GDC: 60% of game developers in the US reported an increase in salaries, with an average pay of $142,000 a year

The median salary is lower—$129,000.

This is reported in a recent Game Developers Conference (GDC) study that included participation from 562 American developers. Below are some more findings from it.

• The highest average annual salaries were found among managers ($160,000) and programmers ($150,000). The lowest were among artists ($124,000).
• Only 15% of surveyed AAA studio employees reported an annual salary below $100,000. In AA studios, 25% of developers earn less than this amount, while in indie teams it’s already half.
• 53% of respondents are dissatisfied with their salary size. Specifically, 11% stated they barely make enough for everyday needs, and 6% admitted that their salary does not cover even basic necessities.
• 11% of developers take on side jobs. Most often, they do this for additional income (57% of cases), but other popular reasons include creative fulfillment (52%), career development (31%), and the desire to work on diverse projects (30%).
• Layoffs have affected 24% of developers in the last two years. Of these, half have still not found new employment.
• 80% of developers consider the game industry to be less secure against layoffs compared to many other fields. Nevertheless, 82% of respondents still do not plan to leave it for at least the next five years.
• Support for union creation exists among 64% of developers, but only 9% are members of one.