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Senior Game Programmer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Absurd Ventures

Lead Engineer, Game Systems

Santa Monica, CA · On-site +1

$170K - $195K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Shipped at least one AAA title in a senior or lead systems engineering role. * Expertise in C++ and strong knowledge of modern software engineering practices. * Strong understanding of game engine ...

Absurd Ventures

Lead Engineer, Game Systems

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$170K - $195K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Shipped at least one AAA title in a senior or lead systems engineering role. * Expertise in C++ and strong knowledge of modern software engineering practices. * Strong understanding of game engine ...

Cloud Chamber

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$124K - $142K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... game, using both keyframe and augmented mocap techniques. * Work closely with programmers and designers to support a multitude of features. * Collaborate with Senior Animators on complicated sets of ...

2K

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA · On-site

$124K - $142K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... game, using both keyframe and augmented mocap techniques. * Work closely with programmers and designers to support a multitude of features. * Collaborate with Senior Animators on complicated sets of ...

Cloud Chamber

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA

$124K - $142K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... game, using both keyframe and augmented mocap techniques. * Work closely with programmers and designers to support a multitude of features. * Collaborate with Senior Animators on complicated sets of ...

2K

Senior Gameplay Animator

Novato, CA

$124K - $142K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... game, using both keyframe and augmented mocap techniques. * Work closely with programmers and designers to support a multitude of features. * Collaborate with Senior Animators on complicated sets of ...

Absurd Ventures

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site +1

$165K - $200K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

As Senior Machine Learning Engineer, you will work alongside gameplay engineers, producers, designers, and artists to integrate intelligent, adaptive systems for our toolchain and in the realtime ...

Roblox

Senior Software Engineer - Studio Tools

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$139K - $183K/yr

As a Senior Software Engineer in the Builder Tools team, you'll work on interactive, developer ... Work on various interactive tools for Roblox game developers * Define architecture and implement ...

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Senior Game Programmer information

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$13

$51

$70

How much do senior game programmer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for senior game programmer in California is $51.59, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $43.41 and $61.68 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior game programmer?

Senior Game Programmers are experienced software developers who design, implement, and optimize code for video games. They typically lead programming teams, mentor junior developers, and collaborate closely with artists, designers, and other departments to bring game concepts to life. Their responsibilities often include solving complex technical challenges, ensuring high performance and stability, and making key decisions about game architecture and technology. Senior Game Programmers usually have several years of industry experience and deep knowledge of programming languages such as C++ or C#. They play a crucial role in shipping polished, high-quality games.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a senior game programmer?

To thrive as a Senior Game Programmer, you need deep expertise in programming languages like C++ or C#, solid knowledge of game development frameworks, and a degree in computer science or a related field. Experience with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine, as well as proficiency in debugging, optimization, and version control systems like Git, is typically required. Strong problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills help you collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and mentor junior developers. These skills are crucial to delivering high-quality, performant games while ensuring efficient teamwork and project success.

How does a senior game programmer typically collaborate with other teams during the development cycle?

Senior Game Programmers play a central role in cross-functional collaboration throughout the game development process. They frequently work alongside designers to translate gameplay ideas into functional mechanics, coordinate with artists to ensure asset integration, and partner with QA testers to identify and resolve bugs. Clear communication and problem-solving skills are essential, as the Senior Game Programmer often bridges technical and creative visions, helping to guide less-experienced programmers and align multiple teams towards a shared project goal.

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

AspectSenior Game ProgrammerGame Developer
CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science or related field, experience in programming languages like C++/C#Bachelor's in Computer Science, Game Design, or related field, programming skills often required
Work EnvironmentFocus on coding, debugging, optimizing game systems, often in a team of programmersBroader role including design, scripting, and sometimes project management, working across departments
Industry UsageCommonly used in game studios for technical rolesUsed broadly for roles involving game creation, including design and development

The main difference is that a Senior Game Programmer specializes in coding and technical development of game systems, while a Game Developer has a broader role that may include design, scripting, and project coordination. Senior Game Programmers focus on technical implementation, whereas Game Developers often handle multiple aspects of game creation.

