Video game developer demographics and statistics in the US
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Video game developer demographics by:
Video game developer gender statistics
23.7% of video game developers are women and 76.3% of video game developers are men.
- Male, 76.3%
- Female, 23.7%
Video game developer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.3% |
| Female | 23.7% |
Video game developer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$91,282
Female income
$86,020
Video game developer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in video game developer positions over time. Currently, 23.7% of video game developers are female.
Video game developer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.97% | 14.03% |
| 2011 | 84.70% | 15.30% |
| 2012 | 85.78% | 14.22% |
| 2013 | 86.85% | 13.15% |
| 2014 | 85.64% | 14.36% |
| 2015 | 85.74% | 14.26% |
| 2016 | 86.83% | 13.17% |
| 2017 | 86.23% | 13.77% |
| 2018 | 78.09% | 21.91% |
| 2019 | 76.49% | 23.51% |
| 2020 | 77.24% | 22.76% |
| 2021 | 76.34% | 23.66% |
Video game developer related jobs gender ratio
We compared video game developers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Video Game Developer | 76% | 24% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Video game developer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among video game developers is White, which makes up 67.7% of all video game developers. Comparatively, 12.0% of video game developers are Asian and 8.8% of video game developers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.7%
- Asian, 12.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.8%
- Black or African American, 6.2%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Video game developer race
| Video game developer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.7% |
| Asian | 12.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.2% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Video game developer race and ethnicity over time
See how video game developer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Video game developer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.09% | 9.39% | 10.78% | 7.43% |
| 2011 | 70.82% | 9.26% | 10.08% | 6.76% |
| 2012 | 68.23% | 9.76% | 11.84% | 7.55% |
| 2013 | 68.24% | 9.08% | 13.31% | 7.03% |
| 2014 | 68.30% | 8.60% | 13.45% | 6.77% |
| 2015 | 69.40% | 8.46% | 11.85% | 7.58% |
| 2016 | 68.76% | 7.94% | 12.50% | 7.70% |
| 2017 | 68.46% | 8.03% | 12.72% | 8.01% |
| 2018 | 72.30% | 6.27% | 11.30% | 7.41% |
| 2019 | 71.06% | 6.68% | 11.46% | 8.08% |
| 2020 | 68.88% | 6.11% | 11.53% | 8.82% |
| 2021 | 67.73% | 6.24% | 11.99% | 8.82% |
Video game developer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian video game developers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american video game developers have the lowest average salary at $87,703.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $89,932 |
| White | $90,756 |
| Black or African American | $87,703 |
| Asian | $99,646 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $88,853 |
Average video game developer age
See how the average age of video game developers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Video game developer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 45 |
| Unknown | 42 | 42 |
| Asian | 42 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 41 |
| White | 44 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 44 | 46 |
Video game developer age breakdown
The average age of video game developers is 40+ years years old, representing 62% of the video game developer population.
Video game developer age breakdown
| Video Game Developer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 62% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Video game developer educational attainment
The most common degree for video game developers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of video game developers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Video game developers by degree level
| Video game developer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 69% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 11% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Video game developer jobs you might like
Video game developer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, video game developers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $111,241 annually. With a Master's degree, video game developers earn a median annual income of $110,517 compared to $97,512 for video game developers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,517 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,512 |
| Doctorate Degree | $111,241 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $79,488 |
Video game developer employment statistics
Most video game developers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where video game developers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where video game developers work.
Video game developer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 17% |
Video game developer jobs by company type
Employees with the video game developer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most video game developers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Video game developer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 27% |
| Public | 17% |
| Private | 57% |
Video game developer jobs by industry
The most common industries for video game developers are technology, education and media.
Video game developer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 31% |
| Education | 25% |
| Media | 9% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Real Estate | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Automotive | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
Video game developer turnover and employment statistics
Video game developer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for video game developers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Video game developer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Video game developer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.08% |
| 2011 | 4.28% |
| 2012 | 4.87% |
| 2013 | 3.52% |
| 2014 | 3.32% |
| 2015 | 3.15% |
| 2016 | 2.86% |
| 2017 | 2.28% |
| 2018 | 2.52% |
| 2019 | 2.66% |
| 2020 | 3.94% |
| 2021 | 3.69% |
Average video game developer tenure
The average video game developer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 162 video game developers resumes in Zippia's database.
Video game developer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 33% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 10% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Video game developer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of video game developers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,557 |
| Senior Technical Consultant | 8.42% | 158,400 |
| Contract Software Developer | 8.46% | 303,433 |
| Senior Information Assurance Engineer | 8.59% | 95,254 |
| Application Administrator | 9.03% | 78,004 |
| Video Game Developer | 10.54% | - |
| Senior Technical Support Coordinator | 10.88% | 136,022 |
Similar video game developer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,557 |
| Senior Technical Consultant | 8.42% | 158,400 |
| Contract Software Developer | 8.46% | 303,433 |
| Senior Information Assurance Engineer | 8.59% | 95,254 |
| Application Administrator | 9.03% | 78,004 |
| Senior Technical Support Coordinator | 10.88% | 136,022 |
Foreign languages spoken by video game developers
The most common foreign language among video game developers is Cantonese at 20.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Carrier at 20.0% and Spanish is the third-most popular at 10.0%.
- Cantonese, 20.0%
- Carrier, 20.0%
- Spanish, 10.0%
- Chinese, 10.0%
- French, 10.0%
- Other, 30.0%
Video game developer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Cantonese | 20.0% |
| Carrier | 20.0% |
| Spanish | 10.0% |
| Chinese | 10.0% |
| French | 10.0% |
| Other | 30.0% |