How much are game developers paid in the CIS?

Recruiting agency Values Value has published a study on salaries in the CIS gaming industry for 2018. We have prepared a short version of the report, which focused on the salaries of market specialists.

The general situation with salaries in the market

In dollar terms, according to the survey respondents, median salaries fell by 7%. If in 2017 the average salary in the domestic industry was $1400, then this year it is $1300.

Comparison of median salaries in the gaming industry in the CIS

The company’s specialists attribute this to a number of factors:

• 10% reduction in women’s salaries;
• reduction of compensation of top managers by 23.3%;
• decrease in median salaries of programmers by 10%;
• the influx of “recruits” by 70%;
• a possible factor is the depreciation of the ruble against the dollar by 10%;
• correction of the sample — this time there were one and a half times more respondents than a year ago.

Salaries of specialists

Salaries of programmers

The highest median programmer rate in the CIS is in Belarus. In the homeland of Wargaming, it is $2,500. Moscow is expected to be in second place. In the capital of Russia, you can focus on $ 2,100. At the same time, in the regions of the federation, the median salary is less than in Ukraine — $ 1,100 versus $1,930.

Salaries of programmers by region

If we start from the level of personnel, then juniors are expected to earn the least money (but according to the median, if we start from the results of the study over the past year, their monthly remuneration has increased). Their monthly salary usually starts at $700. Moreover, in Ukraine, the figure may be even smaller — around $ 515. Senior programmers in the CIS can safely count on $2000 and even more, if you do not take into account the regions of Russia.

Salaries of programmers by levels

Salaries of artists

The highest median salary for those who work with art is in Moscow. Here, artists receive around $1400. Ukraine and regional Russia share second and third places with salaries of $1,275 and $930, respectively. Belarus unexpectedly turns out to be a laggard with a bid of $750. This can be explained by the sampling feature.

Salaries of artists by region

In general, throughout the Commonwealth, the salaries of artists lag far behind the compensation of programmers. The Middle can usually rely on no more than $1,000. This is true for all the countries under discussion. Only those who take on managerial responsibilities receive a salary close to $2,000.

Salaries of artists by level

The exception is the specialists responsible for the interface and user experience. These cadres are highly valued in the market and receive much more than their colleagues. Accordingly, the professionals leading UI/UX teams are also an order of magnitude ahead of the salaries of the leaders of teams specializing in two-dimensional or three-dimensional content.

Salaries of artists by specialty

Salaries of game designers

The situation with the salaries of game designers differs little from that of artists. On average in the market, it fluctuates within $ 1000. The peaks are in Moscow, where the median reaches $1400. Only here Belarus is in second place with $1200. Ukraine and the regions of Russia are divided into third and fourth places.

Salaries of game designers by region

Outside of Moscow and Belarus, game designers do not receive $2,000 even in a leadership position. Approximately what senior game designers can expect, regardless of the region, is $1800. Juniors are recommended to prepare for labor compensation of $ 600.

Salaries of game designers by level

There is almost no variation in the salary level depending on the specialization. Both the game designer, the level designer, and the narrative designer receive $1,000 according to the median.

Salaries of game designers by specialty

Salaries of QA specialists

The payment of industry employees engaged in testing and verifying the quality of games in most regions does not reach $ 1000. The exception is the regions of Russia.

Salaries of QA specialists by region

But, as elsewhere, it strongly depends on the level of the specialist and whether he takes on managerial functions. The median salary of a QA team leader in the CIS reaches $2,400, but it can also be $3,000.

Salaries of QA specialists by levels

Important: In 2018, QA specialists were generally less active when filling out the survey than last year. It was possible to identify individual trends only based on data on Russia and Ukraine.

Salaries of business owners

Business development managers in the CIS for the most part receive around $1400. This is a low salary for personnel of this profile. As noted in Values Value, it is strange to pay such specialists such an amount, given that they are responsible for the transactions of companies.

Salaries of bizdev specialists

Salaries of HR specialists

HR-s engaged in search, recruitment and are responsible for communication within firms also cannot boast of a large salary. Their median compensation is $1,200.

Salaries of HR specialists

Salaries of PR specialists

PR workers find themselves in a more advantageous situation. Copywriters and PR managers sitting on the rate, forming a public image of the employer, cost companies $ 1400-$1600.

Analyst salaries

The analyst’s rate may differ significantly depending on the role in the company. If the median salary of an ordinary analyst is $1,550, then the salary of the head of the team of analysts, implying a lot of expertise, may be at the level of $ 3,350.

Analyst salaries

Salaries of marketers

The same statement may be true of marketers. An ASO specialist may be paid $500 or so. If an employee is responsible for buying traffic, his remuneration is at the level of $1400. The marketing analyst and the head of the user purchase department receive at least $3,000 from the employer.

Salaries of marketers

Salaries of management personnel

The median value of the remuneration of those who lead the development of the project fluctuates around $ 2000. Producers get a little more. They get $2,500. Project managers have a little less money. Their bid is about $1,750. The product-the ouners — are in the middle. The salary of these personnel reaches about $ 2,300.

Salaries of management personnel

Salaries of top management

Within this segment, everything depends on what the top manager is responsible for in the company. If we talk about general producers, their median salary is $3,000. The same monthly payment is made by the CEOs of gaming companies. The salary of the heads of the production and development department is close to this value.

Salaries of top management

In general, the salaries of top managers turned out to be less than a year earlier. In Values Value, they attribute the decline to the fact that in the CIS, the separation of functionality has gone on in the industry. The owners began to remove their positions in order to put the leadership in the hands of experienced managers.

How was the data collected?

The information received was collected during a survey among market specialists from February to April 2018. A total of 1,212 people took part in the survey. 57% of respondents are from Russia. 28% are women.

Segmentation of respondents by country

The full version of the report can be downloaded from here.

Also on the topic:

• Results of 2017: Tanya Loktionova from VALUES VALUE about the main thing for the year
• Salaries of game developers in the CIS (data on specialties)
• Values Value: women’s salaries have decreased in the CIS game development market

A source: Values Value