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World Building Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Absurd Ventures

World Builder

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

This role sits at the intersection of level design, world-building and environment art requiring both strong artistic sensibilities and a deep understanding of how open worlds are constructed at ...

Warnerbros

Senior Designer, World

$89K - $166K/yr

Fluency with Unreal Engine 5 world-building tools, including PGC and World Partition * Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal * Passion for games, a positive attitude, and a sincere ...

Aga Khan Development Network

... world. Building on the Ismaili Community's health care efforts in the first half of the 20th century, AKHS now provides primary health care and curative medical care in Afghanistan, India, Kenya ...

AKDN

... world. Building on the Ismaili Community's health care efforts in the first half of the 20th century, AKHS now provides primary health care and curative medical care in Afghanistan, India, Kenya ...

Aga Khan Development Network

... world. Building on the Ismaili Community's health care efforts in the first half of the 20th century, AKHS now provides primary health care and curative medical care in Afghanistan, India, Kenya ...

AKDN

... world. Building on the Ismaili Community's health care efforts in the first half of the 20th century, AKHS now provides primary health care and curative medical care in Afghanistan, India, Kenya ...

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World Building information

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$28K

$98.1K

$148K

How much do world building jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average yearly pay for world building in the United States is $98,146.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $78,000.00 and $120,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is world building?

World building is the process of creating an imaginary setting with its own history, geography, cultures, laws, and rules. It is commonly used in fiction writing, game design, and film to make immersive and believable worlds for stories or gameplay. Effective world building helps to establish the context for characters and plot, making the narrative more engaging and authentic for the audience.

How does a world builder typically collaborate with writers, artists, and game designers during the development process?

World Builders play a crucial role in shaping the creative vision of a project by closely collaborating with writers, artists, and game designers. They work with writers to ensure consistency in lore and setting, assist artists by providing detailed descriptions and references for environments, and coordinate with game designers to integrate world elements that support gameplay mechanics. Regular meetings and feedback cycles are common, making strong communication and adaptability essential skills for fostering a cohesive and immersive world. This collaborative environment allows World Builders to contribute creatively while also learning from other disciplines, opening pathways for career growth into narrative design, art direction, or lead world-building roles.

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

To thrive as a World Builder, you need a strong background in creative writing, storytelling, and design, often supported by experience in game design, literature, or related fields. Familiarity with digital world-building tools, 3D modeling software, or interactive platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine is typically important. Exceptional imagination, attention to detail, and collaboration skills help create immersive, coherent worlds and work effectively with multidisciplinary teams. These abilities are crucial for developing engaging environments that enhance storytelling and user experience in games, films, or literature.

What is the difference between World Building vs Game Designer?

AspectWorld BuildingGame Designer
Primary FocusCreating the setting, lore, and universeDesigning gameplay, mechanics, and player experience
Required SkillsCreativity, storytelling, world developmentGame mechanics, user experience, storytelling
Work EnvironmentCreative teams, writers, artistsDesign teams, developers, project managers
Industry UsageVideo games, tabletop RPGs, moviesVideo games, interactive media

World Building focuses on creating immersive universes and lore, while Game Designers develop gameplay mechanics and player interactions. Both roles often collaborate but serve different core functions within game development and related industries.

What is a world building career?

A world building career involves creating detailed fictional universes for media such as video games, films, books, or tabletop games. Professionals in this field develop settings, histories, cultures, and environments, often using storytelling, design skills, and tools like 3D modeling or writing software to bring imaginary worlds to life.
More about World Building jobs

What states have the most World Building jobs?

States with the most job openings for World Building jobs include:

What job categories do people searching World Building jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for World Building jobs are:

World Building jobs near you
Infographic showing various World Building job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, and 21% Part Time. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $98,146 per year, or $47.2 per hour.

World Builder

Absurd Ventures

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 11 days ago

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Level Designer - World Builder for our large-scale open world AAA game in Unreal Engine 5. You will be part of a team who is responsible for bringing this world to life by understanding how to translate design intent, narrative context, and artistic direction into cohesive, immersive playable spaces.
This role sits at the intersection of level design, world-building and environment art requiring both strong artistic sensibilities and a deep understanding of how open worlds are constructed at scale.
Core Responsibilities
  • Build and assemble high-quality open world environments using Unreal Engine 5, working from greybox through final polish on both landscapes and cityscapes, including doing extensive terrain/landscape sculpting and modification.
  • Create and design layouts that support and focus on gameplay, narrative, and intended art direction needs. Helping to drive the overall design direction of the world, setting and maintaining a high bar for environmental storytelling, composition, gameplay needs and metrics, and player navigation.
  • Collaborate closely with Design, Level Design, Art Direction, and Tech Art to ensure environments support gameplay and storytelling goals.
  • Own world-building across large regions, ensuring consistency in composition, tone, and visual storytelling.
  • Contribute to the development and evolution of pipelines, workflows, and world-building standards.
  • Optimize environments for performance while maintaining visual fidelity.
  • Provide feedback on asset quality, modular kits, and world-building tools to improve overall efficiency and cohesion.
  • Dress environments using a mix of modular kits, bespoke assets, decals, foliage, and world composition tool.

Qualifications
  • 4+ years of experience in level design, world building, or level art for AAA games
  • Strong experience working in Unreal Engine (UE4 or UE5), including world-building tools and workflows
  • Proven ability at creating layouts and environments, from blockout all the way to polished, shippable quality, with a focus on creating believable immersive gameplay spaces
  • Strong eye for composition, scale, materiality, and environmental storytelling
  • Experience working with modular kits and large-scale open world pipelines
  • Understanding of gameplay considerations in environment construction (navigation, readability, player flow)
  • Solid knowledge of performance constraints and optimization practices in real-time environments
  • Ability to strongly collaborate across multiple disciplines, while taking ownership of large areas of the world from concepts to shippable quality
  • Ability to implement and design changes based on play testing data from both in and out of house data

Plus If...
  • Experience with World Partition, Data Layers, or similar large-world systems in UE5
  • Familiarity with procedural tools (Houdini, PCG workflows, foliage systems, etc.)
  • Experience working on open world or systemic games
  • Background in level design or strong design sensibility

Description
  • Full-time job with benefits.
  • Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA.

The base pay range for this position is $110,000 to $130,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including vacation time, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) match to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

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