Indie Game Developer Salary
$32.5K - $46K
4% of jobs
$46K - $59.5K
10% of jobs
$59.5K - $73K
8% of jobs
$78.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$73K - $86.5K
10% of jobs
$86.5K - $100K
16% of jobs
The median wage is $102.6K / yr.
$100K - $113.5K
19% of jobs
$121.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$113.5K - $127K
16% of jobs
$127K - $140.5K
1% of jobs
$140.5K - $154K
2% of jobs
$154K - $167.5K
6% of jobs
$167.5K - $181K
10% of jobs
$32.5K
$103.5K
$180K
$108,471
/year
$52.15
/hour
Indie Game Developer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$108,471
Columbus
Ohio
$104,772
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How much does an Indie Game Developer make?
As of Aug 23, 2026, the average annual pay for an Indie Game Developer in the United States is $108,471 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $52.15 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,085/week or $9,039/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $180,000 and as low as $32,500, the majority of Indie Game Developer salaries currently range between $81,500 (25th percentile) to $124,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $179,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Indie Game Developer varies greatly (by as much as 42500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
An Indie Game Developer in your area makes on average $104,772 per year, or $3,699 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $108,471. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Indie Game Developer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Indie Game Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Indie Game Developer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Indie Game Developer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Indie Game Developer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Scotts Valley, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $25,354 (23.4%), and Scotts Valley, CA, furthers that trend with another $31,900 (29.4%) above the $108,471 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Indie Game Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 9% between Scotts Valley, CA, and Menlo Park, 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 an Indie Game Developer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Scotts Valley, CA | $140,371 | $67.49 |
Nome, AK | $134,557 | $64.69 |
Cupertino, CA | $133,825 | $64.34 |
Berkeley, CA | $132,816 | $63.85 |
Redwood City, CA | $132,806 | $63.85 |
Sitka, AK | $130,672 | $62.82 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $129,049 | $62.04 |
Santa Clara, CA | $128,102 | $61.59 |
Mountain View, CA | $127,961 | $61.52 |
Menlo Park, CA | $127,828 | $61.46 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Indie Game Developer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Indie Game Developer category.
For example 3D Game Designer jobs pay as much as $40,647 (37.5%) more than the average Indie Game Developer salary of $108,471. If you're qualified, finding work as an 3D Game Designer may help you make more money than that of the average Indie Game Developer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
3D Game Designer | $149,118 | $71.69 |
Memory Design Engineer | $141,351 | $67.96 |
Senior Unity Developer | $128,400 | $61.73 |
Senior 2D Game Artist | $123,136 | $59.20 |
Indie Game | $43,561 | $20.94 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
