1

Contract Game Tester Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Provides game security and protects Company assets by facing games at all times and being able to ... ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: (Licenses, Certifications, Testing, etc.): * Must obtain and maintain all ...

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: (Licenses, Certifications, Testing, etc.): * Must obtain and maintain all ... contract of employment exists unless it is in writing and signed by your Department Head. The Team ...

VP, Trading Card Games

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$200 - $250/hr

... external game designers * Develop gameplay systems (rules engine, balancing, testing cycles ... Experience negotiating print and distribution contracts Key Competencies * Strategic thinker with ...

$2 - $25/hr

Provides game security and protects Company assets by always facing games and being able to ... ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: (Licenses, Certifications, Testing, etc.): * Must be able to deal ...

Showing results 41-60

Contract Game Tester information

See salary details

$14

$18

$22

How much do contract game tester jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average hourly pay for contract game tester in the United States is $18.29, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.35 and $19.95 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a contract game tester?

Contract Game Testers are professionals hired on a temporary or project basis to play and evaluate video games before their official release. Their primary role is to identify bugs, glitches, and other issues by thoroughly testing different aspects of the game, such as gameplay, graphics, and user interface. Unlike full-time employees, contract testers typically work for a fixed period or until a specific project is completed, often for game development studios or third-party testing companies. This role requires attention to detail, good communication skills, and a passion for gaming. The feedback provided by contract game testers helps developers improve the final product before it reaches players.

How does a contract game tester typically interact with development teams during a game’s testing phase?

Contract game testers often work closely with developers, QA leads, and other testers to report bugs, provide feedback, and ensure gameplay quality. While direct interaction with developers may vary by studio, testers commonly use bug-tracking systems and participate in daily stand-ups or sync meetings to discuss issues and verify fixes. Effective communication and detailed reporting are crucial, as remote or contract testers may need to collaborate across different time zones and project management tools. Building strong working relationships and being proactive in communication helps testers contribute meaningfully to the game's development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract game tester, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Contract Game Tester, you need a keen eye for detail, strong analytical skills, and a solid understanding of game mechanics, usually supported by experience with a variety of game genres. Familiarity with bug tracking tools like JIRA, test case management software, and various gaming platforms is typically required. Excellent communication, teamwork, and time management skills help testers provide clear feedback and work efficiently within deadlines. These abilities ensure high-quality game releases by identifying issues early and contributing to a smoother development process.

What is the difference between Contract Game Tester vs QA Tester?

AspectContract Game TesterQA Tester
CredentialsBasic gaming knowledge, sometimes testing certificationsQuality assurance certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentTemporary, project-based, often remote or on-site at game studiosFull-time, ongoing, typically in office or remote
Industry UsageCommon in gaming industry for specific projectsBroader across various industries including software and manufacturing
Search & Comparison IntentOften compared for testing roles in gamingMore general, but related in quality assurance roles

Contract Game Testers focus on short-term testing projects within the gaming industry, often requiring specific gaming knowledge. QA Testers have a broader role in ensuring product quality across industries, with more permanent positions. While both roles involve testing, Contract Game Testers are typically hired for specific game projects, whereas QA Testers work on ongoing quality assurance processes.

Are contract game tester jobs legit?

Contract game tester jobs are legitimate positions in the gaming industry where individuals test video games for bugs and quality issues. However, job seekers should be cautious of scams and verify the employer's credibility before applying, as some offers may be fraudulent or require upfront payments. Genuine roles typically involve testing on specific platforms and may require familiarity with gaming hardware and software.

Do contract game testers actually get paid?

Yes, contract game testers are paid for their work, typically receiving an hourly wage or project-based compensation. Payment rates can vary depending on the company, location, and experience, and testers often need to complete specific testing tasks or report bugs using testing tools. Compensation is usually provided on a regular schedule, such as weekly or biweekly.

How do I become a contract game tester?

To become a contract game tester, you should have a good understanding of video games, strong attention to detail, and basic knowledge of testing procedures. Many testers start by applying to freelance or temporary testing positions through gaming companies or testing platforms, and some may pursue certifications in quality assurance. Building a portfolio of testing experience and familiarizing yourself with game development tools can improve your chances of securing contract work.

How much do contract game testers get paid?

Contract game testers typically earn between $10 and $20 per hour, depending on experience, location, and the complexity of testing tasks. Some positions may offer fixed project-based pay or part-time schedules, and familiarity with testing tools can improve earning potential.

What cities are hiring for Contract Game Tester jobs?

Cities with the most Contract Game Tester job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Tester jobs?

The most popular types of Game Tester jobs are:

What states have the most Contract Game Tester jobs?

States with the most job openings for Contract Game Tester jobs include:

Infographic showing various Contract Game Tester job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 66% Full Time, 22% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 11% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $38,039 per year, or $18.3 per hour.

