How to hire a game engineer

How to hire a game engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step game engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a game engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new game engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a game engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The game engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect game engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of game engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Game Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Game Engineer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$34-73
   Developer	Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible... Show more	$36-62
   Software Developer	A software developer is responsible for designing application systems to support the user and business' needs. Duties of a software developer include testing software codes, performing diagnostic programs and troubleshooting, interpreting system data and establishing efficient parameters, and ensuring the compatibility of the systems... Show more	$32-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Unity
   • Python
   • Game Engine
   • Animation
   • Java
   • UI
   • IOS
   • Prototyping
   • Windows
   • Lua
   • Facebook
   • Augmented Reality
   • C++
   • API

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
   • Design and develop mobile and PC strategy F2P MMO in Java, PlayN, and Box2D.
   • Localize support web sites in JavaScript and PHP.
   • Full ownership of verifying and debugging the game.
   • Work with animators and tools developers to improve animation blend tool.
   • Integrate levels with UI, leaderboard, achievement and persistence systems.

   More game engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your game engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A game engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, game engineers' average salary in hawaii is 43% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level game engineers 53% less than senior-level game engineers.
   • Certifications. A game engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a game engineer's salary.

   Average game engineer salary

   $104,976yearly

   $50.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level game engineer salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average game engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$125,510	$60
   2	Nevada	$117,346	$56
   3	Arizona	$116,301	$56
   4	Oregon	$108,899	$52
   5	Utah	$104,863	$50
   6	Washington	$101,998	$49
   7	New York	$100,766	$48
   8	Massachusetts	$97,592	$47
   9	North Carolina	$96,581	$46
   10	Georgia	$92,903	$45
   11	Colorado	$92,013	$44
   12	Texas	$91,001	$44
   13	Wisconsin	$86,998	$42
   14	Pennsylvania	$82,877	$40
   15	Florida	$79,054	$38

   Average game engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$166,634	$80.11	3,165
   2	Microsoft	$140,975	$67.78	806
   3	Walmart	$136,579	$65.66	573
   4	The Walt Disney Company	$132,780	$63.84	343
   5	Survios	$132,652	$63.77
   6	Roblox	$128,333	$61.70	127
   7	Amazon	$128,290	$61.68	836
   8	Anki	$124,900	$60.05
   9	Magic Leap	$124,479	$59.85	2
   10	Nintendo	$116,666	$56.09	8
   11	Amd	$116,046	$55.79	56
   12	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$115,994	$55.77	27
   13	Tesla	$114,739	$55.16
   14	Cat Daddy Games	$113,607	$54.62	2
   15	Tencent	$113,057	$54.35	9
   16	Qualcomm	$112,241	$53.96	112
   17	CyberCoders	$111,851	$53.77
   18	PlayStation	$111,822	$53.76	43
   19	Sanzaru Games	$110,939	$53.34
   20	Randstad North America, Inc.	$108,409	$52.12	16

4. Writing a game engineer job description

   A game engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a game engineer job description:

   Game engineer job description example

   Job DescriptionSlot Machine Test Engineer II - Unity Game Engine Senior, Slot Games Test Engineer
   
   -We are happy to assist you in relocating to Atlanta!
   
   We have game development studios in the US and overseas yet in joining our team you would find a smaller, more familial feel than some of the other big studios. We offer outstanding benefits and are consistently rated as a top place to work by our employees!What You Will Be DoingYou will be joining our DevQA leadership team in a Senior role, safeguarding our game development process with your leadership, auditing test cases for quality, testing and creating resolutions for issues.What's In It for You- Vacation/PTO: 3+ Weeks plus additional days off, your birthday, community service, etc.
   - Medical, Dental and Vision: Multiple plans to choose from
   - Bonus: + 5%
   - 401k with 4% employer match
   - Tuition Reimbursement
   - Relocation assistance as needed and more What You Need for this Position- Ability to work onsite in Atlanta, GA
   - QA Testing for Game Development for casino style slot machines
   - Unity Game Engine Testing, Bugzilla or others
   - Test Runner
   - ALM Test Management
   - Jira, Confluence, Zephyr
   
   Bachelor's degree or greater in a related STEM FieldBenefits- Vacation/PTO: 3+ Weeks, PTO for your wedding, bereavement leave, Voting leave and more
   - Medical: Multiple plans to choose from
   - Dental
   - Vision
   - Relocation
   - Bonus: + 5%
   - 401k: Eligible one month after your first day
   - Tuition Reimbursement
   - Employee Assistance Program
   - We consistently promote from within!
   - Paid day of for your birthday!
   - Paid day off for community service!
   - Patent reward program!
   - Work REMOTELY from home!!So, if you are an advancing Casino Game Test Engineer and you are looking to work for a highly collaborative team that is expanding, Apply Now! -
   
   CyberCoders, Inc is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Your Right to Work – In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find game engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any game engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level game engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your game engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality game engineer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with game engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a game engineer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new game engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the game engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new game engineer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a game engineer?