How to hire a lead game designer

How to hire a lead game designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead game designer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead game designer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead game designer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your lead game designer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a lead game designer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A lead game designer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lead game designers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of lead game designer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Lead Game Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Game Designer		$35-77
   Designer	A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences... Show more	$21-46
   Game Designer	A video game designer is responsible for making a concept of a video game and creating the storylines, scenarios, maps, character development, user interfaces, and in-game objectives. Typical responsibilities include adding computer scripting using computer software, which will then generate events, objects, commands, and characters that end-users can choose from to interact with during the game... Show more	$28-61

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Game Mechanics
   • Unity
   • IP
   • Animation
   • Level Design
   • Prototyping
   • Game Development
   • Photoshop
   • Flow Charts
   • IOS
   • Android
   • RPG
   • User Interface
   • Creative Vision

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design the project's path, and manage an android programmer, a graphic designer and a musician.
   • Collaborate with fellow programmer to program a game using Java and GML.
   • Lead game from concept to final product, guide by prototyping and playtesting.
   • Assume a leadership role in developing an animation style that become the standard in the department.
   • Maintain python threading systems for in-game computer terminals.
   • Utilize Unity3D asset bundle capability to increase load/memory performance.

   More lead game designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the lead game designer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A lead game designer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a lead game designer in Minnesota may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level lead game designer. Additionally, a lead game designer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average lead game designer salary

   $108,878yearly

   $52.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead game designer salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average lead game designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$124,194	$60
   2	Nevada	$123,293	$59
   3	Washington	$122,328	$59
   4	Wisconsin	$115,482	$56
   5	Indiana	$112,870	$54
   6	Massachusetts	$112,111	$54
   7	Ohio	$109,734	$53
   8	New York	$106,569	$51
   9	Texas	$95,697	$46
   10	Pennsylvania	$94,352	$45
   11	Virginia	$93,395	$45
   12	North Carolina	$89,848	$43
   13	Georgia	$88,711	$43
   14	Florida	$87,413	$42
   15	Minnesota	$85,045	$41
   16	Kansas	$80,215	$39

   Average lead game designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$154,830	$74.44	509
   2	Microsoft	$129,412	$62.22	60
   3	Amazon	$118,190	$56.82	233
   4	Tencent	$107,331	$51.60	8
   5	Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.	$105,722	$50.83	1
   6	Avalanche Studios Group	$105,560	$50.75
   7	Pocket Gems	$105,511	$50.73
   8	Certain Affinity	$102,856	$49.45
   9	Accenture	$102,298	$49.18	68
   10	Glu Mobile	$100,904	$48.51
   11	DraftKings at Casino Queen	$99,479	$47.83	3
   12	Riot Games	$98,103	$47.16	3
   13	Palace Entertainment	$84,284	$40.52
   14	Raytheon Technologies	$80,617	$38.76	10

4. Writing a lead game designer job description

   A job description for a lead game designer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead game designer job description:

   Lead game designer job description example

   The Center for Transformational Play at Carnegie Mellon University brings together world-class expertise from across the university to design, build, and study transformational games. Our core missions are as follows: 1) bring together CMU stakeholders around transformational games, 2) create and collaborate on exceptional games, 3) support interdisciplinary game research, and 4) raise the profile of transformational games work at CMU.
   
   We are searching for a Game Design Lead to help establish the Center. As one of the Center's first hires, you will have the chance to be hands-on with all aspects of our work, from game development to designer mentorship to developing organizational processes. As we grow, we expect to bring on additional staff to complement your core competencies and areas of interest.
   You will report directly to Jessica Hammer, Director of the Center for Transformational Play.
   
   Core responsibilities will include:
   
   * Game design and development for the Center.
   * Coordinating and executing playtests, user tests, and assessments.
   * Developing and documenting Center processes.
   * Creative mentorship for game and research projects.
   * Furthering the game design craft and awareness across the Center
   * Working with stakeholders related to transformational games across the university.
   * Supervising students and staff affiliated with the Center.
   * Assisting with publicizing games created by the Center.
   
   The core values of the Center for Transformational Play are courage, curiosity, integrity, generosity, and humility. We live by those values in our work, in our interpersonal relationships, and in our collaborations. Additionally, inclusion, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity are valued proficiencies at Carnegie Mellon. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the University through their work.
   
   You should be able to demonstrate the following skills:
   
   * Excellent oral and written communication, including in a hybrid work environment.
   * A practice of analogue and digital game design, including a portfolio of shipped and/or completed game projects.
   * Familiarity with game design and development practices (digital, analog, or hybrid).
   * Strong leadership and problem-solving skills.
   * Ability to conduct user-centered or human-computer interaction design research using a diverse and flexible set of methods.
   * Familiarity with transformational games and transformational game design.
   * Project management and prioritization with an eye to the long-term success of the organization.
   
   Experience with any of the following would be considered an asset:
   
   * Working within multidisciplinary teams that have delivered/shipped games.
   * Working with experimental or emergent technologies, hardware, or other unconventional constraints.
   * Supervising undergraduate and/or graduate students.
   
   Requirements:
   
   * A bachelor's degree, or equivalent professional experience.
   * Five or more years of experience in game design, development or an equivalent role.
   * Documented evidence of successful leadership for women, people of color, and individuals from other marginalized groups.
   * Successful background check
   
   Are you interested in this exciting opportunity?! Apply today!
   
   CMU's COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements: As a condition of employment, Carnegie Mellon University requires all staff and faculty working in the United States to be fully vaccinated, including a booster when eligible, against COVID-19. Prior to commencement of employment, new hires in the United States must provide proof of vaccination or obtain an approved exemption. (Exemptions may be requested for medical reasons or for religious or strong moral or ethical conviction.) Those granted an exemption must comply with all applicable COVID-19 mitigation requirements. The most up-to-date information on CMU's COVID-19 mitigation requirements can be found here: Minimum Requirements to Return to Campus.
   
   Location
   
   Pittsburgh, PA
   
   Job Function
   
   Web Design and Graphic Services
   
   Position Type
   
   Staff - Regular
   
   Full Time/Part time
   
   Full time
   
   Pay Basis
   
   Salary
   
   More Information:
   
   * Please visit "Why Carnegie Mellon" to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.
   
   * Click here to view a listing of employee benefits
   
   * Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.
   
   * Statement of Assurance

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find lead game designers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead game designer job on Zippia to find and recruit lead game designer 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

   To successfully recruit lead game designers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 lead game designer 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 lead game designer

   Once you've found the lead game designer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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