Senior Advanced Product Engineer

Scientific Games

Alpharetta, GA • On-site

Other

Re-posted 6 days ago


Scientific Games rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 25 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

5th of 15 rated gambling companies


Job description

Scientific Games:
Scientific Games is the global leader in lottery games, sports betting and technology, and the partner of choice for government lotteries. From cutting-edge backend systems to exciting entertainment experiences and trailblazing retail and digital solutions, we elevate play every day. We push game designs to the next level and are pioneers in data analytics and iLottery. Built on a foundation of trusted partnerships, Scientific Games combines relentless innovation, legendary performance, and unwavering security to responsibly propel the global lottery industry ever forward.
Position Summary
Scientific Games is hiring two Senior Product Engineers to join a small, high-impact team focused on strategic product initiatives and new business opportunities.
This role is ideal for experienced builders who can flex across product and engineering from zero-to-one development to enhancing complex, legacy systems. You'll be expected to deliver high-quality software quickly, make sound technical decisions, and leave systems better than you found them.
The team operates like a fast-moving product engineering pod, leveraging AI to accelerate development while maintaining long-term quality through clear specs, strong testing, and production-safe releases.
Successful candidates are product-minded, pragmatic, and technically strong. They focus on building the right solutions, earn trust through outcomes, and deliver work that is scalable, maintainable, and impactful.
What You Will Do
  • Build new products, prototypes, integrations, and production capabilities tied to strategic business opportunities.
  • Work inside existing legacy codebases while improving testability, interfaces, observability, automation, and maintainability.
  • Use AI coding tools and agentic workflows to accelerate code generation, test creation, documentation, refactoring, migration work, debugging, and review.
  • Turn ambiguous product intent into clear specs, acceptance criteria, interface contracts, examples, test plans, and release criteria.
  • Practice disciplined automated testing, including TDD, ATDD, unit tests, integration tests, contract tests, regression tests, and production validation where appropriate.
  • Create fast feedback loops through CI/CD, feature flags, preview environments, observability, deployment automation, and production-safe release patterns.
  • Partner with product, architecture, QA, DevOps, security, operations, and domain experts to make practical tradeoffs and get work into use.
  • Reduce cycle time by removing ambiguity, waiting, brittle test paths, slow reviews, unclear ownership, and avoidable rework.
  • Help define how this team works: engineering standards, technical decisions, AI-assisted development patterns, test strategy, and production readiness.
  • Share useful patterns with other engineering teams so the work improves more than one product or codebase.

Qualifications
What Success Looks Like
  • Turn ambiguous product or technical problems into clear, working solutions aligned to business outcomes
  • Move quickly without overengineering-making progress while improving code quality, tests, and system reliability
  • Work effectively in legacy systems, leaving codebases cleaner, safer, and easier to build on
  • Use AI tools to accelerate validated delivery, structuring work for fast feedback and strong testing
  • Stay focused on product impact-understanding users, workflows, and measurable results
  • Earn trust across the business for solving real problems and within engineering for high-quality, maintainable work

Experience That Fits
  • 10+ years of Software Engineering experience
  • Experience building production software across the full lifecycle: product framing, design, implementation, testing, release, operations, and iteration.
  • Experience working in large or legacy codebases while improving architecture, testability, observability, and delivery speed.
  • Hands-on fluency with modern AI-assisted development tools, including coding assistants, agentic workflows, AI-assisted code generation and review, test generation, documentation support, refactoring, migration support, and debugging.
  • Strong automated testing discipline, including TDD, ATDD, unit testing, integration testing, contract testing, regression automation, and production validation.
  • Experience building fast feedback loops with CI/CD, automated test suites, feature flags, preview environments, observability, deployment automation, and progressive release practices.
  • Strong engineering judgment across software design, APIs, integration patterns, data flows, reliability, security, and production readiness.
  • Ability to work directly with product leaders, business stakeholders, domain experts, QA, DevOps, architecture, security, and operations teams.
  • Clear written and verbal communication; able to turn ambiguity into an implementation path others can understand.

Especially Useful Backgrounds
  • Product engineering in a startup, growth-stage company, incubation team, platform team, or strategic product pod.
  • Experience bringing modern development practices into older systems without stopping delivery.
  • Regulated, high-reliability, transactional, gaming, lottery, payments, or customer-facing platform environments.
  • Cloud-native development, platform engineering, infrastructure as code, APIs, event-driven systems, distributed systems, or integration-heavy architectures.
  • Experience helping other engineers adopt better AI-assisted development, testing, release, or observability practices.

Work Conditions
Scientific Games, LLC and its affiliates (collectively, "SG") are engaged in highly regulated gaming and lottery businesses. As a result, certain SG employees may, among other things, be required to obtain a gaming or other license(s), undergo background investigations or security checks, or meet certain standards dictated by law, regulation or contracts. In order to ensure SG complies with its regulatory and contractual commitments, as a condition to hiring and continuing to employ its employees, SG requires all of its employees to meet those requirements that are necessary to fulfill their individual roles. As a prerequisite to employment with SG (to the extent permitted by law), you shall be asked to consent to SG conducting a due diligence/background investigation on you.
This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive; it is intended to identify major responsibilities and requirements of the job. The employee in this position may be requested to perform other job-related tasks and responsibilities than those stated above.
Education
Masters degree preferred.
Years of Related Experience
10+ Years
SG is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. If you'd like more information about your equal employment opportunity rights as an applicant under the law, please click here for EEOC Poster.

What Scientific Games employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom