Video Game Salary

$26K

$40K

$48K

$38,600

/year

$18.56

/hour

Video Game Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$38,600

Columbus

Ohio

$37,283

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    How much does a Video Game make?

    As of Aug 21, 2026, the average annual pay for a Video Game 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 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 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 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 40 out of 50 states nationwide for Video Game salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Video Game 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 on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Video Game Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Video Game job is above the national average. Topping the list is El Segundo, CA, , with Del Aire, CA, and Glenwood Springs, CO, close behind in the second and third positions. Glenwood Springs, CO, beats the national average by $34,155 (88.5%), and El Segundo, CA, furthers that trend with another $38,907 (100.8%) 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 appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 19% between El Segundo, CA, and Kentville, NS, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Video Game role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    El Segundo, CA

    $77,507

    $37.26

    Del Aire, CA

    $73,166

    $35.18

    Glenwood Springs, CO

    $72,755

    $34.98

    Lennox, CA

    $72,065

    $34.65

    Chaska, MN

    $68,123

    $32.75

    Spearfish, SD

    $67,737

    $32.57

    Athens, NY

    $63,905

    $30.72

    Burleigh County, ND

    $63,682

    $30.62

    Johnson, AR

    $63,517

    $30.54

    Kentville, NS

    $63,415

    $30.49

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Video Game Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Video Game category.

    For example Junior Unreal Engine Developer jobs pay as much as $50,376 (130.5%) more than the average Video Game salary of $38,600. If you're qualified, finding work as a Junior Unreal Engine Developer may help you make more money than that of the average Video Game position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Junior Unreal Engine Developer

    $88,976

    $42.78

    Gaming Managers

    $76,756

    $36.90

    Games

    $57,990

    $27.88

    Game Technology

    $41,264

    $19.84

    No Experience Video Game Tester

    $31,769

    $15.27

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Video Game salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $38,600 per year or $18.56 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.