Game Programmer
Game Programmer Salary
$20.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$11K - $25.5K
38% of jobs
$25.5K - $40K
6% of jobs
$40K - $54.5K
4% of jobs
$54.5K - $69K
0% of jobs
$69K - $83.5K
0% of jobs
$83.5K - $98K
0% of jobs
$98K - $112.5K
0% of jobs
$112.5K - $127K
0% of jobs
The median wage is $128K / yr.
$127K - $141.5K
30% of jobs
$141.5K - $156K
11% of jobs
$156K - $170.5K
11% of jobs
$11K
$131K
$173K
$92,636
/year
$44.54
/hour
Game Programmer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$92,636
Columbus
Ohio
$89,477
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How much does a Game Programmer make?
As of Jul 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Game Programmer in the United States is $92,636 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $44.54 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,781/week or $7,719/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $173,000 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Game Programmer salaries currently range between $24,000 (25th percentile) to $145,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $166,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Game Programmer varies greatly (by as much as 121500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Game Programmer in your area makes on average $89,477 per year, or $3,159 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $92,636. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Game Programmer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Game Programmer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Game Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Game Programmer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Game Programmer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Larkspur, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Larkspur, CA, beats the national average by $21,027 (22.7%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $22,278 (24.0%) above the $92,636 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Game Programmer 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 Nome, AK, and Daly City, CA, , 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 Programmer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $114,914 | $55.25 |
Cupertino, CA | $114,289 | $54.95 |
Larkspur, CA | $113,663 | $54.65 |
Sitka, AK | $111,597 | $53.65 |
South San Francisco, CA | $111,319 | $53.52 |
Menlo Park, CA | $109,167 | $52.48 |
San Francisco, CA | $109,141 | $52.47 |
San Jose, CA | $108,568 | $52.20 |
Milpitas, CA | $107,955 | $51.90 |
Daly City, CA | $107,337 | $51.60 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Game Programmer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Game Programmer job category, we found that Senior Therapist jobs have average salaries similar than Game Programmer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Senior Therapist | $79,696 | $38.32 |
Recreational Therapists | $73,740 | $35.45 |
Therapeutic Recreation Therapist | $67,872 | $32.63 |
Activity Therapist | $59,690 | $28.70 |
Recreational Leader | $32,326 | $15.54 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
