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Senior game designer salary
Average senior game designer salary
$102,838
Average Senior Game Designer Salary
The average salary for a Senior Game Designer in the United States is approximately $102,838 per year, or about $49 per hour. This figure reflects a competitive compensation package for individuals with extensive experience in the gaming industry.
Salary Variations by State
Location significantly impacts earnings. For instance, states like California and Washington often offer higher salaries, attributable to the concentration of gaming companies and the cost of living.
Experience Matters
As with many professions, experience influences salary. Senior Game Designers with several years in the field can expect to earn more as they advance their careers.
Industries and Opportunities
Besides traditional gaming companies, opportunities exist in sectors such as education and healthcare, which increasingly utilize game design for training and engagement purposes. This diversification can lead to varied salary ranges and job satisfaction.
Understanding these factors can help aspiring game designers gauge their potential earnings and make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Senior Game Designer earn more?
Senior game designer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior game designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior game designers are Nevada, Delaware, and Rhode Island. The lowest average senior game designer salary states are Georgia, Minnesota, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior game designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $110,614 | $53.18 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $113,649 | $54.64 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $115,719 | $55.63 |
| 4 | Nevada | $119,880 | $57.63 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $106,169 | $51.04 |
| 6 | Delaware | $116,130 | $55.83 |
| 7 | Utah | $99,780 | $47.97 |
| 8 | Maine | $103,385 | $49.70 |
| 9 | Idaho | $107,236 | $51.56 |
| 10 | Ohio | $101,759 | $48.92 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $103,792 | $49.90 |
| 12 | Indiana | $105,928 | $50.93 |
| 13 | California | $105,022 | $50.49 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $101,048 | $48.58 |
| 15 | Maryland | $104,503 | $50.24 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $98,790 | $47.50 |
| 17 | New York | $99,012 | $47.60 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $102,502 | $49.28 |
| 19 | Michigan | $92,249 | $44.35 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $100,976 | $48.55 |
| 21 | Texas | $92,206 | $44.33 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $95,352 | $45.84 |
| 23 | Alaska | $103,255 | $49.64 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $94,260 | $45.32 |
| 25 | Vermont | $95,350 | $45.84 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $97,362 | $46.81 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $94,425 | $45.40 |
| 28 | Colorado | $92,636 | $44.54 |
| 29 | Oregon | $89,700 | $43.13 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $87,944 | $42.28 |
| 31 | Virginia | $87,309 | $41.98 |
| 32 | Montana | $89,975 | $43.26 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $89,008 | $42.79 |
| 34 | Missouri | $88,519 | $42.56 |
| 35 | Arizona | $86,843 | $41.75 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $83,884 | $40.33 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $87,440 | $42.04 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $86,724 | $41.69 |
| 39 | New Jersey | $88,276 | $42.44 |
| 40 | Georgia | $78,534 | $37.76 |
| 41 | Illinois | $81,570 | $39.22 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $83,023 | $39.91 |
| 43 | Florida | $82,610 | $39.72 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $83,691 | $40.24 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $77,997 | $37.50 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $79,742 | $38.34 |
| 47 | Alabama | $79,489 | $38.22 |
| 48 | Kansas | $74,448 | $35.79 |
| 49 | Iowa | $75,736 | $36.41 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $76,098 | $36.59 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $71,754 | $34.50 |
Highest paying cities for senior game designers
The highest-paying cities for senior game designers are Las Vegas, NV, Washington, DC, and Vancouver, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas, NV | $119,158 | $57.29 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $115,931 | $55.74 |
| 3 | Vancouver, WA | $114,201 | $54.90 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $109,821 | $52.80 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $100,961 | $48.54 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $99,357 | $47.77 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $92,558 | $44.50 |
| 8 | Dallas, TX | $92,549 | $44.49 |
| 9 | Tampa, FL | $83,632 | $40.21 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $82,258 | $39.55 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $78,019 | $37.51 |
| 12 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,950 | $34.59 |
Senior game designer salary details
A senior game designer's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $155,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior game designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $155,000 | $12,917 | $75 |
| 75th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| Average | $102,838 | $8,570 | $49 |
| 25th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
Highest paying senior game designer jobs
The highest paying types of senior game designers are lead designer, lead game designer, and video game designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Lead Designer | $110,001 | $9,167 | $52.89 | 45,423 |
| Game Designer | $87,645 | $7,304 | $42.14 | 45,227 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior game designers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Abby Guido
Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University
Top companies hiring senior game designers now:
Which companies pay senior game designers the most?
