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The differences between game programmers and senior programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a game programmer and a senior programmer. Additionally, a senior programmer has an average salary of $105,509, which is higher than the $94,000 average annual salary of a game programmer.
The top three skills for a game programmer include unreal engine, game development and math. The most important skills for a senior programmer are macro, SAS, and database.
| Game Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,000 | $105,509 |
| Hourly rate | $45.19 | $50.73 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 186,952 | 209,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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.
A Senior Programmer develops operations solutions through guiding the development of program specifications and leading programmers. They develop, test, and implement IT solutions.
Game programmers and senior programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Average salary | $94,000 | $105,509 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $134,000 | Between $78,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a game programmer and a senior programmer in terms of educational background:
| Game Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between game programmers' and senior programmers' demographics:
| Game Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |