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Level designer salary
Average level designer salary
$96,455
Understanding Level Designer Salaries
The average salary for a Level Designer is approximately $96,455 annually, translating to around $46 per hour. This salary can fluctuate based on various factors, including the designer's level of experience and the geographic location of employment. For instance, entry-level designers may earn less, while those with extensive experience or specialized skills can command significantly higher wages.
In addition to experience, the sector in which a level designer works also impacts earnings. Designers in larger game development studios often receive higher compensation than those in smaller companies or independent projects. Furthermore, certain states offer higher average salaries for level designers, reflecting the local demand for skilled professionals. Understanding these variables can empower individuals to pursue opportunities that align with their career aspirations and financial goals.
Key Factors Influencing Salary
- Experience Level: Entry-level vs. seasoned professionals.
- Location: Geographic regions with higher demand.
- Industry: Larger firms may offer higher salaries.
By staying informed about industry trends and salary expectations, level designers can better navigate their career paths and enhance their earning potential.
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Where can a Level Designer earn more?
Level designer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level level designer | $60,300 | $28.98 |
| Mid-level level designer | $84,500 | $40.62 |
| Senior-level level designer | $132,000 | $63.33 |
Level designer salary estimates from across the web
Average level designer salary by state
The average level designer salary in California, Maryland, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average level designer salary states are Maine, Montana, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for level designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $114,601 | $55.10 |
| 2 | Washington | $102,264 | $49.17 |
| 3 | California | $109,594 | $52.69 |
| 4 | Virginia | $107,118 | $51.50 |
| 5 | Maryland | $107,651 | $51.76 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $97,407 | $46.83 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $90,123 | $43.33 |
| 8 | Arizona | $92,186 | $44.32 |
| 9 | Oregon | $87,416 | $42.03 |
| 10 | Nevada | $91,729 | $44.10 |
| 11 | Utah | $85,954 | $41.32 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $88,390 | $42.50 |
| 13 | Illinois | $88,224 | $42.42 |
| 14 | New York | $89,609 | $43.08 |
| 15 | Georgia | $83,718 | $40.25 |
| 16 | Texas | $83,632 | $40.21 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $87,470 | $42.05 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $89,328 | $42.95 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $80,036 | $38.48 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $82,877 | $39.84 |
| 21 | Colorado | $82,612 | $39.72 |
| 22 | Michigan | $76,497 | $36.78 |
| 23 | Ohio | $75,963 | $36.52 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $76,304 | $36.68 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $77,259 | $37.14 |
| 26 | Idaho | $80,470 | $38.69 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $81,839 | $39.35 |
| 28 | Delaware | $79,742 | $38.34 |
| 29 | Missouri | $77,403 | $37.21 |
| 30 | Indiana | $76,248 | $36.66 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $76,016 | $36.55 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $74,706 | $35.92 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $74,773 | $35.95 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $75,595 | $36.34 |
| 35 | Iowa | $72,709 | $34.96 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $69,056 | $33.20 |
| 37 | Kansas | $70,677 | $33.98 |
| 38 | Vermont | $72,658 | $34.93 |
| 39 | Maine | $67,577 | $32.49 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $69,407 | $33.37 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $70,869 | $34.07 |
| 42 | Florida | $67,849 | $32.62 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $68,181 | $32.78 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $70,832 | $34.05 |
| 45 | Alaska | $67,958 | $32.67 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $69,299 | $33.32 |
| 47 | Montana | $66,566 | $32.00 |
| 48 | Alabama | $62,935 | $30.26 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $58,927 | $28.33 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $54,847 | $26.37 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $50,514 | $24.29 |
Highest paying cities for level designers
The highest-paying cities for level designers are Novato, CA, Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novato, CA | $116,362 | $55.94 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $114,816 | $55.20 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $107,776 | $51.82 |
