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Game engineer salary
Average game engineer salary
$104,976
Average Game Engineer Salary
The average salary for a Game Engineer is $104,976 per year as of October 2025. This figure is indicative of the competitive nature of the gaming industry, where complex software and innovative game mechanics are essential. Salaries range based on several factors, including location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which one is employed.
Salary Variations by State
Game Engineers in states like California and Washington often see higher salaries compared to other regions due to the concentration of major game development studios. For instance, the highest paying states for this profession include:
- California: $115,000
- Washington: $110,000
- New York: $107,000
Moreover, industries such as video game development and interactive entertainment typically offer higher compensation compared to other sectors. By combining your technical skills with industry insights, you can position yourself for lucrative opportunities in the gaming field.
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Where can a Game Engineer earn more?
Game engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average game engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for game engineers are California, Arizona, and Nevada. The lowest average game engineer salary states are Kentucky, Kansas, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for game engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $119,825 | $57.61 |
| 2 | Oregon | $110,813 | $53.28 |
| 3 | Utah | $105,693 | $50.81 |
| 4 | Arizona | $115,491 | $55.52 |
| 5 | Nevada | $114,562 | $55.08 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,924 | $49.96 |
| 7 | Washington | $99,069 | $47.63 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $97,637 | $46.94 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $94,997 | $45.67 |
| 10 | New York | $100,464 | $48.30 |
| 11 | Delaware | $96,419 | $46.36 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $97,533 | $46.89 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $100,427 | $48.28 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $92,550 | $44.50 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $97,937 | $47.09 |
| 16 | Virginia | $93,411 | $44.91 |
| 17 | Texas | $91,200 | $43.85 |
| 18 | Georgia | $93,577 | $44.99 |
| 19 | Maine | $92,777 | $44.60 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $96,075 | $46.19 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $93,080 | $44.75 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $93,150 | $44.78 |
| 23 | Vermont | $88,970 | $42.77 |
| 24 | Michigan | $87,587 | $42.11 |
| 25 | Alaska | $93,009 | $44.72 |
| 26 | Colorado | $88,754 | $42.67 |
| 27 | Maryland | $88,706 | $42.65 |
| 28 | Alabama | $85,715 | $41.21 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $88,016 | $42.32 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $88,205 | $42.41 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $87,641 | $42.14 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $83,607 | $40.20 |
| 33 | Ohio | $84,332 | $40.54 |
| 34 | Montana | $82,654 | $39.74 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $83,575 | $40.18 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $85,068 | $40.90 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $82,330 | $39.58 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $81,834 | $39.34 |
| 39 | Indiana | $78,942 | $37.95 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $79,682 | $38.31 |
| 41 | Illinois | $80,421 | $38.66 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $78,790 | $37.88 |
| 43 | Missouri | $82,569 | $39.70 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $75,469 | $36.28 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $78,308 | $37.65 |
| 46 | Kansas | $77,249 | $37.14 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $77,867 | $37.44 |
| 48 | Florida | $78,354 | $37.67 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,495 | $32.93 |
| 50 | Iowa | $75,011 | $36.06 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,988 | $34.13 |
Highest paying cities for game engineers
The highest-paying cities for game engineers are Novato, CA, Sparks, NV, and Glendale, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novato, CA | $125,510 | $60.34 |
| 2 | Sparks, NV | $117,346 | $56.42 |
| 3 | Glendale, AZ | $116,301 | $55.91 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $108,899 | $52.36 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | $104,863 | $50.41 |
| 6 | Vancouver, WA | $101,998 | $49.04 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $100,766 | $48.45 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $97,592 | $46.92 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $96,581 | $46.43 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $92,903 | $44.66 |
| 11 | Colorado Springs, CO | $92,013 | $44.24 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $91,001 | $43.75 |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $86,998 | $41.83 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $82,877 | $39.84 |
| 15 | Gainesville, FL | $79,054 | $38.01 |
Game engineer salary details
A game engineer's salary ranges from $72,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $152,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a game engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $152,000 | $12,667 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| Average | $104,976 | $8,748 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
Highest paying game engineer jobs
The highest paying types of game engineers are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | $100,076 | $8,340 | $48.11 | 262,570 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Principal Software Engineer | $134,230 | $11,186 | $64.53 | 345,893 |
| Software Development Engineer | $109,147 | $9,096 | $52.47 | 356,971 |
| Software Systems Engineer | $107,102 | $8,925 | $51.49 | 370,518 |
Top companies hiring game engineers now:
Which companies pay game engineers the most?
Game engineer salaries at Meta and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average game engineer salary at companies like Walmart and The Walt Disney Company are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $166,634 | $80.11 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $140,975 | $67.78 |
| 3 | Walmart | $136,579 | $65.66 |
| 4 | The Walt Disney Company | $132,780 | $63.84 |
| 5 | Survios | $132,652 | $63.77 |
| 6 | Roblox | $128,333 | $61.70 |
| 7 | Amazon | $128,290 | $61.68 |
| 8 | Anki | $124,900 | $60.05 |
| 9 | Magic Leap | $124,479 | $59.85 |
| 10 | Nintendo | $116,666 | $56.09 |
| 11 | Amd | $116,046 | $55.79 |
| 12 | Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display) | $115,994 | $55.77 |
| 13 | Tesla | $114,739 | $55.16 |
| 14 | Cat Daddy Games | $113,607 | $54.62 |
| 15 | Tencent | $113,057 | $54.35 |
| 16 | Qualcomm | $112,241 | $53.96 |
| 17 | CyberCoders | $111,851 | $53.77 |
| 18 | PlayStation | $111,822 | $53.76 |
| 19 | Sanzaru Games | $110,939 | $53.34 |
| 20 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $108,409 | $52.12 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Game Engineer salary by industry
The average game engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average game engineer salary in the start-up industry is $113,965, the highest of any industry.
- The average game engineer salary in the finance industry is $112,697.
- Game engineers in the media industry earn an average salary of $105,487, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for game engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $113,965 | $54.79 |
| 2 | Finance | $112,697 | $54.18 |
| 3 | Technology | $111,142 | $53.43 |
| 4 | Media | $105,487 | $50.71 |
High paying game engineer jobs
Game engineer salary trends
The average game engineer salary has risen by $19,489 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average game engineer earned $85,487 annually, but today, they earn $104,976 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for game engineers over the last decade.
Compare game engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average game engineer salary over time
Compare game engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Game engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.47 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $48.81 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $99,200 | $47.70 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $97,500 | $46.86 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $95,800 | $46.07 | +1.8% |
Recently added game engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Experiences | Senior Gameplay Engineer | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $132,200 |
| Lightspeed La | Lead Gameplay Engineer | Irvine, CA | 06/29/2025 | $110,160 |
| Monomi Park | Senior Game Engineer (Unreal) | San Mateo, CA | 06/29/2025 | $175,000 |
| Industrial Light & Magic | Gameplay Engineer | Glendale, CA | 06/28/2025 | $109,400 |
| Walt Disney Co | Gameplay Engineer | Glendale, CA | 06/27/2025 | $109,400 |
| Teksystems | Gaming Analytics Engineer | Redmond, WA | 06/27/2025 | $156,525 |
| Apple | Game Engineer, Platform Architecture | Santa Clara, CA | 06/25/2025 | $175,800 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Anti-Cheat Engineer, Amazon Games | Seattle, WA | 06/15/2025 | $136,000 |
| The New York Times Company | Android Engineer, Games | New York, NY | 06/11/2025 | $110,000 |
| Motocol | Gameplay Engineer | Glendale, CA | 06/10/2025 | $52,175 |
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