Video Game Software Engineer

Video Game Software Engineer Salary

$11K

$174K

$150,000

/year

$72.12

/hour

Video Game Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$150,000

Columbus

Ohio

$144,884

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    How much does a Video Game Software Engineer make?

    As of Jul 17, 2026, the average annual pay for a Video Game Software Engineer in the United States is $150,000 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $72.12 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,884/week or $12,500/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $174,000 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Video Game Software Engineer salaries currently range between $104,000 (25th percentile) to $173,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $173,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Video Game Software Engineer varies little (about 69000), 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 Software Engineer in your area makes on average $144,884 per year, or $5,116 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $150,000. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Video Game Software Engineer salaries.

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

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Video Game Software Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Video Game Software Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Burbank, CA, and Glenwood Springs, CO, close behind in the second and third positions. Glenwood Springs, CO, beats the national average by $52,040 (34.7%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $59,459 (39.6%) above the $150,000 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 Software Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 14% between Pennington County, SD, and Herriman, UT, , 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 Software Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Pennington County, SD

    $209,459

    $100.70

    Burbank, CA

    $208,872

    $100.42

    Glenwood Springs, CO

    $202,040

    $97.13

    Spearfish, SD

    $188,105

    $90.44

    Nome, AK

    $186,074

    $89.46

    Cupertino, CA

    $185,061

    $88.97

    Berkeley, CA

    $183,665

    $88.30

    Redwood City, CA

    $183,652

    $88.29

    Sitka, AK

    $180,701

    $86.88

    Herriman, UT

    $180,557

    $86.81

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

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Video Game Software Engineer job category, we found that Social Anthropologist jobs have average salaries similar than Video Game Software Engineer jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Social Anthropologist

    $76,266

    $36.67

    Unreal Engine Artist

    $62,907

    $30.24

    Social And Behavioral Sciences

    $44,160

    $21.23

    Video Game Designer

    $38,600

    $18.56

    Masters Intern

    $35,436

    $17.04

    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 Software Engineer salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $150,000 per year or $72.12 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.