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World Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Absurd Ventures

Lead Open World Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site +1

$150K - $175K/yr

Summary As the Lead Open World Designer, you will be the primary vision holder for the open world, its systems, and content. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a best-in-class open ...

Absurd Ventures

Lead Open World Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$150K - $175K/yr

Summary As the Lead Open World Designer, you will be the primary vision holder for the open world, its systems, and content. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a best-in-class open ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Las Vegas, NV · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

San Rafael, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Gilroy, CA · Remote

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative, with good communication skills and like helping people? You can help others organize their home.

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Walnut Creek, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Concord, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Fairfield, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Walnut Creek, CA · Remote

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative, with good communication skills and like helping people? You can help others organize their home.

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Fremont, CA · Remote

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative, with good communication skills and like helping people? You can help others organize their home.

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Livermore, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative, with good communication skills and like helping people? You can help others organize their home.

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Hayward, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Gilroy, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Description Position at Closet World Sales/Designer DO YOU ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE GET ORGANIZED? Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative ...

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Livermore, CA · Remote

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative, with good communication skills and like helping people? You can help others organize their home.

Closet World

Sales/Designer

Concord, CA · Remote

$3.0K - $5.0K/mo

Closet World is hiring designers/sales representatives. Are you a "people person?" Are you creative, with good communication skills and like helping people? You can help others organize their home.

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World Designer information

See salary details

$35.5K

$83.1K

$110K

How much do world designer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for world designer in the United States is $83,148.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,000.00 and $109,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a world designer?

World Designers are creative professionals responsible for conceptualizing, designing, and building the environments and settings within video games or other virtual experiences. Their work involves crafting landscapes, cities, interiors, and other environmental elements that help tell the story and immerse players in the game's universe. They collaborate closely with game designers, artists, and writers to ensure that the world feels cohesive, believable, and engaging. World Designers must balance artistic vision with technical constraints to create interactive spaces that support gameplay and narrative.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a world designer?

To thrive as a World Designer, you need a solid grasp of environment design, spatial storytelling, and 3D modeling, typically supported by a degree in game design, art, or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard tools like Unreal Engine, Unity, Maya, or Blender, as well as knowledge of version control systems, is commonly required. Creativity, strong collaboration skills, and effective communication help world designers translate narrative and gameplay requirements into immersive environments. These skills are vital to creating engaging, believable worlds that enhance player experience and support the overall vision of a game.

How does a world designer typically collaborate with narrative and technical teams during game development?

World Designers work closely with both narrative and technical teams to ensure that the game environment supports the story and is technically feasible. Collaboration often involves regular meetings to align world-building elements with the overarching narrative and to address any technical constraints related to level design or engine capabilities. Effective communication and feedback loops are essential, as World Designers must adjust layouts, environmental storytelling, and asset placement based on input from writers, programmers, and artists. This cross-functional teamwork helps create immersive, cohesive worlds that enhance player experience.

What is the difference between World Designer vs Environment Artist?

AspectWorld DesignerEnvironment Artist
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in game design, environment design, or related fields; proficiency in design softwareRequires a degree in art, environment design, or related fields; strong skills in 3D modeling and texturing
Work EnvironmentDesigns overall game worlds, levels, and gameplay spaces, often collaborating with game designers and developersCreates detailed environment assets, textures, and scenes, working closely with art directors and level designers
Industry UsageUsed in game development, virtual reality, and simulation projects to conceptualize and plan game worldsPrimarily found in game studios, film, and animation industries focusing on environment creation

While both roles involve working with virtual spaces, World Designers focus on the conceptualization and layout of entire game worlds and gameplay experiences. Environment Artists specialize in creating detailed visual assets and environments within those worlds. Both collaborate closely but serve different stages of the design process.

What cities are hiring for World Designer jobs?

Cities with the most World Designer job openings:

What states have the most World Designer jobs?

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

What are popular job titles related to World Designer jobs?

For World Designer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various World Designer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 78% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $83,148 per year, or $40 per hour.

Lead Open World Designer

Santa Monica, CA • On-site, Remote

Absurd Ventures
See more jobs at Absurd Venturesexternal

$150K - $175K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description

 Summary  

As the Lead Open World Designer, you will be the primary vision holder for the open world, its systems, and content. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a best-in-class open-world experience rich with characters, encounters, side missions, puzzles, secrets, discoverables, collectables, and more.  

Core Responsibilities  

  • Drive the design and implementation of engaging, immersive, interactive open-world content that encourages exploration and emphasizes a mix of fun, varied gameplay, worldbuilding and storytelling.  
  • Work closely with the narrative team to develop ideas for new content.  
  • Develop and execute the design vision and strategy, ensuring that open-world content aligns with the game's overall narrative, thematic, and player experience goals.   
  • Leverage the game's core systems and mechanics to create dynamic and unpredictable open-world experiences that adapt to player choices and actions.   
  • Continuously seek opportunities to innovate, challenge conventions, and push the boundaries of open-world design.   
  • Rally designers, engineers, animators, artists, and external co-dev partners to deliver playable progress at regular intervals as part of a rapid iterative process.  
  • Incorporate feedback from peers, playtests, and senior leadership to refine and pivot as the game demands.  
  • Go beyond documentation and management to lead from the trenches, with hands-on contributions to the playable experience.  
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and iteration.  

Core Qualifications  

  • 5 or more years of experience in open-world design.  
  • Prior experience as a Lead Designer.  
  • Knack and passion for blurring the lines between AI, systems, mechanics and scripted content to create deep, layered worlds in which stories can unfold organically through exploration and gameplay.  
  • Strong understanding of population and encounter design and open-world content balancing.   
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal and leadership skills.   
  • Innovative thinker with creative problem-solving skills who thrives in a collaborative team environment. 

Plus If... 

  • Experience leading multidisciplinary teams  
  • Experience in UE4 or UE5 
  • Experience working with co-development partners 

Description   

  • Full time job with benefits   
  •  Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA 
  • Office is located near downtown Santa Monica - near metro and freeways.  
     

The base pay range for this position is $150,000 to $175,000 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) matching to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity. 

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