How to hire a game programmer

How to hire a game programmer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step game programmer 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 programmer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new game programmer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a game programmer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the game programmer you need to hire. Certain game programmer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 programmer 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of game programmers.

   Type of Game Programmer	Description	Hourly rate
   Game Programmer	Computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications and software programs to function properly. They turn the program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow.	$31-64
   Web Design/Development	A web design/development is responsible for creating a high-performing website by utilizing programming skills and languages and digital expertise. This job requires working closely with the clients for the progress and updates, carefully analyzing their specifications and requirements, including the submission timeframe... Show more	$23-48
   Web Application Developer	A web application developer is responsible for designing website and system applications following clients' specifications and business' needs. Web application developers utilize their expertise in programming languages and system codes, ensuring the efficiency and smooth navigation of the website... Show more	$31-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Unreal Engine
   • Game Development
   • Math
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • PC
   • Animation
   • Prototyping
   • Multiplayer
   • C
   • C++
   • Unity
   • Game Design
   • Windows
   • Game Engine

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Co-Design and lead 3-person programming team for Dizzyball, a 3D action game for PC.
   • Develop different VBA macro tools to automate reporting and assure information accuracy, overlapping avoidance and management control.
   • Act as technical liaison to medical equipment manufacturers on issues of system configuration, data management and data extraction.
   • Steam publish game written in JavaScript.
   • Receive bug reports from QA and resolve the issues.
   • Integrate skinning animation (with Assimp) to improve the game models.

   More game programmer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your game programmer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A game programmer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a game programmer in Kansas may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level game programmer usually earns less than a senior-level game programmer. Additionally, a game programmer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average game programmer salary

   $94,000yearly

   $45.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level game programmer salary

   $65,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 28, 2026

   Average game programmer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$119,930	$58
   2	Washington	$113,200	$54
   3	Massachusetts	$105,623	$51
   4	District of Columbia	$102,088	$49
   5	Oregon	$100,758	$48
   6	North Carolina	$97,668	$47
   7	New York	$91,068	$44
   8	Pennsylvania	$90,843	$44
   9	Utah	$89,299	$43
   10	Illinois	$88,720	$43
   11	Nevada	$87,544	$42
   12	Arizona	$85,924	$41
   13	Indiana	$85,643	$41
   14	Texas	$83,626	$40
   15	Minnesota	$81,814	$39
   16	Louisiana	$80,982	$39
   17	Florida	$78,290	$38
   18	Ohio	$77,060	$37
   19	Missouri	$76,046	$37
   20	Colorado	$74,750	$36

   Average game programmer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$161,641	$77.71	811
   2	Obsidian Entertainment	$124,280	$59.75
   3	Magic Leap	$109,989	$52.88
   4	Roblox	$108,755	$52.29	46
   5	PlayStation	$106,858	$51.37	26
   6	Rockstar Games	$106,256	$51.08	8
   7	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	$105,759	$50.85
   8	Sucker Punch Productions	$103,319	$49.67
   9	2k	$103,206	$49.62	5
   10	Epic Games	$103,067	$49.55	15
   11	Gearbox Software	$102,736	$49.39	3
   12	Sanzaru Games	$101,752	$48.92
   13	Sony Electronics	$100,955	$48.54	8
   14	ArenaNet	$100,941	$48.53
   15	Ready At Dawn Studios	$100,598	$48.36
   16	Electronic Arts	$99,985	$48.07	13
   17	Take-Two Interactive Software	$99,813	$47.99
   18	Tencent	$99,592	$47.88	4
   19	Insomniac Games	$99,235	$47.71
   20	ZeniMax Media	$98,999	$47.60	19

4. Writing a game programmer job description

   A good game programmer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a game programmer job description:

   Game programmer job description example

   • At least 3 years of professional/indie programming experience, with at least 2 of those years in Roblox development
   • At least one shipped Roblox game in programming role
   • Expert in Lua
   • Familiar with object-oriented programming concepts
   • Experienced with working in distributed teams

   Bonus Qualifications

   • Rojo experience
   • Typescript experience
   • Blender or Maya experience

   Schedule

   • 100% remote
   • Short and long-term contracts available

   About Us

   Filament Games is a game production studio that creates digital learning games and interactives. Our mission is to create playful experiences that improve people's lives. We believe that games are a powerful way to engage and inspire learners, and we approach game design by translating learning objectives directly into meaningful gameplay mechanics and playful curriculum materials.

   Guard against scams : During the selection process, applicants will only receive official notices via email from a sender from the @filamentgames.com domain. This includes scheduling interviews and coordinating reference checks, assessments, and job offers. If the person who is contacting you is not listed on the staff page on our website please do not correspond with them. Unfortunately Filament will not be able to assist you if you fall victim to a job offer scam. Please report any losses to law enforcement.

   We are an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants will be considered for positions on the basis of qualifications and ability to perform the job for which they are applying without regard to race, religion, creed, sex, age, residency, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical appearance. Minorities are encouraged to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right game programmer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with game programmers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit game programmers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your game programmer job on Zippia to find and recruit game programmer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit game programmers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 programmer 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 programmer

   Once you've decided on a perfect game programmer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new game programmer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 programmer?