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Contractual Console Game Tester Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Minimum 7 years' experience working on AAA PC and Console games as a Quality Assurance Manager. What are some brownie points? * Experience in testing Unreal environments is an asset.

Minimum 7 years' experience working on AAA PC and Console games as a Quality Assurance Manager. What are some brownie points? * Experience in testing Unreal environments is an asset.

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Contractual Console Game Tester information

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How much do contractual console game tester jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for contractual console 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.

How much do game testers get paid?

Contractual console game testers typically earn between $10 and $20 per hour, depending on experience and location. Some positions may offer a fixed salary or hourly rate, and testers often need basic knowledge of gaming and testing tools to qualify.

Can you actually get paid for testing games?

Contractual console game testers are paid for their work, which involves playing and evaluating games to identify bugs and improve quality. Payment is typically hourly or per project, and testers often need to have basic gaming knowledge and attention to detail. This role provides a legitimate income for those interested in game development and quality assurance.

What is the difference between Contractual Console Game Tester vs Contractual PC Game Tester?

AspectContractual Console Game TesterContractual PC Game Tester
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma, gaming knowledge, attention to detailHigh school diploma, gaming knowledge, attention to detail
Work EnvironmentConsole testing labs, gaming setupsPC testing setups, home or office environments
Industry UsageVideo game publishers, console manufacturersVideo game publishers, PC hardware/software companies
Search & Comparison IntentYesYes

Both roles involve testing video games for bugs and quality assurance, requiring similar skills and credentials. The main difference lies in the testing environment and platform focus: console testers work with gaming consoles, while PC testers focus on computer-based games. Both positions are essential in the gaming industry and often overlap in job requirements.

What are Contractual Console Game Testers?

Contractual Console Game Testers are professionals hired on a temporary or project basis to play and evaluate video games designed for consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch. Their main responsibilities include identifying bugs, glitches, or gameplay issues, and providing detailed feedback to developers to ensure the game’s quality before release. Unlike full-time testers, contractual testers typically work for a set duration or until specific milestones are met. This role requires strong attention to detail, good communication skills, and a passion for gaming.

How much do EA Play testers get paid?

EA Play testers, as contract or temporary employees, typically earn hourly wages that can range from minimum wage to around $15-$20 per hour, depending on location and experience. Compensation may also include perks like game access and flexible schedules, but pay rates vary by company and region.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Contractual Console Game Tester, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Contractual Console Game Tester, you need strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and a solid understanding of gaming mechanics, often with a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with bug tracking tools (like JIRA), various gaming consoles, and quality assurance (QA) processes is typically required. Excellent communication, patience, and teamwork help testers effectively report issues and collaborate with developers. These skills ensure that games are thoroughly tested, bugs are accurately documented, and the final product meets quality standards for players.

How to get hired as a game tester?

To get hired as a contractual console game tester, candidates should have a strong understanding of gaming systems, good attention to detail, and the ability to identify bugs and issues. Relevant experience with gaming, familiarity with testing tools, and good communication skills are often required. Applying through game development companies or testing agencies and demonstrating knowledge of game mechanics can improve chances of employment.

What are some common challenges faced by Contractual Console Game Testers, and how can they be managed effectively?

Contractual Console Game Testers often encounter tight deadlines and rapidly changing project scopes, especially when working on high-profile releases. Balancing thorough bug reporting with efficient gameplay testing can be challenging due to these time constraints. Effective communication with developers and leveraging structured testing checklists are key strategies to manage these challenges. Additionally, testers may need to quickly adapt to new testing tools or hardware updates, so staying flexible and proactive about learning is crucial for success in this role.
What cities are hiring for Contractual Console Game Tester jobs? Cities with the most Contractual Console Game Tester job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Console Game Tester jobs? The most popular types of Console Game Tester jobs are:
What states have the most Contractual Console Game Tester jobs? States with the most job openings for Contractual Console Game Tester jobs include:

Senior Unity Game Engineer (Remote)

