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Game Engine Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Waymo

Senior Software Engineer, ICX Graphics

Mountain View, CA · Hybrid

$165K - $204K/yr

Graphics or game engine developer with strong experience in 3D graphics development using C++ and APIs like OpenGL ES or Vulkan. * Experience with mobile/embedded platforms, custom rendering engines ...

Spinplay Games

Game Developer

Las Vegas, NV

Description The Game Developer is responsible for creating slot game front-end client software using our internal game engine. The Game Developer will act in both a project owner and project support ...

Roblox

Core Engine Developer - Systems (C++)

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$195K - $242K/yr

Worked on a game engine and understand how a game engine works You Are: * A software engineer with 4+ years of experience with Game networking coming from a Game Engine/Studio * A deep understanding ...

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$32.5K

$108.5K

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How much do game engine developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for game engine developer in the United States is $108,471.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $81,500.00 and $124,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Game Engine Developer?

A Game Engine Developer is a software engineer who designs, develops, and maintains the core technology used to build video games, known as a game engine. They create systems for rendering graphics, handling physics, processing audio, and managing assets, enabling game designers and artists to build interactive worlds. Game Engine Developers work closely with other developers to ensure the engine is efficient, scalable, and supports the features needed for modern games. Their work is crucial for both building new engines and customizing existing ones like Unity or Unreal Engine.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Game Engine Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Game Engine Developer, you need strong proficiency in computer science fundamentals, C++ programming, and experience with rendering, physics, or audio systems, often supported by a relevant degree. Familiarity with development tools like Visual Studio, version control systems (e.g., Git), and graphics APIs such as DirectX or OpenGL is typically required. Problem-solving ability, teamwork, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and addressing technical challenges. These skills ensure robust, high-performance engine development that meets the complex needs of modern game production.

What are some common challenges faced by Game Engine Developers when collaborating with cross-functional teams?

Game Engine Developers often work closely with artists, designers, and gameplay programmers, which can present challenges in balancing technical constraints with creative vision. Coordinating feature requests, optimizing for performance, and ensuring tools are user-friendly for non-programmers require strong communication and problem-solving skills. It's important to translate technical limitations into understandable terms and to build solutions that address the needs of different stakeholders. Successful developers proactively seek feedback and iterate on tools to support a smooth production pipeline.

What is the difference between Game Engine Developer vs Game Programmer?

AspectGame Engine DeveloperGame Programmer
Primary FocusDeveloping and optimizing game engines and toolsWriting gameplay code and implementing features
Skills & CertificationsProficiency in C++, graphics APIs, engine architectureStrong programming skills, knowledge of game frameworks
Work EnvironmentEngine development teams, software companiesGame development teams, studios

Game Engine Developers focus on creating and maintaining the core technology that powers games, while Game Programmers work on implementing gameplay features within those engines. Both roles require strong programming skills, but their responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

More about Game Engine Developer jobs
What cities are hiring for Game Engine Developer jobs? Cities with the most Game Engine Developer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Game Engine Developer jobs? The most popular types of Game Engine Developer jobs are:
What states have the most Game Engine Developer jobs? States with the most job openings for Game Engine Developer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Game Engine Developer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Game Engine Developer jobs are:
Game Engine Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Game Engine Developer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, 3% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 13% Contract. Highlights an 80% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,471 per year, or $52.1 per hour.

Principal Game Engine Engineer, Platform

Worldscape Technology Inc.

Redmond, WA

$160K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

Worldscape is a cutting-edge platform designed to unify distributed data, sensors, and intelligent agents across cloud, on-prem, and edge environments. By combining geospatial intelligence, physics-based 3D simulation, and reward-driven AI, Worldscape enables organizations to build immersive digital twins for predictive modeling, scenario planning, and adaptive decision-making. With a zero-trust security framework, seamless integration with legacy systems, and robust developer tools, Worldscape empowers rapid deployment of agentic applications that drive resilience and efficiency in sectors like logistics, telecom, defense, and infrastructure. 

Worldscape is seeking an experienced Principal Game Engine Engineer to join our fast-moving, innovative Platform team. The Principal Game Engine Engineer will participate in the design, implementation, and optimization of the real‑time physics systems that underpin the simulation in our applications. You will architect scalable physics solutions, integrate tightly with the data fabric, animation, and rendering pipelines, and drive innovation in physics-led simulation techniques to deliver responsive interactions across vehicles, environments, and all other simulation assets. As a Principal Engineer you will set technical directions, mentor engineers, and partner with Platform and Product Management to turn creative vision into performant, shippable features and customer applications. 
 
