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Video Game Level Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Studio Wildcard

Level Designer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$85K - $100K/yr

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 ...

Studio Wildcard

Level Designer

Bellevue, WA · On-site +1

$123K/yr

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 ...

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

The Co-Founders of Epoch Games were originally part of a Modding Team developing the total ... We are still building a long list of assets; we expect our Level Designers to be resourceful with ...

Epic Games

Lead Level Designer

Cary, NC · On-site

Whether it's building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make ... What You'll Do Epic is looking for a Lead Level Designer to join our dynamic team. This person will ...

Velan Studios

Level Designer (Senior+)

Troy, NY

$100K - $150K/yr

Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the ... Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with ...

Velan Studios

Level Designer (Senior+)

Troy, NY · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the ... Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with ...

AGBO

Senior Level Designer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$99K - $106K/yr

... Prime Video's visceral thriller The Bluff and the global Citadel franchise. Citadel Season 2 ... You will design and build gameplay spaces, including test maps and sandbox environments, that ...

Velan Studios

Level Designer (Senior+)

Troy, NY · On-site

$100K - $150K/yr

Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the ... Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with ...

AGBO Films LLC

Senior Level Designer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$99K - $106K/yr

... Prime Video's visceral thriller The Bluff and the global Citadel franchise. Citadel Season 2 ... You will design and build gameplay spaces, including test maps and sandbox environments, that ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Leesburg, VA · Remote

$40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Tampa, FL · Remote

$40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Chattanooga, TN · Remote

$40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Lubbock, TX · Remote

$40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Tempe, AZ · Remote

$40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Boston, MA · Remote

$40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

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Video Game Level Designer information

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How much do video game level designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for video game level designer in the United States is $18.56, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.83 and $20.19 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Video Game Level Designer vs Video Game Environment Artist?

AspectVideo Game Level DesignerVideo Game Environment Artist
Primary FocusDesigning gameplay spaces, level layout, and player flowCreating visual assets and environments for levels
Skills & ToolsLevel design software, game engines, scripting3D modeling, texturing, art software
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with designers, programmers, artistsWorks mainly with art teams, using creative software
Industry UsageUsed in game development to craft playable levelsUsed to produce visual environment assets for levels

While both roles contribute to the game's environment, the Video Game Level Designer focuses on designing the gameplay experience within levels, whereas the Video Game Environment Artist creates the visual elements that bring those levels to life. Both roles often collaborate closely to ensure a cohesive and engaging player experience.

How does a Video Game Level Designer typically collaborate with other departments during the development process?

Video Game Level Designers work closely with artists, programmers, and writers to bring a cohesive vision to each level. They frequently participate in cross-functional meetings to ensure that gameplay, visuals, and narrative are well integrated. It's common for designers to iterate on their levels based on feedback from QA testers or gameplay engineers, requiring strong communication and adaptability. Collaboration is essential, as level designers must balance creative ideas with technical constraints and project timelines.

What Does a Video Game Level Designer Do?

Video game level designers use development software to build specific sections within a video game. In this role, you focus on one aspect or progression of the game, determining what steps a player needs to take to progress to the next level. The nature of a level depends on the game; it can be as simple as selecting and developing challenges for the player to overcome or as complicated as a dense, objective-filled map. This is a highly-collaborative position; video game level designers often work with asset creators and producers to design levels that match the intended concept and play environment.

What does a video game level designer do?

A video game level designer is responsible for creating the environments, stages, and challenges that players experience within a game. They work closely with artists, programmers, and writers to craft engaging gameplay, ensuring that levels are both visually appealing and fun to play. Level designers use specialized software to build layouts, place objects, and script events, all while considering pacing, difficulty, and storytelling. Their goal is to guide players through the game in a way that is immersive and rewarding.

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

To thrive as a Video Game Level Designer, you need strong spatial design abilities, knowledge of game mechanics, and often a degree in game design or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Unity, Unreal Engine, and level editing software, as well as familiarity with scripting languages, is typically required. Creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication are standout soft skills for collaborating with artists, programmers, and other designers. These skills are crucial for creating engaging, balanced, and technically feasible game environments that enhance player experience.
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Video Game Level Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Video Game Level Designer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, and 10% Part Time. Highlights an 90% In-person, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $38,600 per year, or $18.6 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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