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The differences between game developers and publishers 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 publisher. Additionally, a game developer has an average salary of $91,009, which is higher than the $71,539 average annual salary of a publisher.
The top three skills for a game developer include unity, game development and game engine. The most important skills for a publisher are press releases, customer satisfaction, and strategic thinking.
| Game Developer | Publisher | |
| Yearly salary | $91,009 | $71,539 |
| Hourly rate | $43.75 | $34.39 |
| Growth rate | 21% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 173,596 | 10,303 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| 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 publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication. They distribute promotional catalogs to libraries and booksellers. They set the commercial and editorial direction for businesses publishing newspapers, digital content, magazines, and books. It is their duty to make decisions on the markets that their firms will serve as well as the type of content that they will give to their audience.
Game developers and publishers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Developer | Publisher | |
| Average salary | $91,009 | $71,539 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $127,000 | Between $42,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Stamford, CT |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a game developer and a publisher in terms of educational background:
| Game Developer | Publisher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between game developers' and publishers' demographics:
| Game Developer | Publisher | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% |
| 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, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |