Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between game developers and developer/consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a game developer and a developer/consultant. Additionally, a developer/consultant has an average salary of $98,508, which is higher than the $91,009 average annual salary of a game developer.
The top three skills for a game developer include unity, game development and game engine. The most important skills for a developer/consultant are java, project management, and javascript.
| Game Developer | Developer/Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $91,009 | $98,508 |
| Hourly rate | $43.75 | $47.36 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 173,596 | 257,985 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Game developers are professionals who are responsible for designing and producing video games for computers, mobile devices, or game consoles by taking the concept of video game designers and turning them into playable games. By using their background in software development and mathematics, game developers must work with teams to create visual content for a game and writing code to implement all the game's features and functionality. They are required to handle new game feature requests and make improvements to the game even after production. Game developers must also demonstrate their skills in artificial programming intelligence for non-player characters.
A developer/consultant is responsible for developing system databases and applications, depending on the business' needs and clients' specifications. Developers/consultants design their services to manage optimal performance and maximize productivity for timely submission of projects, ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty. They also handle clients' inquiries and concerns, informing them about necessary adjustments to improve strategic procedures and processes. A developer/consultant must have excellent communication and analytical skills, as well as extensive experience with the technology industry.
Game developers and developer/consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Developer | Developer/Consultant | |
| Average salary | $91,009 | $98,508 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $127,000 | Between $71,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a game developer and a developer/consultant in terms of educational background:
| Game Developer | Developer/Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between game developers' and developer/consultants' demographics:
| Game Developer | Developer/Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |