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Level Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Studio Wildcard

Level Designer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$85K - $100K/yr

Level Designer- Remote Studio Wildcard, creators of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved, was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak. ARK is the most successful ...

Studio Wildcard

Level Designer

Bellevue, WA · On-site +1

$123K/yr

Level Designer- Remote Studio Wildcard, creators of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved, was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak. ARK is the most successful ...

Spellbrush

Level Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$128K/yr

Collaborate closely with other game designers, artists, and engineers on the team. Help engineers improve the level design tooling that you are using. Maintain knowledge and context of all of the ...

Spellbrush

Level Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$128K/yr

Collaborate closely with other game designers, artists, and engineers on the team. Help engineers improve the level design tooling that you are using. Maintain knowledge and context of all of the ...

Epoch Games

Unreal Engine Level Designer

Winston Salem, NC · On-site

$93K/yr

We are still building a long list of assets; we expect our Level Designers to be resourceful with the assets they use. We also expect you to use various Houdini Tools that we've built, so Houdini is ...

Epic Games

Lead Level Designer

Cary, NC · On-site

What You'll Do Epic is looking for a Lead Level Designer to join our dynamic team. This person will contribute to various aspects of game design as part of our collaboration with Disney. In this role ...

Velan Studios

Level Designer (Senior+)

Troy, NY

$100K - $150K/yr

Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with terrain tools to create organic exteriors or random dungeon generators to make sprawling dynamic ...

Velan Studios

Level Designer (Senior+)

Troy, NY · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with terrain tools to create organic exteriors or random dungeon generators to make sprawling dynamic ...

Velan Studios

Level Designer (Senior+)

Troy, NY · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with terrain tools to create organic exteriors or random dungeon generators to make sprawling dynamic ...

PGAL

Mid-Level Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

We are seeking a talented Mid-Level Designer with 3-5 years of experience who is interested in contributing to and thriving in a positive, mentoring project team. Responsibilities: - Utilize strong ...

PGAL

Mid-Level Designer

Los Angeles, CA

We are seeking a talented Mid-Level Designer with 3-5 years of experience who is interested in contributing to and thriving in a positive, mentoring project team. Responsibilities: - Utilize strong ...

Fanatics Inc.

Mid Level Designer

New York, NY · On-site

About the Role We're looking for a talented Mid Level Designer to join our team and elevate our visual storytelling across both internal and consumer-facing touchpoints. You will be a member of the ...

AGBO

Senior Level Designer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$99K - $106K/yr

As a Senior Level Designer, you will play a key role in bringing game worlds to life through both gameplay design and visual storytelling. You will design and build gameplay spaces, including test ...

AGBO Films LLC

Senior Level Designer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$99K - $106K/yr

As a Senior Level Designer, you will play a key role in bringing game worlds to life through both gameplay design and visual storytelling. You will design and build gameplay spaces, including test ...

Budlong Inc

Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer

Camarillo, CA · On-site

$111K/yr

Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer The Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer designs and implements technology, electrical systems, and specifications for project plans in coordination with internal and ...

AGBO

Senior Level Designer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$99K - $106K/yr

As a Senior Level Designer, you will play a key role in bringing game worlds to life through both gameplay design and visual storytelling. You will design and build gameplay spaces, including test ...

Budlong Inc

Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer

Camarillo, CA · On-site

$120K - $140K/yr

The Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer designs and implements technology, electrical systems, and specifications for project plans in coordination with internal and external business partners and with ...

Budlong Inc

Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer

Camarillo, CA

$111K/yr

The Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer designs and implements technology, electrical systems, and specifications for project plans in coordination with internal and external business partners and with ...

Budlong

Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer

Camarillo, CA · On-site

The Mid-Level Low Voltage Designer designs and implements technology, electrical systems, and specifications for project plans in coordination with internal and external business partners and with ...

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Level Designer information

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$106K

$108.7K

$111.5K

How much do level designer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for level designer in the United States is $108,658.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $109,000.00 and $109,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Level Designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Level Designer, you need a solid understanding of game design principles, spatial awareness, and experience with 3D modeling or level editing software, often supported by a degree in game design or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, and visual scripting systems is typically required. Creativity, strong collaboration skills, and attention to detail help Level Designers stand out when crafting engaging player experiences. These skills are crucial for building immersive, balanced, and enjoyable game environments that support both gameplay and storytelling.

What does a Level Designer do?

A Level Designer is responsible for creating the environments, stages, or levels in a video game. They design the layout, challenges, and pacing to ensure the gameplay experience is engaging and balanced. Level Designers work closely with other team members such as artists, programmers, and game designers to bring their concepts to life, often using specialized software and game engines. Their goal is to make sure each level is fun, visually appealing, and fits within the story and mechanics of the game.

What Does a Level Designer Do?

