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Entry Level Game Developer Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

Hardin Design

Web Developer - Entry Level

Madison, WI · On-site +1

$55K - $70K/yr

This is an entry-level web developer position at Hardin Design & Development. The pay range for ... casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East ...

Hardin Design

Web Developer - Entry Level

Madison, WI · On-site +1

This is an entry-level web developer position at Hardin Design & Development. The pay range for ... casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East ...

Hardin Design

Web Developer - Entry Level

Madison, WI · On-site

$55K - $70K/yr

This is an entry-level web developer position at Hardin Design & Development. The pay range for ... casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East ...

TRC Companies, Inc.

Electrical Engineer I

Madison, WI · On-site

$65K - $79.06K/yr

Game changer. Pioneer. TRC has long set the bar for clients who require more than just engineering ... Overview Perform an entry-level engineering role in the design or construction aspects of ...

Hardin Design

Python Software Engineer

Madison, WI · On-site +1

$65K - $70K/yr

Even as an entry-level position, you'll be expected to fully participate in all aspects of the ... casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East ...

Hardin Design

Python Software Engineer

Madison, WI · On-site +1

Even as an entry-level position, you'll be expected to fully participate in all aspects of the ... casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East ...

Hardin Design

Python Software Engineer

Madison, WI · On-site

$65K - $70K/yr

Even as an entry-level position, you'll be expected to fully participate in all aspects of the ... casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East ...

People also search for

All JobsGame Developer JobsEntry Level Game Developer JobsEntry Level Game Developer Jobs in Madison, WI

Entry Level Game Developer information

See Madison, WI salary details

$32.7K

$109.3K

$181.4K

How much do entry level game developer jobs pay per year?

As of May 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level game developer in Madison, WI is $109,298.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,100.00 and $124,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Does an Entry Level Game Developer Do?

As an entry-level game developer, your responsibilities revolve around programming the algorithms and code that control video games. Your duties are to develop action sequences in games, graphical user interfaces, and other basic tools that allow seamless gameplay. You must be conscious of console or computer requirements, such as memory usage and graphics chip limitations, and you should be able to identify and fix glitches in the game quickly. You work closely with other programmers and QA testers to ensure that you deal with these issues systematically.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Game Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Game Developer, you need a solid understanding of programming languages like C++ or C#, basic game design principles, and typically a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine, version control systems like Git, and basic graphic or animation tools is highly beneficial. Creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and effective communication are key soft skills that help you collaborate and adapt in dynamic development environments. These skills ensure you can efficiently contribute to game projects, meet technical requirements, and work well within multidisciplinary teams.

What are some common challenges faced by entry level game developers when working on their first projects?

Entry level game developers often encounter challenges such as balancing creative ideas with technical limitations, adapting to collaborative workflows, and managing tight deadlines. Learning to navigate large codebases, understanding version control systems, and effectively communicating with designers, artists, and senior programmers are key aspects of the role. Overcoming these hurdles requires a willingness to learn, ask questions, and seek feedback from teammates, which helps foster both technical and interpersonal growth within a supportive game development environment.

What is the difference between Entry Level Game Developer vs Junior Game Programmer?

AspectEntry Level Game DeveloperJunior Game Programmer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Game Design, or related fieldBachelor's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
Work EnvironmentGame studios, indie developers, or freelance projectsGame development teams, software companies, or indie studios
Employer & Industry UsageCommonly used in gaming industry for entry rolesOften used interchangeably with Entry Level Game Developer in job listings
Common Search & Comparison IntentYesYes

Both roles typically require a bachelor's degree in a related field and involve working in game development environments. While the titles may differ slightly, they often refer to similar entry-level positions focused on coding, debugging, and supporting game projects. The main difference lies in terminology preference among employers, but both roles serve as starting points for a career in game programming.

More about Entry Level Game Developer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Game Developer jobs in Madison, WI? The most popular types of Game Developer jobs in Madison, WI are:
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level Game Developer jobs in Madison, WI? For Entry Level Game Developer jobs in Madison, WI, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level Game Developer jobs in Madison, WI look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level Game Developer jobs in Madison, WI are:
What cities near Madison, WI are hiring for Entry Level Game Developer jobs? Cities near Madison, WI with the most Entry Level Game Developer job openings:
Entry Level Game Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Game Developer job openings in Madison, WI as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 54% Full Time, and 46% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $109,298 per year, or $52.5 per hour.

Web Developer - Entry Level

Hardin Design

Madison, WI • On-site, Remote

$55K - $70K/yr

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago

Job description

Company Description

At Hardin Design & Development, we are passionate about creating awesome software, web applications and mobile for our customers. We work with everyone, from startups to the Fortune 500 companies, and take the same degree of pride in our work no matter the client. Our designers create elegant, easy to use interfaces and our developers bring cutting edge expertise to our projects, with an eye for quality, security and bug-free code.
 

We'd love for you to check out some of our favorite projects featured in our portfolio and read about how we've helped our clients accomplish their technology goals. Visit our website at www.hardindd.com and apply to join the Hardin Team today

Job Description

ON SITE ONLY. Our company is open to hybrid models and remote work with trusted long term employees, but new hires must start out working from our Madison office.

This is an entry-level web developer position at Hardin Design & Development. The pay range for this role is between $55,000 to $70,000 annually.

From the top down, our staff adapt quickly and confidently "wear a lot of hats", and we highly value that in potential new team members.  We believe strongly in choosing the right tool for the job, so our projects can vary widely in the tech stacks we use. We're looking for individuals with diverse skill sets that share our passion for learning, growing, and making new things work.

We believe that the best way to grow as developers is by tackling new experiences head-on, and our staff, past and present, can attest to that.  Even as an entry-level position, you'll be expected to fully participate in all aspects of the development process. Responsibilities include web application design and development, daily interaction with clients, and application planning and implementation.

As a full-time (40 hr/wk) position, we are proud to offer an in-network POS healthcare plan with minimum co-pays through Quartz as well as a retirement package. As multiple time winners of Madison Magazine's Best Places to Work Award, we also offer an easy-going work atmosphere with a casual dress code, game room, and a large open office right in the heart of Madison's East Washington corridor. There is also the opportunity for career advancement within the company.

Qualifications

A college degree in computer science or related field is preferred, but not required. Other combinations of training and/or experience which can be demonstrated to result in possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities that are needed to perform the tasks of this position will also be considered.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • A solid base-level understanding of basic algorithms and data structures, as well as how to implement/use them is required.  A good candidate should also have in-depth proficiency in one or more programing languages.
  • Preference will be given to candidates with proficiency in relevant languages and technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, etc.  The ability to run and maintain at least one common web application stack (such as LAMP) as well as a background working with relational databases (SQL) is also desired, but not strictly required.
  • The project we are hiring for has a tech stack of PHP and React, knowledge of both is a major plus

Bonus Qualifications:

While not strict requirements for this role, we consider it a plus if a candidate has experience in the following:

  • Experience maintaining infrastructure hosted by Amazon Web Services or a similar cloud provider is a plus. 
  • Strong consideration will be given to candidates with experience working with any common front-end frameworks (ReactJS, VueJS, Angular, etc.) or back-end frameworks (Laravel, Symfony, Express in Node.js, Django in Python, etc.).
  • Experience with CI/CD solutions.
  • Experience with Docker
  • Design, browser compatibility, a demonstration of strong technical proficiency, breadth of knowledge, the ability to learn quickly, and a strong desire to grow as a developer.
Additional Information

Unfortunately, at this time we cannot provide Visa sponsorship. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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