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Associate Game Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

LA28

Services Lead, Beach Volleyball

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... Games. The Senior Associate ed to relay and facilitate critical services for key stakeholder groups, such as athletes, International Federations and technical officials. They will also coordinate ...

SEGA OF AMERICA INC

Senior Graphic Designer

Burbank, CA · On-site

$68K - $94K/yr

Reporting to the Associate Director of Creative Services, the Senior Graphic Designer plays a key ... Games, Marketing, Film, Television, and Animated Content. This role works closely with the ...

Sega of America

Senior Graphic Designer

Burbank, CA · On-site

$86K - $107K/yr

Reporting to the Associate Director of Creative Services, the Senior Graphic Designer plays a key ... Games, Marketing, Film, Television, and Animated Content. This role works closely with the ...

1000heads

Motion Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

Collaborate with Associate Creative Directors, Sr. Art Directors, Designers and Copywriters to ... Culture Club with monthly activities like sports, games and happy hours. * DEI Council and Employee ...

1000heads

Motion Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

Collaborate with Associate Creative Directors, Sr. Art Directors, Designers and Copywriters to ... Culture Club with monthly activities like sports, games and happy hours. * DEI Council and Employee ...

1000heads

Motion Designer - Contractor

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

Collaborate with Associate Creative Directors, Sr. Art Directors, Designers and Copywriters to ... Culture Club with monthly activities like sports, games and happy hours. * DEI Council and Employee ...

1000heads

Motion Designer - Contractor

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

Collaborate with Associate Creative Directors, Sr. Art Directors, Designers and Copywriters to ... Culture Club with monthly activities like sports, games and happy hours. * DEI Council and Employee ...

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All JobsAssociate Game Designer JobsAssociate Game Designer Jobs in California

Associate Game Designer information

See California salary details

$19.2K

$57.8K

$86.4K

How much do associate game designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for associate game designer in California is $57,794.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $47,900.00 and $67,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an associate game designer do?

An Associate Game Designer assists in creating game mechanics, levels, and user experiences under the guidance of senior designers. They collaborate with artists, programmers, and producers to implement and refine gameplay elements. Their responsibilities may include documentation, playtesting, data analysis, and balancing game systems. This role is often an entry-level position, providing hands-on experience in game development processes. Strong communication, creativity, and problem-solving skills are essential for success in this role.

What does a typical day look like for an associate game designer?

A typical day for an Associate Game Designer involves collaborating with senior designers and artists to develop and refine gameplay mechanics, creating and iterating on levels or features, and documenting design specifications. You might attend team meetings, playtest early builds, and gather feedback to improve the player experience. The environment is usually highly collaborative, and you'll often coordinate with programmers, artists, and QA testers to bring game concepts to life. This diverse range of tasks helps you develop a deep understanding of game development while building a strong foundation for future career growth.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the associate game designer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Associate Game Designer, you need a solid grasp of game mechanics, level design, storytelling, and a relevant educational background such as a bachelor’s degree in game design or a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, version control systems, and knowledge of scripting languages is highly valuable. Strong communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills set successful candidates apart in collaborative development environments. These combined abilities ensure that you can effectively contribute to the creative vision and technical execution of game projects.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Designer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Game Designer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Associate Game Designer jobs in California?

For Associate Game Designer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Associate Game Designer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Associate Game Designer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Associate Game Designer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Associate Game Designer job openings:

Associate Game Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Associate Game Designer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 66% Full Time, 29% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $57,794 per year, or $27.8 per hour.

Associate Game Designer, Technical

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)
Software Development • 1 - 5K employees
Learn more about Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)external

$37 - $50/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

Re-posted 29 days ago

Job description

This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.

This is a hybrid / onsite position.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

In this role you'll be responsible for prototyping gameplay using our in-house tools and scripting language, which could range from combat encounters to narrative sequences to player mechanics and enemy behaviors. Then working across departments to bring your prototypes into production and polish your work to the high level of quality Naughty Dog is known for. We're looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can combine their technical and creative skills while iterating rapidly.

What you will do

  • Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors
  • Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
  • Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you're owning
  • Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills will you use

  • Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)
  • Knowledge of 3D math
  • Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language
  • Broad understanding of gaming landscape
  • Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills
  • Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions
  • Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Bonus Skills

  • Experience developing third-person action games
  • Experience with 3D level editors
  • Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay
  • Experience with the following areas of design
    • Behavior Trees
    • Melee
    • Combat Systems
    • Character animation
    • Enemy & boss design

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview

#LI-SP3

At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click hereto learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.
$37-$50 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to ourCandidate Privacy Noticefor more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

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