
- French, 7.0%
- Other, 16.2%
Game developer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 32.6% |
| Chinese | 16.3% |
| Japanese | 16.3% |
| Mandarin | 11.6% |
| French | 7.0% |
| Other | 16.2% |