This is an onsite role located in Redmond, WA. 
Key Attributes:
  • Innovation Mindset: Passion for pushing the boundaries of real-time physics in interactive simulation. 
  • Leadership & Mentorship: Ability to guide developers, set technical direction for an area, and enforce best practices.
  • Problem-Solving: Creative and analytical approach to complex simulation challenges.
  • Communication: Clear articulation of technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. 
Responsibilities:
  • Own the physics architecture: Define data models, simulation loops, solver strategies, and integration points across engine and simulation systems.
  • Deliver core physics features: Collision detection (broad‑phase/narrow‑phase), entity controllers, vehicle dynamics with an emphasis on orbital mechanics, particles/fluid mechanics (with an emphasis on atmospheric dynamics).
  • Integrate with simulation logic (gameplay) & animation: Build physics‑driven interactions, authoring tools, and runtime hooks (e.g., inverse kinematics, state machines, event systems).
  • Performance ownership: Profile, optimize, and budget frame time and memory across platforms; lead multi-threading/Job System/SIMD efforts; evaluate GPU compute opportunities.
  • Stability & robustness: Establish test suites, golden scenarios, and verification and validation practices; reduce edge‑case instability (stacking, tunneling, jitter, constraint drift).
  • Tooling & workflow: Build/debug tools, visualizers, probes, and authoring pipelines that accelerate designer iteration and QA efficiency.
  • Cross‑functional leadership: Partner with back-end, AI, data pipeline, and platform teams; communicate constraints/trade‑offs; align milestones with production.
  • Mentorship & standards: Guide engineers via reviews, design docs, and coding standards; cultivate a high bar for craft, documentation, and reproducibility.
  • Quality & live support: Own crash triage and regression control for physics; support content changes post‑launch without destabilizing the simulation. 
Professional Qualifications:
  • Education: BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Physics, Mathematics (or equivalent practical experience).
  • Experience: 10+ years in real‑time/game physics engineering; 2+ shipped titles with substantial physics ownership (AA/AAA preferred).
  • Programming: Expert C++ (modern standards), data‑oriented design, memory management, profiling/debugging (VTune, PIX, Nsight, RenderDoc, etc.).
  • Rigid‑body dynamics, collision detection (GJK, SAT, continuous collision detection/time of impact), integration schemes (semi‑implicit Euler, RK, constraint solvers).
  • Numerical stability, error control, and performance trade‑offs under real‑time constraints.
  • Engine Integration: Experience integrating physics with animation (animation blending, IK), gameplay systems, and rendering pipelines.
  • Performance: Multi-threading/job systems, SIMD/vectorization, cache‑friendly data structures, frame/memory budgeting across platforms.
  • Collaboration: Proven ability to lead cross‑disciplinary efforts and communicate complex technical topics clearly. 
Preferred Qualifications:
  • 15+ years’ experience in Modern Game Engines & Middleware: Unreal Engine (Chaos), Unity (DOTS/Physics), Havok, Bullet, PhysX; custom engine experience strongly preferred.
  • 10+ years’ experience in Advanced Simulation: Fracture systems, granular materials, vehicle tire models, buoyancy/aero effects; GPU compute (CUDA, compute shaders).
  • Experience with existing physics models and systems integration.
  • Networking: Deterministic simulation strategies, rollback/prediction, server authority models, cross‑platform latency mitigation.
  • Console/Platform: Shipping experience on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC; familiarity with platform TRCs/TCRs and performance certification.
  • Tooling & Scripting: Python/C#/Lua for tools and editor extensions; in‑engine visualization/debugging overlays.
  • Optimization Expertise: Broad‑phase structures (sweep-and-prune, BVH), island building, sleeping strategies, CCD tunneling avoidance; job scheduling and affinity tuning.
  • Content Pipelines: Collaboration with design/tech art to create authoring guidelines for physics assets; LOD strategies for physics complexity. 
Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity awards. 
Why Worldscape? 
There is nothing more important to Worldscape than our culture. It is the fundamental means by which we will succeed as an organization. Talent, ability, drive, experience, knowledge cannot be maximized without first embracing the culture we espouse and will live every single day.  Worldscape offers great benefits, opportunities for continued growth, and the ability to directly affect change in our organization and be part of a high-growth startup at a pivotal stage. 

What we offer: 
- Competitive salary and meaningful equity 
- Attractive benefits package  
- Flexible time off policy 
- Medical, Dental and Vision insurance 
- HSA health insurance options 
- 401k plan 
- Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance
- Fast paced environment with flexibility and ownership
 
Worldscape is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, race, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

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.