Lead Game Programmer Salary
$21K - $35K
7% of jobs
$35K - $49K
2% of jobs
$49K - $63K
5% of jobs
$63K - $77K
7% of jobs
$86.2K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$77K - $91K
6% of jobs
$91K - $105K
5% of jobs
The median wage is $116.2K / yr.
$105K - $119K
23% of jobs
$119K - $133K
9% of jobs
$141.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$133K - $147K
19% of jobs
$147K - $161K
11% of jobs
$161K - $175K
7% of jobs
$21K
$114.5K
$174K
$114,323
/year
$54.96
/hour
Lead Game Programmer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$114,323
Columbus
Ohio
$110,425
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How much does a Lead Game Programmer make?
As of Aug 14, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lead Game Programmer in the United States is $114,323 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $54.96 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,198/week or $9,526/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $174,000 and as low as $21,000, the majority of Lead Game Programmer salaries currently range between $90,000 (25th percentile) to $143,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $164,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lead Game Programmer varies greatly (by as much as 53000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Lead Game Programmer in your area makes on average $110,425 per year, or $3,898 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $114,323. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Lead Game Programmer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lead 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 Lead Game Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lead Game Programmer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lead Game Programmer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Andrews, MD, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $26,723 (23.4%), and Andrews, MD, furthers that trend with another $31,347 (27.4%) above the $114,323 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lead 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 8% between Andrews, MD, and Sunnyvale, 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 Lead Game Programmer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Andrews, MD | $145,670 | $70.03 |
Nome, AK | $141,818 | $68.18 |
Cupertino, CA | $141,046 | $67.81 |
Larkspur, CA | $140,273 | $67.44 |
Berkeley, CA | $139,982 | $67.30 |
Sitka, AK | $137,723 | $66.21 |
San Francisco, CA | $134,693 | $64.76 |
Santa Clara, CA | $134,266 | $64.55 |
Novato, CA | $134,223 | $64.53 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $134,176 | $64.51 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lead Game Programmer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Lead Game Programmer category.
For example Phd In Management jobs pay as much as $40,550 (35.5%) more than the average Lead Game Programmer salary of $114,323. If you're qualified, finding work as a Phd In Management may help you make more money than that of the average Lead Game Programmer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Phd In Management | $154,873 | $74.46 |
Engineering Team Lead | $123,784 | $59.51 |
Democratic Leaders Democratic Party | $71,627 | $34.44 |
Hr Operations Lead | $58,139 | $27.95 |
Staff Writer | $54,789 | $26.34 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