| 4 | Auburn, WA | $103,465 | $49.74 |
| 5 | Quincy, MA | $97,735 | $46.99 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $89,910 | $43.23 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $88,356 | $42.48 |
| 8 | Frisco, TX | $86,515 | $41.59 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $84,283 | $40.52 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $82,370 | $39.60 |
| 11 | Charlotte, NC | $76,663 | $36.86 |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | $76,640 | $36.85 |
| 13 | Lenexa, KS | $70,088 | $33.70 |
| 14 | Sunrise, FL | $65,627 | $31.55 |
| 15 | San Juan, PR | $52,501 | $25.24 |
Level designer salary details
A level designer's salary ranges from $62,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $148,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a level designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $148,000 | $12,333 | $71 |
| 75th Percentile | $121,000 | $10,083 | $58 |
| Average | $96,455 | $8,038 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
Highest paying level designer jobs
The highest paying types of level designers are lead designer, senior designer, and interactive designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer/Production | $48,619 | $4,052 | $23.37 | 95,831 |
| Graphic Designer, Marketing | $48,763 | $4,064 | $23.44 | 115,113 |
| Graphic Designer Internship | $35,800 | $2,983 | $17.21 | 93,292 |
| Motion Graphics Designer | $62,558 | $5,213 | $30.08 | 44,960 |
| Production Designer | $54,760 | $4,563 | $26.33 | 96,682 |
| User Experience Designer | $91,159 | $7,597 | $43.83 | 52,582 |
Top companies hiring level designers now:
Which companies pay level designers the most?
Level designer salaries at Meta and Sony Electronics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average level designer salary at companies like Gearbox Software and 2k are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $149,346 | $71.80 |
| 2 | Sony Electronics | $98,054 | $47.14 |
| 3 | Gearbox Software | $96,063 | $46.18 |
| 4 | 2k | $95,407 | $45.87 |
| 5 | Epic Games | $94,748 | $45.55 |
| 6 | Ready At Dawn Studios | $94,039 | $45.21 |
| 7 | Take-Two Interactive Software | $93,485 | $44.94 |
| 8 | Electronic Arts | $93,263 | $44.84 |
| 9 | Certain Affinity | $93,257 | $44.84 |
| 10 | ZeniMax Media | $92,503 | $44.47 |
| 11 | Naughty Dog | $92,488 | $44.47 |
| 12 | Carollo Engineers | $92,251 | $44.35 |
| 13 | Riot Games | $91,459 | $43.97 |
| 14 | USAA | $91,157 | $43.83 |
| 15 | Tencent | $90,089 | $43.31 |
| 16 | Activision Blizzard | $89,009 | $42.79 |
| 17 | Boeing | $88,609 | $42.60 |
| 18 | Kiewit | $86,870 | $41.76 |
| 19 | Miller’s | $86,845 | $41.75 |
| 20 | Modern Technology Solutions | $86,648 | $41.66 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Level designer salary trends
The average level designer salary has risen by $16,931 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average level designer earned $79,524 annually, but today, they earn $96,455 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for level designers over the last decade.
Compare level designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average level designer salary over time
Compare level designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Level designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $96,500 | $46.37 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $94,200 | $45.27 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $91,000 | $43.76 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $88,000 | $42.31 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $86,100 | $41.39 | +1.6% |
Recently added level designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Experienced-Level Technical Data Designer | Fort Walton Beach, FL | 06/30/2025 | $79,900 |
| Gensler | Technical Designer-Mid Level | Ione, WA | 06/30/2025 | $73,000 |
| Gensler | Designer-Workplace-Mid Level | Fine, NY | 06/30/2025 | $82,500 |
| Gensler | Designer-Workplace-Mid Level | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $75,000 |
| Gensler | Designer-Retail Stores-Mid Level | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Gensler | Designer-Healthcare Interiors-Mid Level | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $62,000 |
| Perspecta | NOW In Fort Huachuca, AZ-Multiple Positions and Levels Available | Pine, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $86,000 |
| Blind Squirrel | SR. Level Designer | Irvine, CA | 06/29/2025 | $95,000 |
| The Boeing Company | Experienced-Level Technical Data Designer | Fort Walton Beach, FL | 06/26/2025 | $79,900 |
| Playstation | SR Staff Level Designer | Los Angeles, CA | 06/09/2025 | $146,600 |
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