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Junior Game Developer Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Email Developer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$60 - $90/hr

Foosball tables and games in office * Casual dress code * Recognition program offering dotbox ... a junior college student. I am able to work around my school schedule. THANK YOU FOR THE ...

Lead adult and junior classes, clinics, and player development programs * Plan and execute junior ... Passion for growing the game of golf and delivering exceptional customer experiences * Comfortable ...

Lead adult and junior classes, clinics, and player development programs * Plan and execute junior ... Passion for growing the game of golf and delivering exceptional customer experiences * Comfortable ...

They organize, instruct and implement safe, fun and entertaining activities and games for children ... Promotes all Junior programming to increase participation in all Kids & Aquatics programming

They organize, instruct and implement safe, fun and entertaining activities and games for children ... Promotes all Junior programming to increase participation in all Kids & Aquatics programming

Head of Engineering

Chicago, IL · On-site

$220K - $275K/yr

Founded in 2023, the company serves marketplaces, fintechs, remittance providers, gaming platforms ... Mentor every engineer on the team, from senior to junior, leveling people up rather than just ...

Head of Engineering

Chicago, IL · On-site

$220 - $275/hr

Founded in 2023, the company serves marketplaces, fintechs, remittance providers, gaming platforms ... Mentor every engineer on the team, from senior to junior, leveling people up rather than just ...

Trading Analyst Intern

Chicago, IL · On-site

$30 - $35/hr

... physics, engineering or computer science. Candidates should be comfortable working in a trading ... Excellent math, probability, game theory skills. Job Posted by ApplicantPro

Head of Engineering

Chicago, IL · On-site

$220 - $275/hr

Founded in 2023, the company serves marketplaces, fintechs, remittance providers, gaming platforms ... Mentor every engineer on the team, from senior to junior, leveling people up rather than just ...

Showing results 21-40

Junior Game Developer information

See Illinois salary details

$23.3K

$86.2K

$133.2K

How much do junior game developer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for junior game developer in Illinois is $86,220.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,900.00 and $84,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a junior game developer do?

A Junior Game Developer is responsible for assisting in the creation and development of video games. They typically work under the supervision of more experienced developers, helping with tasks such as coding, debugging, and testing game features. Their duties may also include collaborating with artists and designers, learning new programming tools, and implementing small components of a game. This role serves as an entry point into the gaming industry, allowing individuals to gain valuable experience and grow their skills.

What does a junior game developer do?

A junior game developer is another name for an entry-level game developer who assists experienced game developers with video game software design, creation, and testing. In this position, you learn your responsibilities and duties under the supervision of an expert game developer who teaches you the skills you need for the job. This includes tasks like coding games, designing graphics, developing a game for a specific gaming console or computer operating system, and testing the game for bugs. You also help create and optimize testing programs and processes to ensure that each game meets a company’s standards for its final products.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a junior game developer?

To thrive as a Junior Game Developer, you need a solid understanding of programming languages like C++ or C#, familiarity with game engines such as Unity or Unreal, and a relevant degree or coursework in computer science or game development. Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and a basic grasp of 2D/3D asset integration are typically required. Creative problem-solving, teamwork, and a willingness to learn new technologies help set candidates apart in collaborative environments. These skills ensure efficient contribution to game projects, adaptability to evolving tools, and effective communication within development teams.

What are some common challenges faced by junior game developers when working on a team project?

Junior Game Developers often encounter challenges such as adapting to collaborative workflows, understanding version control systems (like Git), and communicating effectively with designers, artists, and senior developers. Navigating code reviews and integrating feedback can also be daunting at first, but these experiences are invaluable for skill development. Over time, learning to balance creativity with project deadlines and technical constraints becomes an essential part of growth in this role.

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

AspectJunior Game DeveloperGame Programmer
Required SkillsBasic programming, game design fundamentals, teamworkAdvanced programming, software development, coding expertise
Experience LevelEntry-level, internships, or 1-2 yearsTypically 2+ years, specialized coding experience
Work EnvironmentGame studios, indie developers, collaborative teamsDevelopment teams, technical departments in gaming companies
Common UsageAssisting in game development, learning coding practicesWriting game code, optimizing performance, debugging

While both roles involve programming in game development, a Junior Game Developer focuses on learning and supporting various aspects of game creation, whereas a Game Programmer specializes in coding, performance optimization, and technical implementation. The Junior Game Developer is ideal for those starting their careers, while the Game Programmer requires more advanced technical skills.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Developer jobs in Illinois?

