The average monthly expenses for Russian-speaking gaming professionals living in Serbia amount to $1,248
Continuing with our chapter-by-chapter publication of the results of the salary survey conducted from April to May 2023. This publication focuses on the salary levels of the average Russian-speaking gaming specialist living in Serbia.
But first, let us remind you that we are currently conducting a new salary survey. This survey is designed to gather up-to-date information on salary conditions among Russian-speaking and Russian professionals. You can participate here:
In Serbia, Russian-speaking specialists are well-represented in the classic triumvirate: game designers, artists, and programmers. A significant portion is made up of middle management (13%, surpassed only in Cyprus). However, the share of top managers/directors is negligible (less than 1%).
In Serbia, the distribution of Russian-speaking gaming specialists by professional level compared to the entire Russian-speaking industry is distinct, as the share of C-level is statistically insignificant (as seen in the previous chart), and there are considerably fewer Head-specialists (2.9% compared to 6.4% in the overall Russian-speaking gaming industry).
Generally, in the Russian-speaking gaming industry, the proportion of specialists aged 24 to 34 averages between 50-60%, but in Serbia, this social group accounts for over 70% of the population. This is a common trend in most countries that have experienced relocation (Georgia with 63% is rather an exception).
The average monthly expenses of Russian-speaking gaming specialists living in Serbia are lower than in Georgia, amounting to $1,248. The median is even slightly lower at $1,100. Meanwhile, the expected salary level for Russian-speaking game developers living in Serbia is $3,261.
As with Georgia, the main salary difference for Russian-speaking gaming specialists in Serbia compared to those living in Russia and Belarus is the predominant share of employees earning between $2,000 and $2,500. Nearly a quarter of respondents fall into this category.
The proportion of Russian-speaking game developers earning more than $2,000 in Serbia is lower than in Georgia, around 57%. The percentage of developers earning less than $1,000 is higher than in Georgia and closer to the overall level across the Russian-speaking gaming industry, at 13%. On average, Russian-speaking gaming specialists in the region earn $2,401 (median — $2,200).
In Serbia, there is a higher level of dissatisfaction among Russian-speaking game developers relative to the industry average. Here are increased numbers of: a) those dissatisfied with their job (26.1% compared to 17.2%), b) those unhappy with working conditions (20.3% compared to 13.5%), c) those who feel they should be paid more (52.2% compared to 46.5%), and d) those who feel they have no prospects (53.6% compared to 44.4%).
Methodology
The study is the result of the third salary survey of Russian-speaking representatives of the gaming industry. Conducted by WN Media Group, the survey took place from April to May 2023. It was carried out through voluntary questionnaires, with users independently filling out a free-distribution survey with questions.
A total of 1,004 completed questionnaires were received, 70 of which were from specialists located in Serbia.
