Video Game Designer Salary
$26K - $28K
3% of jobs
$28K - $30K
4% of jobs
$30K - $32K
7% of jobs
$32K - $34K
8% of jobs
$34.9K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$34K - $36K
8% of jobs
$36K - $38K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $39K / yr.
$38K - $40K
19% of jobs
$41.6K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$40K - $42K
20% of jobs
$42K - $44K
9% of jobs
$44K - $46K
7% of jobs
$46K - $48K
5% of jobs
$26K
$40K
$48K
$38,600
/year
$18.56
/hour
Video Game Designer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$38,600
Columbus
Ohio
$37,283
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How much does a Video Game Designer make?
As of Aug 27, 2026, the average annual pay for a Video Game Designer in the United States is $38,600 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $18.56 an hour. This is the equivalent of $742/week or $3,216/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $48,000 and as low as $26,000, the majority of Video Game Designer salaries currently range between $35,000 (25th percentile) to $42,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $46,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Video Game Designer varies little (about 7000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Video Game Designer in your area makes on average $37,283 per year, or $1,317 (3.412%) less than the national average annual salary of $38,600. Ohio ranks number 44 out of 50 states nationwide for Video Game Designer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Video Game Designer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Video Game Designer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Video Game Designer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Video Game Designer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Santa Monica, CA, , with Kentville, NS, and Whitehorse, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Whitehorse, YT, beats the national average by $39,329 (101.9%), and Santa Monica, CA, furthers that trend with another $40,098 (103.9%) above the $38,600 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Video Game Designer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 3% between Santa Monica, CA, and Courtenay, BC, , 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 Video Game Designer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Santa Monica, CA | $78,698 | $37.84 |
Kentville, NS | $78,428 | $37.71 |
Whitehorse, YT | $77,929 | $37.47 |
Carcross, YT | $77,883 | $37.44 |
El Segundo, CA | $77,507 | $37.26 |
North Cowichan, BC | $77,389 | $37.21 |
Culver City, CA | $77,261 | $37.14 |
Duncan, BC | $77,091 | $37.06 |
Oak Bay, BC | $76,951 | $37.00 |
Courtenay, BC | $75,706 | $36.40 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Video Game Designer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Video Game Designer category.
For example Content Designer jobs pay as much as $86,785 (224.8%) more than the average Video Game Designer salary of $38,600. If you're qualified, finding work as a Content Designer may help you make more money than that of the average Video Game Designer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Content Designer | $125,385 | $60.28 |
Locum Tenens Ux Designer | $106,224 | $51.07 |
Instructional Designer Ii | $79,711 | $38.32 |
Building Designer | $71,389 | $34.32 |
Sports Graphic Designer | $55,951 | $26.90 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