A level designer uses special design software to create levels, which are also known as stages or maps, for a video game. As a level designer, your duties may include mapping the level, creating a layout, and using your artistic skills to create the look and feel of the stage's environments and locales. Your designs need to fit with the gameplay and story scenarios, so you frequently collaborate with other members of the design team, like environment artists. Your designs need to include any structural elements required by the storyline or game missions, so adhering to a game’s narrative is an essential part of your job.

What is the difference between Level Designer vs Environment Artist?

AspectLevel DesignerEnvironment Artist
Primary FocusDesigning gameplay spaces, layout, and player flowCreating visual environments, textures, and atmosphere
Skills & ToolsLevel design software, scripting, game mechanics3D modeling, texturing, art software
Work EnvironmentGame studios, collaborative teamsArt departments, visual teams
Common Industry UsageUsed in game design and developmentUsed in art and environment creation

While both roles contribute to the game's visual and spatial experience, Level Designers focus on gameplay layout and player experience, whereas Environment Artists specialize in creating the visual aesthetics of game worlds. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus within the game development industry.

How does a Level Designer typically collaborate with other departments during game development?

Level Designers work closely with artists, programmers, and game designers to bring levels to life. They often start by discussing design goals with the core game design team, then partner with artists to ensure visual consistency and technical requirements are met. Regular playtesting sessions with QA and feedback from other departments help refine the player experience. Effective communication and iteration are essential, as Level Designers must balance creative ideas with technical constraints and gameplay objectives.
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Level Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Level Designer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 91% In-person, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,658 per year, or $52.2 per hour.
Level Designer

Level Designer

Studio Wildcard

Bellevue, WA • On-site

$85K - $100K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 5 days ago

Job description

Level Designer- Remote
Studio Wildcard, creators of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved, was founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak. ARK is the most successful Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview title ever and continues to break industry records on consoles and PC. We are looking for a capable Level Designer to fill a remote role to help support our studio's next endeavor.
Position Overview
As a Level Designer, you will create expansive worlds, engaging encounters, and immersive gameplay zones inspired by survival, exploration, and PvP/PvE mechanics found in ARK-style gameplay. You'll collaborate closely with environment artists, gameplay programmers, and world builders to craft memorable player experiences.
The ideal candidate understands open-world pacing, traversal, base-building environments, biome diversity, and emergent gameplay systems.
Responsibilities
  • Design and build large-scale gameplay environments in Unreal Engine 5
  • Create compelling survival gameplay areas including forests, caves, ruins, mountains, rivers, and hostile zones
  • Block out and iterate on world layouts, traversal paths, and encounter spaces
  • Design exploration-focused content with hidden locations, loot routes, and environmental storytelling
  • Build gameplay experiences supporting crafting, taming, PvP/PvE combat, and tribe progression
  • Implement gameplay logic and scripted interactions using Blueprints
  • Collaborate with environment art teams to bring worlds from graybox to polished production quality
  • Optimize large open-world environments for performance and gameplay readability
  • Participate in playtesting and gameplay iteration

Required Qualifications
  • Professional or indie experience designing levels in Unreal Engine 5
  • Strong understanding of open-world survival gameplay design
  • Experience creating large environments with meaningful player flow
  • Proficiency with Unreal Engine Blueprints
  • Knowledge of terrain tools, foliage systems, lighting, and world composition
  • Understanding of encounter pacing, risk/reward gameplay, and exploration design
  • Strong communication and collaborative skills
  • Portfolio demonstrating open-world or survival-style level design work

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience modding or building maps for ARK-style survival games
  • Familiarity with multiplayer gameplay systems and PvP balancing
  • Experience designing caves, dungeons, boss arenas, and biome transitions
  • Understanding of AI navigation and creature encounter design
  • Experience with procedural world-building workflows
  • Passion for survival sandbox games and emergent gameplay systems

Tools & Technologies
  • Unreal Engine 5
  • Blueprints
  • World Partition
  • Landscape & Foliage Tools
  • Perforce / Git
  • Blender / Maya / Houdini
  • Jira / Confluence

Equal Opportunity Employer
Wildcard is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws, regulations or ordinances. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to disability during the application or the recruiting process, please let us know.
Pay Transparency Information
The expected annual base pay range(s) for this position vary based on a variety of factors, which include: (but aren't limited to) skills, competencies, qualifications, knowledge, and experience. Each pay range is only relevant to those residing in WA state and can vary based on geographical location.
Wildcard Benefits
We pay 100% of all premiums for the employee and discounted rates for dependent premiums. Our coverage includes Medical (3 different plans to choose from), Dental, Vision, Short Term and Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, 401(k) option, 100% covered Parental Leave, PTO, Paid Holidays, Unlimited Sick Time, and FSA/ HSA options

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