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The differences between game programmers and associate software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a game programmer, becoming an associate software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a game programmer has an average salary of $94,000, which is higher than the $78,981 average annual salary of an associate software engineer.
The top three skills for a game programmer include unreal engine, game development and math. The most important skills for an associate software engineer are java, python, and C++.
| Game Programmer | Associate Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,000 | $78,981 |
| Hourly rate | $45.19 | $37.97 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 186,952 | 298,481 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A game programmer is a type of software engineer who works in the gaming industry. They write code for games and work closely with other departments like game design and animation. If they are the lead programmer, they may be expected to assign jobs and manage the whole development process. If they are not the lead, they may be expected to develop codes so the game has 2D and 3D graphics.
An associate software engineer is an individual who is responsible for improving existing software or designing new application software. Working under the supervision of a senior software engineer and together with a team of engineering professionals, associate software engineers must be able to code software and ensure that it can run with different types of technology. They must have the technical knowledge and expertise of commanding programming languages such as JAVA, HTML, and CSS. Associate software engineers are also required to assist the QA team in testing the software before it is released to the customers.
Game programmers and associate software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Programmer | Associate Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,000 | $78,981 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $134,000 | Between $60,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a game programmer and an associate software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Game Programmer | Associate Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between game programmers' and associate software engineers' demographics:
| Game Programmer | Associate Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 19.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 39.6% White, 43.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |