What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Game Engine Developer?

We've identified 10 cities in California where Game Engine Developer jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Berkeley (24.1% above average), followed by Redwood City and Sunnyvale. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Berkeley $132,816 $11,068 $2,554 $63.85 Redwood City $132,806 $11,067 $2,553 $63.85 Sunnyvale $129,049 $10,754 $2,481 $62.04 Santa Clara $128,102 $10,675 $2,463 $61.59 Mountain View $127,961 $10,663 $2,460 $61.52 Menlo Park $127,828 $10,652 $2,458 $61.46 San Francisco $127,797 $10,649 $2,457 $61.44 San Jose $127,127 $10,593 $2,444 $61.12 Daly City $125,684 $10,473 $2,417 $60.42 Oakland $124,576 $10,381 $2,395 $59.89

Game Engine Developer

Game Engine Developer Salary in California

Q: How much does a Game Engine Developer make in California?

The average annual pay for a game engine developer in California is $107,050 a year — that works out to approximately $51.47 an hour. That is 1.3% below the national average of $108,471. The middle 80% of Game Engine Developers earn between $55,760 (10th percentile) and $177,149 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Game Engine Developer Jobs in California?

We found several jobs related to Game Engine Developer in California that pay more on average. Topping the list is Unreal Engine Developer at $1,416 (1.3%) above Game Engine Developer. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Unreal Engine Developer $108,466 $9,038 $2,085 $52.15 Contract Journalist $60,180 $5,015 $1,157 $28.93 Games $57,230 $4,769 $1,100 $27.51 Soccer Director $52,725 $4,393 $1,013 $25.35 Video Game Design $38,094 $3,174 $732 $18.31

$32.1K

$102.1K

$177.6K

$107,050

/year

$51.47

/hour

Game Engine Developer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$108,471

California

$107,050

Do you get a good deal as a Game Engine Developer?

Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

Take The Breakroom Quiz

How much does a Game Engine Developer make in California?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average annual pay for a Game Engine Developer in California is $107,050 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $51.47 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,058/week or $8,920/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $177,644 and as low as $32,074, the majority of Game Engine Developer salaries currently range between $80,400 (25th percentile) to $122,400 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $177,149 annually in California. The average pay range for a Game Engine Developer varies greatly (by as much as 42000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Game Engine Developer salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Game Engine Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Game Engine Developer on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Game Engine Developer Jobs in California

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Game Engine Developer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Berkeley, , with Redwood City, and Sunnyvale, close behind in the second and third positions. Sunnyvale, beats the average in California by $21,999 (20.6%), and Berkeley, furthers that trend with another $25,766 (24.1%) above the $107,050 average.

With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Game Engine Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Berkeley, and Oakland, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Game Engine Developer role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Berkeley	$132,816	$11,068	$2,554	$63.85
Redwood City	$132,806	$11,067	$2,553	$63.85
Sunnyvale	$129,049	$10,754	$2,481	$62.04
Santa Clara	$128,102	$10,675	$2,463	$61.59
Mountain View	$127,961	$10,663	$2,460	$61.52
Menlo Park	$127,828	$10,652	$2,458	$61.46
San Francisco	$127,797	$10,649	$2,457	$61.44
San Jose	$127,127	$10,593	$2,444	$61.12
Daly City	$125,684	$10,473	$2,417	$60.42
Oakland	$124,576	$10,381	$2,395	$59.89

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Game Engine Developer Jobs in California

Analyzing similar jobs related to the Game Engine Developer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $107050 state average for Game Engine Developer jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Unreal Engine Developer	$108,466	$9,038	$2,085	$52.15
Contract Journalist	$60,180	$5,015	$1,157	$28.93
Games	$57,230	$4,769	$1,100	$27.51
Soccer Director	$52,725	$4,393	$1,013	$25.35
Video Game Design	$38,094	$3,174	$732	$18.31

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Game Engine Developer salary in California as of August 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $80,400 to $177,149 annually, with the California average at $107,050 per year or $51.47 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in California for Game Engine Developer jobs, with Berkeley leading at $132,816 annually.

All Salaries Game Engine Developer Salary Game Engine Developer Salary in California