Senior game designer salaries at Meta and McKinsey & Company Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior game designer salary at companies like Microsoft and Netflix are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $149,692 | $71.97 |
| 2 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $148,415 | $71.35 |
| 3 | Microsoft | $130,472 | $62.73 |
| 4 | Netflix | $129,845 | $62.43 |
| 5 | The Walt Disney Company | $119,666 | $57.53 |
| 6 | Daybreak Game | $106,855 | $51.37 |
| 7 | Bungie | $105,999 | $50.96 |
| 8 | Jam City | $104,516 | $50.25 |
| 9 | Electronic Arts | $104,403 | $50.19 |
| 10 | Motion Recruitment | $104,176 | $50.08 |
| 11 | IMVU | $103,636 | $49.83 |
| 12 | Glu Mobile | $103,524 | $49.77 |
| 13 | GSN Games | $103,387 | $49.71 |
| 14 | Amazon | $103,133 | $49.58 |
| 15 | Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. | $102,970 | $49.50 |
| 16 | Cloud Imperium Games | $102,265 | $49.17 |
| 17 | ProbablyMonsters | $101,882 | $48.98 |
| 18 | Mythical Store | $101,845 | $48.96 |
| 19 | PlayStation | $101,826 | $48.95 |
| 20 | Zynga | $101,616 | $48.85 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Game Designer salary by industry
The average senior game designer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior game designer salary in the hospitality industry is $115,013, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior game designer salary in the finance industry is $104,399.
- Senior game designers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $96,869, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior game designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $115,013 | $55.29 |
| 2 | Professional | $104,399 | $50.19 |
| 3 | Technology | $103,570 | $49.79 |
| 4 | Media | $96,872 | $46.57 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $96,869 | $46.57 |
High paying senior game designer jobs
Senior game designer salary trends
The average senior game designer salary has risen by $16,834 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior game designer earned $86,004 annually, but today, they earn $102,838 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior game designers over the last decade.
Compare senior game designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior game designer salary over time
Compare senior game designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior game designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $103,000 | $49.44 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $99,400 | $47.81 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $97,200 | $46.73 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $95,300 | $45.82 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $93,100 | $44.78 | +1.5% |
Recently added senior game designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Experiences | SR. Game Designer-Lucasfilm Games | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $113,400 |
| Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. | Senior Game Designer, Systems-World of Warcraft | | Irvine, CA | 06/27/2025 | $80,800 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Senior Game Designer-Gaming AI | Redmond, WA | 06/24/2025 | $131,400 |
| Industrial Light & Magic | SR. Game Designer-Lucasfilm Games | San Francisco, CA | 06/20/2025 | $113,400 |
| Walt Disney Co | SR. Game Designer-Lucasfilm Games | San Francisco, CA | 06/14/2025 | $113,400 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Senior Game Designer, Amazon Games | Seattle, WA | 06/11/2025 | $101,500 |
| Meta | Senior Boss Encounter Designer-Sanzaru Game Studio | Indianapolis, IN | 06/11/2025 | $137,000 |
| Meta | Senior Boss Encounter Designer-Sanzaru Game Studio | Olympia, WA | 06/11/2025 | $137,000 |
| Meta | Senior Boss Encounter Designer-Sanzaru Game Studio | Little Rock, AR | 06/11/2025 | $137,000 |
| Meta | Senior Boss Encounter Designer-Sanzaru Game Studio | Lincoln, NE | 06/11/2025 | $137,000 |
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