How much do senior game programmers get paid?

Senior game programmers typically earn between $80,000 and $130,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. They often have expertise in programming languages like C++ or C# and experience with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine.

Is there a demand for senior game programmers?

Senior game programmers are in high demand due to the growth of the gaming industry and the need for experienced developers skilled in programming languages like C++ and C#. Companies seek professionals who can develop complex game mechanics, optimize performance, and work with game engines such as Unity or Unreal. Strong technical skills and a portfolio of completed projects are often required for these roles.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Programmer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Game Programmer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Game Programmer jobs in California?

For Senior Game Programmer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Game Programmer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Game Programmer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Game Programmer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Game Programmer job openings:

Senior Game Programmer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Game Programmer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 69% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $107,312 per year, or $51.6 per hour.

Manager, Technical Game Design - Teamfight Tactics

Riot Games

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 3 days ago

New

Job description

Technical Game Designers on the Teamfight Tactics team are game designers who also have access to the C++ code base. They apply the team's engineering principles to technical design work, improve and add to existing design tools to unblock design tasks (sometimes unblocking themselves, in their game design role!), and own gameplay and systems design areas. Their game design expertise lets them dream up and create memorable gameplay experiences for TFT players, and their technical expertise lets them deliver those experiences in a robust, sustainable, and elegant way.
As the Technical Design Manager on the Teamfight Tactics team, you'll manage Technical Game Designers across the project. You'll see to their career progress, evaluate their technical and game design contributions, bring out their best work, and ensure they're delivering on their teams' goals. In turn, you'll report to the Design Director, helping to build the Technical Game Design subdiscipline on the team and for League Studios, and maximizing the TD group's impact. But: on the Teamfight Tactics team, design managers often take on individual contributions, so you'll have plenty of chances to exercise your own craft as well.
Responsibilities:
  • Manage the project's technical game designers: help them grow, learn, and perform to their potential.
  • Maintain a high craft bar: Ensure that the work you oversee meets Riot's demanding craft standards
  • Advocate for players: Stay in tune with the player experience and know how to understand and incorporate their feedback into roadmaps and feature decisions
  • Collaborate and build trust: Work closely with other discipline leads and managers to ensure Tech Design is delivering what they need, when they need it; ensure that features can be scoped efficiently so project plans can be built; and foster relationships with teams outside of Teamfight Tactics
  • Build strong teams: Take an active role in recruiting and onboarding to ensure capable technical game designers join our teams and ramp up quickly
Required Qualifications:
  • 6+ years of experience as a technical game designer, gameplay engineer, or some similar position closely associated with both technical and game design work
  • 2+ years of experience as a manager, team lead, or discipline leader (can overlap with the above requirement)
  • Craft: Craft interviews for this role will look at both gameplay engineering and game design skills; we'd like to see Senior level craft expertise in one, but not necessarily both
  • Management: You'll need leadership experience resolving conflict within and across teams and fostering healthy team culture, along with examples of managing other designers with positive results: promotion, performance improvement, and strong delivery to players
  • High familiarity with Teamfight Tactics, or willingness to rapidly build that familiarity
Desired Qualifications:
  • 4+ years of experience as a manager or team lead
  • 8+ years of experience as a technical game designer or gameplay engineer
  • Experience growing both junior and senior designers or engineers - striking the right balance of assistance and autonomy
  • Experience working on a live service game
  • Deep engagement with Teamfight Tactics over multiple sets
  • Experience working in the Unreal Engine

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise and a collaborative spirit that prioritizes the delight of players. We will look at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this is the role for you!
Our Perks:
Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.
At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you're working directly on a new player-facing experience or you're supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we're better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we're looking forward to your application.
It's our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.
Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:
  • Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
  • Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
  • Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
  • Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.
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About Riot Games

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Riot Games was founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill with the intent to change the way video games are made and supported for players. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to worldwide acclaim. The game has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. Players are the foundation of our community and it's for them we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

2006

Social media

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