9 of the Most Popular Types of Video Game Engineer Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Video Game Engineer jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Video Game Engineer Jobs

• Game Engineer

  Salary range: $122,000 - $167,000

  A game engineer is a software developer that produces video games. As a game engineer, your duties may be in any phase of the game design process. You typically work as part of a large team of engineers, designers, and programmers, carrying out the visual and functional aspects of the video game. Your responsibilities include ensuring that the visual elements of the game are properly designed and can work on various pieces of hardware. Some game engineers work independently, creating smaller games meant to function on a mobile phone or computer. However, to produce games for consoles or performance gaming computers, you must generally work for a larger game design company.

• Gameplay Engineer

  Salary range: $116,000 - $173,000

  Gameplay Engineer is a common job search query. Most salaries for Gameplay Engineer jobs pay between $116,000 (25th percentile) and $173,000 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Gameplay Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Video Game Developer

  Salary range: $35,000 - $42,000

  A video game developer has several responsibilities, including creating efficient and clean code, producing gameplay feature and game idea prototypes, and helping to create the engine or base of games. You can choose to specialize in a specific platform, such as creating games for a console system, smartphones, or a computer system. Your duties may require you to develop game concepts, write code, work with sprints or Agile methodology, or assist with the game’s audio and design features. You may also collaborate with other video game creators to polish the game once you finish it.

• Video Game

  Salary range: $35,000 - $42,000

  Video Game is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Video Game jobs pay between $35,000 (25th percentile) and $42,000 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Video Game job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• No Experience Game Developer

  Salary range: $81,500 - $124,000

  No Experience Game Developer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for No Experience Game Developer jobs pay between $81,500 (25th percentile) and $124,000 (75th percentile) annually. There are lots of open positions nationwide for No Experience Game Developer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Game Programmer

  Salary range: $24,000 - $145,500

  Game programmers develop video game concepts into functioning programs. A career as a game programmer involves paying close attention to details, analyzing lines of code, and troubleshooting to find solutions. As a game programmer, you use coding languages, such as C++ and Java, to build an interactive gaming experience. There are different kinds of game programmers who have specialized skills to produce a specific purpose in the game, but they all work together to create the final product. For example, some game programmers focus on the 2D and 3D graphics for the game, while others generate user interfaces to make the game fun and easy to use.

• Video Game Software Engineer

  Salary range: $104,000 - $173,000

  As a video game software engineer, you program video games for a computer or console system. You collaborate with designers who create a concept and design the look and feel of the game, write code to create the characters and mechanics, and implement troubleshooting tools and processes to test for bugs before the game’s release. If necessary, you fix any issues in the code while sticking to project deadlines. You carry out your duties and responsibilities alongside a team of gaming designers, programmers, and project managers to help the project move smoothly from start to finish.

• Game Dev

  Salary range: $81,500 - $124,000

  Game Dev is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Game Dev jobs pay between $81,500 (25th percentile) and $124,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Game Dev job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• 400K Engineer

  Salary range: $120,000 - $175,000

  400K Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for 400K Engineer jobs pay between $120,000 (25th percentile) and $175,000 (75th percentile) annually. There are lots of open positions nationwide for 400K Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.