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Best states for a lead game designer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and computer and mathematical careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to lead game designer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for lead game designers.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of lead game designers in America is $161,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for lead game designers.We found that the Midwest is best for lead game designers, and the Northeast is the worst. Sacramento, CA is the best city in the country for lead game designer jobs, where as Nevada is the best state in the country.
10 best states for lead game designers in 2026
1. Nevada
Total lead game designer jobs: 358 Average annual salary: $124,267 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 2.7
2. Washington
Total lead game designer jobs: 688 Average annual salary: $121,587 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
3. Idaho
Total lead game designer jobs: 278 Average annual salary: $114,024 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 2.67
4. Rhode Island
Total lead game designer jobs: 56 Average annual salary: $124,546 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
5. Utah
Total lead game designer jobs: 661 Average annual salary: $107,193 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 3.26
6. Wisconsin
Total lead game designer jobs: 291 Average annual salary: $114,594 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
7. District of Columbia
Total lead game designer jobs: 189 Average annual salary: $122,899 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
8. Delaware
Total lead game designer jobs: 44 Average annual salary: $123,817 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.55
9. Maine
Total lead game designer jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $115,674 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
10. California
Total lead game designer jobs: 2,618 Average annual salary: $117,255 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
Lead game designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead game designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead game designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $124,267 | $84,000 | 2,998,039 | 358 |
| 2 | Washington | $121,587 | $83,000 | 7,405,743 | 688 |
| 3 | Idaho | $114,024 | $78,000 | 1,716,943 | 278 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $124,546 | $80,000 | 1,059,639 | 56 |
| 5 | Utah | $107,193 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 661 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $114,594 | $76,000 | 5,795,483 | 291 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $122,899 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 189 |
| 8 | Delaware | $123,817 | $81,000 | 961,939 | 44 |
| 9 | Maine | $115,674 | $71,000 | 1,335,907 | 60 |
| 10 | California | $117,255 | $79,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,618 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $111,832 | $70,000 | 6,859,819 | 605 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $110,233 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 88 |
| 13 | Indiana | $113,468 | $75,000 | 6,666,818 | 222 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $112,333 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 156 |
| 15 | Alaska | $103,363 | $74,000 | 739,795 | 123 |
| 16 | Ohio | $108,436 | $71,000 | 11,658,609 | 400 |
| 17 | Maryland | $111,166 | $72,000 | 6,052,177 | 333 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $97,023 | $66,000 | 2,088,070 | 266 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $108,679 | $71,000 | 1,815,857 | 37 |
| 20 | New York | $106,265 | $68,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,078 |
| 21 | Michigan | $98,503 | $64,000 | 9,962,311 | 431 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $94,650 | $65,000 | 869,666 | 127 |
| 23 | Montana | $96,244 | $66,000 | 1,050,493 | 185 |
| 24 | Vermont | $106,272 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 29 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $103,988 | $70,000 | 4,684,333 | 94 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $94,675 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 294 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $101,267 | $68,000 | 4,454,189 | 123 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $102,646 | $69,000 | 2,984,100 | 55 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $102,143 | $68,000 | 5,024,369 | 124 |
| 30 | Colorado | $99,967 | $68,000 | 5,607,154 | 319 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $89,982 | $61,000 | 3,004,279 | 349 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $94,128 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 526 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $96,419 | $66,000 | 755,393 | 31 |
| 34 | Texas | $94,663 | $64,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,002 |
| 35 | Oregon | $93,302 | $64,000 | 4,142,776 | 368 |
| 36 | Missouri | $95,345 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 222 |
| 37 | Georgia | $89,308 | $60,000 | 10,429,379 | 690 |
| 38 | Virginia | $92,315 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 591 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $85,277 | $58,000 | 3,930,864 | 379 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $88,701 | $59,000 | 10,273,419 | 492 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $94,546 | $60,000 | 9,005,644 | 324 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $89,502 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 191 |
| 43 | Kansas | $80,452 | $55,000 | 2,913,123 | 431 |
| 44 | Arizona | $88,731 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 258 |
| 45 | Illinois | $87,548 | $58,000 | 12,802,023 | 649 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $85,019 | $57,000 | 5,576,606 | 366 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,044 | $57,000 | 20,984,400 | 614 |
| 48 | Alabama | $84,933 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 157 |
| 49 | Iowa | $81,764 | $55,000 | 3,145,711 | 128 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $82,313 | $56,000 | 579,315 | 18 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $72,871 | $51,000 | 1,427,538 | 21 |
Highest paying states for lead game designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Game Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $124,267 |
| 2 | Washington | $121,587 |
| 3 | Idaho | $114,024 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $124,546 |
| 5 | Utah | $107,193 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $114,594 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $122,899 |
| 8 | Delaware | $123,817 |
| 9 | Maine | $115,674 |
| 10 | California | $117,255 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $111,832 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $110,233 |
| 13 | Indiana | $113,468 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $112,333 |
| 15 | Alaska | $103,363 |
| 16 | Ohio | $108,436 |
| 17 | Maryland | $111,166 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $97,023 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $108,679 |
| 20 | New York | $106,265 |
| 21 | Michigan | $98,503 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $94,650 |
| 23 | Montana | $96,244 |
| 24 | Vermont | $106,272 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $103,988 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $94,675 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $101,267 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $102,646 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $102,143 |
| 30 | Colorado | $99,967 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $89,982 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $94,128 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $96,419 |
| 34 | Texas | $94,663 |
| 35 | Oregon | $93,302 |
| 36 | Missouri | $95,345 |
| 37 | Georgia | $89,308 |
| 38 | Virginia | $92,315 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $85,277 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $88,701 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $94,546 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $89,502 |
| 43 | Kansas | $80,452 |
| 44 | Arizona | $88,731 |
| 45 | Illinois | $87,548 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $85,019 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,044 |
| 48 | Alabama | $84,933 |
| 49 | Iowa | $81,764 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $82,313 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $72,871 |
Lead game designer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025