Seismic Squirrel

Issaquah, WA • On-site, Remote

$62 - $75/hr

Contractor

Posted 14 days ago


Job description

Senior Unity Game Engineer (Remote)
Seismic Squirrel LLC
Job Title: Senior Unity Game Engineer
Our Games: Narrative-centric RPG videogames set in an alternate history 1930s New York.
Role: Unity programming and game architecture, Engineering leadership.
Experience: Senior Level, 8+ years of professional Unity videogame engineering experience
developing for PC / console. Must have successfully shipped game titles in the senior
engineering role.
Location: USA or Canada (Remote) - Must reside within the UTC-4 to UTC-8 timezones.
Company Size: 20
Pay: $62 - $75 USD per hour - Depends on skills and experience.
Job Type: Contractor or Contract-to-Hire (see below)
Overview
We are looking for a creative and resourceful Senior Gameplay Engineer with effective leadership skills, a clear understanding of Unity programming, experience developing combat AI systems, a logical and systemic thinker, with an iterative approach to development, a collaborative spirit, excellent communication skills, and an enthusiasm for RPG and turn-based videogames. The ideal candidate enjoys working with talented engineers, designers, writers, artists, and management, with a drive to create a fun and cohesive gameplay experience, able to empathize with both new players and with experts of the genre.
The ideal candidate communicates effectively in a small cross-functional remote team environment, clearly presenting their ideas to stakeholders for signoff. They bring a passion for working within an iterative development environment, having a collaborative spirit and an enthusiasm for videogames.
This is a remote position which requires regular collaboration online during our core work hours (9:30 AM - 5:30 PM Pacific), attending relevant team meetings (e.g. daily scrum, retrospectives, sprint planning, and design meetings). Occasional evening calls should be expected for collaboration with overseas vendors. The option to convert to full-time employee may be available to ideal candidates, depending on their location, skills, fit, project needs and schedule, and funding. H-1B transfers and sponsorships are not available at this time.
Quests
  • Design, implement, and improve...
    • Narrative: Integration with authoring, dialog, localization, and voiceover tools and content.
    • Combat: Vehicle physics, damage states, targeting, firing arcs, line of sight, area of effect.
    • Maps and Scenes: Travel, POI availability and interactions, encounters.
    • Backend: Save file system, achievements, DLC support.
    • Tools: Level design, unit and stats configuration, map editor, narrative editor.[
  • Lead engineering efforts, mentoring, effectively coordinating and delegating engineering duties.
  • Prototype new gameplay ideas and mechanics.
  • Creatively apply engineering best practices to implement architecture and programming for our games.
  • Own and support our DevOps pipelines utilizing tools including Unity Cloud Build and Bitbucket.
  • Identify and modify existing frameworks according to our project needs, building some game frameworks and subsystems from scratch as needed.
  • Engage in all aspects of game programming: Systems, UI / UX, APIs, internationalization and localization, optimization, and instrumentation.
  • Expand games from PC to console platforms.
  • Troubleshoot code and fix bugs.
  • Mentor junior programmers.
  • Educate and explain programming concerns to the rest of the Development Team.
  • Work with the Design Team to maintain UX quality throughout the development process.
  • Actively collaborate with the rest of the Development Team, openly communicating progress and problems, helping us set realistic project timelines and expectations.
  • Participate in internal game testing and feedback.
  • Help to create and maintain core technical documentation.
  • Balance and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines, working within agreed timeframes and budgets.

Character Stats
  • 8+ years of experience as a Unity software engineer through the full lifecycle of game development from start to finish:
    concept, design, prototyping, programming, content creation, testing, optimization, launch, support.
  • Strong Unity programming experience, specifically with turn-based combat games for PC / console.
  • Experienced creating and balancing combat AI.
  • Deep understanding of Unity and the performance impact of game architecture.
  • Adept at object-oriented programming and design principles using C# and the .NET platform.
  • Familiar with software engineering best practices, design patterns, and unit testing.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, resourceful, able to find solutions when needed.
  • Enthusiastic for quality gameplay and a familiarity with many games and genres, past and present.
  • Strong self-discipline, motivated, a self-starter with a drive for excellence.
  • Organized, detail-oriented, able to work fast and loose or carefully with quality when each is needed.
  • Courteous and patient, able to give and receive constructive and inspirational feedback gracefully.
  • Able to work effectively with people having a variety of personalities and backgrounds.
  • Wise leadership skills with high emotional intelligence, a respected mentor across disciplines.
  • Adaptable: The job can change according to the needs at hand and requires wearing various hats.
  • Able to work remotely using various collaboration tools.
  • Strong written, visual, and verbal English language communication and presentation skills.
  • Familiar with design diagramming techniques using UML.
  • Experienced working with professional narrative authoring tools (e.g. Articy, Arcweave, Pixel Crushers).
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Visio.
  • Passionate to learn new tools and technologies.

Bonus Points
  • Familiar with Pixel Crushers' Dialogue System for Unity.
  • Familiar with Dark Tonic's Master Audio.
  • Experienced using creative tools (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Blender, 3ds Max, Figma).
  • Experienced with XML processing, DOM, SAX, XSD, XPath, and XSLT.
  • Located in one of our hub metros: Seattle, Los Angeles, or Edmonton.

The Company
Seismic Squirrel is a talented and passionate team of both industry veterans and enthusiastic newcomers. We share a strong desire to tell fascinating stories supporting engaging gameplay mechanics.
If this sounds like an exciting opportunity for you, and if you're located and authorized to work in the USA or Canada, please submit both your cover letter and résumé to Seismic Squirrel.
For more information about Seismic Squirrel, go to https://www.SeismicSquirrel.com/