Game programmer demographics and statistics in the US
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Game programmer demographics by:
Game programmer gender statistics
10.2% of game programmers are women and 89.8% of game programmers are men.
- Male, 89.8%
- Female, 10.2%
Game programmer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 89.8% |
| Female | 10.2% |
Game programmer gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$93,392
Female income
$86,205
Game programmer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in game programmer positions over time. Currently, 10.2% of game programmers are female.
Game programmer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.23% | 12.77% |
| 2011 | 87.20% | 12.80% |
| 2012 | 87.56% | 12.44% |
| 2013 | 88.74% | 11.26% |
| 2014 | 88.47% | 11.53% |
| 2015 | 88.01% | 11.99% |
| 2016 | 88.47% | 11.53% |
| 2017 | 88.61% | 11.39% |
| 2018 | 88.24% | 11.76% |
| 2019 | 88.56% | 11.44% |
| 2020 | 89.39% | 10.61% |
| 2021 | 89.77% | 10.23% |
Game programmer related jobs gender ratio
We compared game programmers 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 Programmer | 90% | 10% |
| 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 programmer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among game programmers is White, which makes up 62.2% of all game programmers. Comparatively, 19.4% of game programmers are Asian and 8.7% of game programmers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 62.2%
- Asian, 19.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.7%
- Black or African American, 4.9%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Game programmer race
| Game programmer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.2% |
| Asian | 19.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.7% |
| Black or African American | 4.9% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Game programmer race and ethnicity over time
See how game programmer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Game programmer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.54% | 4.69% | 19.05% | 6.47% |
| 2011 | 68.12% | 4.87% | 18.10% | 6.81% |
| 2012 | 67.83% | 4.81% | 18.05% | 6.98% |
| 2013 | 66.90% | 5.10% | 18.52% | 6.86% |
| 2014 | 66.71% | 4.55% | 19.59% | 6.62% |
| 2015 | 65.06% | 4.97% | 20.55% | 6.81% |
| 2016 | 63.99% | 5.07% | 20.93% | 7.48% |
| 2017 | 64.29% | 4.32% | 20.46% | 8.48% |
| 2018 | 65.21% | 4.75% | 20.31% | 7.20% |
| 2019 | 65.44% | 4.44% | 19.61% | 7.86% |
| 2020 | 62.16% | 5.05% | 19.43% | 8.33% |
| 2021 | 62.16% | 4.91% | 19.40% | 8.68% |
Game programmer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian game programmers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american game programmers have the lowest average salary at $90,982.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $91,600 |
| White | $93,704 |
| Black or African American | $90,982 |
| Asian | $99,552 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $91,390 |
Average game programmer age
See how the average age of game programmers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Game programmer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 45.5 | 52 |
| White | 49 | 51 |
| Black or African American | 43 | 42 |
| Asian | 45.5 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 41 |
Game programmer age breakdown
The average age of game programmers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the game programmer population.
Game programmer age breakdown
| Game Programmer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Game programmer educational attainment
The most common degree for game programmers is bachelor's degree, with 79% of game programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Game programmers by degree level
| Game programmer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 79% |
| Master's | 10% |
| Associate | 8% |
| Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Game programmer jobs you might like
Game programmer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, game programmers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $105,143 annually. With a Master's degree, game programmers earn a median annual income of $102,215 compared to $97,597 for game programmers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $102,215 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,597 |
| Doctorate Degree | $105,143 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $84,645 |
Game programmer employment statistics
Most game programmers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where game programmers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where game programmers work.
Game programmer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 13% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 11% |
Game programmer jobs by company type
Employees with the game programmer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most game programmers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Game programmer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 12% |
| Public | 18% |
| Private | 67% |
| Government | 2% |
Game programmer jobs by industry
The most common industries for game programmers are technology, education and professional.
Game programmer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 32% |
| Education | 10% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Start-up | 8% |
| Media | 7% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Game programmer turnover and employment statistics
Game programmer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for game programmers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Game programmer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Game programmer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.66% |
| 2011 | 4.88% |
| 2012 | 4.01% |
| 2013 | 3.44% |
| 2014 | 3.52% |
| 2015 | 2.74% |
| 2016 | 2.92% |
| 2017 | 3.10% |
| 2018 | 2.78% |
| 2019 | 3.35% |
| 2020 | 3.32% |
| 2021 | 3.49% |
Average game programmer tenure
The average game programmer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 516 game programmers resumes in Zippia's database.
Game programmer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 42% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Game programmer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of game programmers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Specialist | 7.31% | 74,442 |
| Software Programmer/Analyst | 8.46% | 255,348 |
| Information Security Administrator | 8.59% | 157,160 |
| Data Center Administrator | 9.03% | 172,212 |
| Integration And Test Engineer | 10.54% | 115,215 |
| Game Programmer | 10.69% | - |
| Desktop Support Manager | 10.88% | 77,464 |
Similar game programmer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Specialist | 7.31% | 74,442 |
| Software Programmer/Analyst | 8.46% | 255,348 |
| Information Security Administrator | 8.59% | 157,160 |
| Data Center Administrator | 9.03% | 172,212 |
| Integration And Test Engineer | 10.54% | 115,215 |
| Desktop Support Manager | 10.88% | 77,464 |
Foreign languages spoken by game programmers
The most common foreign language among game programmers is Spanish at 33.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Korean at 22.2% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
- Spanish, 33.3%
- Korean, 22.2%
- Portuguese, 11.1%
- Chinese, 11.1%
- German, 11.1%
- Other, 11.2%
Game programmer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 33.3% |
| Korean | 22.2% |
| Portuguese | 11.1% |
| Chinese | 11.1% |
| German | 11.1% |
| Other | 11.2% |