The most popular types of Game Developer jobs in Illinois are:

What cities in Illinois are hiring for Junior Game Developer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Junior Game Developer job openings:

Infographic showing various Junior Game Developer job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 13% Contract. Highlights an 80% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $86,220 per year, or $41.5 per hour.

Senior Site Reliability Engineer (Chicago)

ViziRecruiter,LLC.

Chicago, IL • On-site

$125K - $187K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 3 days ago


Job description

Introduction

Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which also includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands – Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Ahold Delhaize USA associates support the brands with a wide range of services, including Finance, Legal, Sustainability, Commercial, Digital and E-commerce, Technology and more.

Overview

The Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) III is responsible for ensuring the scalability, reliability, and performance of production systems through automation, observability, incident response, and infrastructure engineering. This role involves designing and implementing robust operational processes and tooling to support highly available, fault-tolerant systems in a cloud-native environment. The SRE III collaborates closely with engineering squads, product teams, and stakeholders to embed reliability best practices across the software delivery lifecycle. The role includes ownership of system uptime, service level objectives (SLOs), and operational excellence, along with mentoring junior engineers and leading cross-functional initiatives that improve system resilience.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Our flexible/hybrid work schedule includes 3 in-person days at our Chicago office and 2 remote days.

Responsibilities
  • Design and implement infrastructure solutions that ensure system availability, scalability, and reliability across cloud-native environments like AKS and Kubernetes.
  • Develop automation for provisioning, deployment, configuration, monitoring, and incident remediation using tools such as Terraform, ArgoCD, and GitHub Actions.
  • Collaborate with engineering teams to define and track service level objectives (SLOs) and service level indicators (SLIs).
  • Build and manage microservices-based platforms leveraging Spring Boot, Java, Tomcat, and Redis.
  • Monitor production environments using Datadog and proactively address performance and reliability issues.
  • Perform root cause analysis and lead post-incident reviews to drive continual improvement.
  • Manage CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation using GitHub, Docker, and container orchestration technologies.
  • Create and maintain infrastructure as code (IaC) using Terraform, with deployment pipelines integrated into GitOps workflows.
  • Lead and support operational readiness reviews, game days, chaos engineering practices, and failure mode analysis.
  • Build scalable observability and alerting frameworks with Datadog.
  • Implement resilient, asynchronous architectures using Kafka for event-driven services.
  • Reduce operational toil through self-healing automation and proactive system tuning.
  • Troubleshoot Linux-based environments such as Ubuntu and optimize them for reliability.
  • Provide on-call support and ensure 24/7/365 system reliability for mission-critical applications.
  • Collaborate with the security team to enforce secure operational practices and cloud compliance.
  • Mentor junior engineers and contribute to documentation, technical design, and knowledge-sharing across the organization.
Requirements
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical field; equivalent training, certifications, or experience will be considered.
  • 5+ years of experience in a Site Reliability Engineering, or DevOps, or Java programming role.
  • Experience managing production-grade systems and services on AKS/Kubernetes in distributed environments.
  • Proficiency in programming and scripting languages including Python, Java, Bash, or Go.
  • Proven experience with Spring Boot, Tomcat, Redis, and microservices architecture.
  • Hands‑on experience in managing Linux environments, particularly Ubuntu.
  • Proficiency with observability stacks and performance monitoring using Datadog, Prometheus, and ELK.
  • Deep understanding of containerization and orchestration using Docker, Kubernetes, and ArgoCD.
  • Experience managing event‑driven systems using Kafka.
  • Expertise in IaC and automation using Terraform and GitHub Actions.
  • Familiarity with networking concepts, DNS, load balancing, and cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
  • Strong analytical, debugging, and problem‑solving skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.

Salary Range: $125,040 - $187,560

Actual compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on their unique qualifications and experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Final compensation decisions will be made in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.

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