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Entry Level Indie Game Developer Jobs in Raleigh, NC

Xsolla

AI-First Engineering Intern

Raleigh, NC

$16.25 - $21.25/hr

... game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute ... We're offering AI Engineer Internships in regions across the globe to help drive that shift ...

Lil' Kickers

Coach

Morrisville, NC · On-site

$10 - $13/hr

Responsibilities * Entry Level - no prior coaching experience necessary. Training provided ... games and activities. * Adhere to safety guidelines outlined for Lil' Kickers programming. * Set up ...

Lil' Kickers

Camp Lead

Morrisville, NC · On-site

$11 - $15/hr

Responsibilities * Entry Level - no prior coaching experience necessary. Training provided ... games and activities. * Adhere to safety guidelines outlined for Lil' Kickers programming. * Set up ...

All JobsIndie Game Developer JobsEntry Level Indie Game Developer JobsEntry Level Indie Game Developer Jobs in Raleigh, NC

Entry Level Indie Game Developer information

See Raleigh, NC salary details

$31.6K

$105.4K

$175K

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

As of Jul 25, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level indie game developer in Raleigh, NC is $105,442.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $79,200.00 and $120,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as an Entry Level Indie Game Developer, you need a solid grasp of programming fundamentals (often in languages like C# or C++), basic game design principles, and a relevant degree or portfolio showcasing your work. Familiarity with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine and version control systems like Git is typically expected. Creativity, problem-solving ability, and strong teamwork skills help you contribute to small, collaborative teams and adapt to evolving project requirements. These competencies ensure you can effectively build, iterate, and launch engaging indie games in a competitive industry.

What are some common challenges faced by entry level indie game developers, and how can they be overcome?

Entry level indie game developers often face challenges such as limited resources, tight budgets, and wearing multiple hats within small teams. Balancing creative ambitions with practical constraints can be difficult, especially when managing time between programming, art, sound, and marketing tasks. Effective communication and collaboration with team members, utilizing accessible development tools, and participating in online communities can help overcome these hurdles. Learning to scope projects realistically and seeking feedback early in the process are also essential strategies for success.

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

AspectEntry Level Indie Game DeveloperJunior Game Programmer
Required SkillsBasic programming, game design, creativityProgramming languages, debugging, software tools
Work EnvironmentIndependent projects, small teams, startupsGame studios, development teams, collaborative settings
Industry UsageIndie game development, small studiosGame development companies, larger studios

Both roles often require foundational programming skills and a passion for gaming. An Entry Level Indie Game Developer typically works on personal or small team projects, focusing on creativity and design, while a Junior Game Programmer is more involved in coding, debugging, and technical implementation within a professional studio environment. The roles overlap in skills but differ mainly in scope and work setting.

What are entry level indie game developers?

Entry level indie game developers are individuals who are new to game development and work within small, independent teams or as solo creators to produce video games. They typically handle a range of tasks, such as programming, designing, art creation, and testing, often learning on the job and wearing multiple hats. Their focus is usually on creative projects with limited budgets, aiming to break into the gaming industry or build a portfolio. Entry level indie developers may release their games on platforms like Steam, itch.io, or mobile app stores. The role is well-suited for those passionate about games, creativity, and self-driven learning.
What are the most commonly searched types of Indie Game Developer jobs in Raleigh, NC? The most popular types of Indie Game Developer jobs in Raleigh, NC are:
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs in Raleigh, NC? For Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs in Raleigh, NC, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs in Raleigh, NC look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs in Raleigh, NC are:
Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Indie Game Developer job openings in Raleigh, NC as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, and 25% Part Time. Highlights an 75% In-person, and 25% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $105,442 per year, or $50.7 per hour.
AI-First Engineering Intern

AI-First Engineering Intern

Xsolla

Raleigh, NC

$16.25 - $21.25/hr

Other

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

ABOUT US
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
For more information, visit xsolla.com.

Why This Role Exists

Xsolla is going all-in on becoming an AI-first company, and we're not waiting for a slow rollout to get there. We're offering AI Engineer Internships in regions across the globe to help drive that shift directly, not by sitting in the back office, but by building.

You'll work on two things:

  1. Internal AI initiatives - helping unlock AI tooling and integrations across Xsolla faster than our existing teams can alone.

  2. Proof-of-concept builds on our own APIs - showing our product and engineering teams what's possible when you build with AI as a core part of your workflow, not an afterthought.

This isn't a shadow-and-observe internship. You'll ship code that goes to customers - internal teams or external players and game developers - working closely with senior engineers and fellow interns across our global regions.

Who You'll Work With

You won't be isolated on an intern-only project island. You'll work closely with senior engineers who are actively rebuilding how we write software, and you'll be part of a global cohort of interns building in parallel across our regions. That combination is the point: senior engineers give you a bar for what production-grade, customer-facing code looks like, and your fellow interns give you a peer group to trade ideas, code, and AI workflows every week.

What You'll Do

  • Partner and collaborate with senior engineers to identify where AI tooling and integrations can remove friction, and build the fix.

  • Build applications and integrations on top of Xsolla's APIs and SDKs that show internal teams how to move faster using AI-assisted development.

  • Ship work that matters. What you build is expected to reach real users - whether that's an internal tool an engineering team adopts or a customer-facing integration - not a throwaway exercise that gets shelved after your internship ends.

  • Use agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) as your default way of working - not a novelty you reach for occasionally.

  • Share what you build. We run weekly 30-second lightning-talk demos where everyone shows how they used AI to solve something that week - you'll be expected to bring something real.

  • Work with minimal process. You'll get context, a problem, and a mentor - the rest is on you to figure out and build.

  • Learn from and collaborate with both directions: senior engineers who'll mentor you on production-grade practices, and fellow interns across markets you'll trade ideas and code with at the weekly demos.

What We're Looking For

You build things because you want to, and that you already use AI to do it faster.

  • Genuine passion for building. You have side projects, hackathon entries, open-source contributions, or something you shipped just because you were curious. You didn't need an assignment to make it happen.

  • Real AI fluency. You've actually used tools like Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or similar agentic coding tools to build something - not just asked ChatGPT to explain a concept. You should be able to explain how you used AI to get there and how you confirmed it actually worked - not someone who fires off a prompt and hopes for the best.

  • Bias toward action. Given an ambiguous problem, you start building before you ask for a spec.

  • Comfort with developing modern full-stack solutions - we care more about how fast you learn than what you already know cold.

  • Open to current undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates of a Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related program. If you're pursuing a graduate degree and don't mind taking on an internship-level role to get hands-on with AI, we want to hear from you.

How to Apply

No take-home assignments, no formal problem sets. We're evaluating proof of work, not your ability to complete an assigned exercise. Please include:

  1. A link to a GitHub profile, deployed project, or anything else you've built - the more recent and self-directed, the better.

  2. A short answer (2-3 sentences, or a 2-minute video/Loom if you'd rather show than tell) to: "What's something hard you built recently, and why did you build it?"

We're not grading for correctness or polish. We're looking for whether you have a real answer, and whether it's clear you actually did the work yourself (with AI as your tool, not your ghostwriter).

$20 - $25 an hour
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Xsolla is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with the Fair Chance Act.
 
Criminal History Consideration:
For the AI-First Engineering Intern, we will conduct a background check that may include the following:
Criminal history check
Employment verification
Education verification
 
Relevance to Job Responsibilities:
The background check is relevant to this position because of the following role responsibilities:
Accessing confidential company data
Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
 
Rights Under the Fair Chance Act:
Applicants are encouraged to inquire about their rights under the Fair Chance Act. If you have questions regarding our hiring practices, please contact [email protected].
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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