Friday, October 21, 2005
What kind of money can you make in the gaming industry?
If you were to grab any random teenager from one of the midnight launch lines for the latest Halo, Grand Theft Auto or Madden release and were to ask them how much it'd take to pay them to make games, there's a good chance that you'd find more than a few who would tell you that it's their dream to get into development and that they'd do it for free.
While that enthusiastic response would make the higher-ups trying to keep their games under budget grin from ear-to-ear, the reality of the situation is that you're going to need to make money to pay the bills as you're not going to be able to take care of your rent, mortgage, car payment, or any of your other living expenses with a gleeful smile or general happiness generated from doing something for a living that you love.
Fortunately for all those that dream of one day making videogames - regardless of whether they want to be an artist, engineer, designer or producer - the fact that the industry generates yearly revenues that rival the film industry means that you have the potential to make great money while doing a job that you love. And given the fact that the average American worker isn't happy with his or her job and looks at a career as simply a means to an end, there's something very enticing about the idea of finding a job that you love that also pays extremely well.
Engineers
If you're still at a point in your life where you haven't begun down any specific paths and want to put yourself in the best position to make the big bucks in videogame development, you best start educating yourself in various programming languages, as it's the top-level engineers at the various game companies that are driving the Ferraris, Mercedes SL500s, and Lamborghinis.
Beginning programmers, whether you're working on tools, gameplay, networking, audio, AI, or animation, you can expect to start off with a salary in the area of $60K with the potential for more in the way of sales-based royalties or bonuses or stock options depending on the particular company you've been hired by.
These salaries grow as you gain experience and take on more important Lead Programmer or Technical Director type positions which can help see your salary grow to the six figures range with many experienced Lead Programmers and Technical directors making upwards of $110K.
Of course, the high salaries that engineers earn have a lot to do with the fact that not just any dweeb that can do a Stun Palm of Doom in Virtua Fighter can be plopped in front of a computer and be able to program a game. An in-depth knowledge of various programming languages and a general technical proficiency is a must, as is the ability to grow and adapt as the industry changes as we'll soon see with the upcoming releases of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that make use of technological advances that many current programmers aren't necessarily the most experienced with.
Artists & Animators
Partly due to the fact that there are far more artists looking for work than programmers, the extremely important positions of artists and animators don't quite make the same kind of money that the coders do. Nevertheless, there is definitely good money to be made in these fields and if you're able to truly make a name for yourself, there'll be nothing stopping you from putting your family in a multi-million dollar home with the whole white picket fence thing.
According to data obtained from Game Developer's 3rd Annual Salary Survey, artists can expect to make between $40K and $64K, animators in the $48K to $63K range, and lead artists/animators should see salaries that average between $48K and $74K based on your level of experience.
What's more, with the extra art assets needed for development of forthcoming next generation games, companies are beefing up their art teams at a rate that far exceeds any other position. Because of this, if you're skilled in art or animation there's a damn good chance that you'll have a easy time finding work making games for years to come.
Arguably the most important component of the game development puzzle, Game Designers seem to see the most growth in yearly income based on experience and the quality of the titles you ship. Beginning game designers and lead designers typically enter the field with salaries right around $40K, but can see that rise closer to the six figure range as they prove their talent and worth.
Fortunately for all those that dream of one day making videogames - regardless of whether they want to be an artist, engineer, designer or producer - the fact that the industry generates yearly revenues that rival the film industry means that you have the potential to make great money while doing a job that you love. And given the fact that the average American worker isn't happy with his or her job and looks at a career as simply a means to an end, there's something very enticing about the idea of finding a job that you love that also pays extremely well.
Engineers
If you're still at a point in your life where you haven't begun down any specific paths and want to put yourself in the best position to make the big bucks in videogame development, you best start educating yourself in various programming languages, as it's the top-level engineers at the various game companies that are driving the Ferraris, Mercedes SL500s, and Lamborghinis.
 |  | |
Beginning programmers, whether you're working on tools, gameplay, networking, audio, AI, or animation, you can expect to start off with a salary in the area of $60K with the potential for more in the way of sales-based royalties or bonuses or stock options depending on the particular company you've been hired by.
These salaries grow as you gain experience and take on more important Lead Programmer or Technical Director type positions which can help see your salary grow to the six figures range with many experienced Lead Programmers and Technical directors making upwards of $110K.
Of course, the high salaries that engineers earn have a lot to do with the fact that not just any dweeb that can do a Stun Palm of Doom in Virtua Fighter can be plopped in front of a computer and be able to program a game. An in-depth knowledge of various programming languages and a general technical proficiency is a must, as is the ability to grow and adapt as the industry changes as we'll soon see with the upcoming releases of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that make use of technological advances that many current programmers aren't necessarily the most experienced with.
Artists & Animators
Partly due to the fact that there are far more artists looking for work than programmers, the extremely important positions of artists and animators don't quite make the same kind of money that the coders do. Nevertheless, there is definitely good money to be made in these fields and if you're able to truly make a name for yourself, there'll be nothing stopping you from putting your family in a multi-million dollar home with the whole white picket fence thing.
According to data obtained from Game Developer's 3rd Annual Salary Survey, artists can expect to make between $40K and $64K, animators in the $48K to $63K range, and lead artists/animators should see salaries that average between $48K and $74K based on your level of experience.
What's more, with the extra art assets needed for development of forthcoming next generation games, companies are beefing up their art teams at a rate that far exceeds any other position. Because of this, if you're skilled in art or animation there's a damn good chance that you'll have a easy time finding work making games for years to come.
Game Designers
|  | |
A lot of this phenomenon is partially a result of the fact that game design is one of the jobs where it's much harder to tell how talented a person is before they actually design and ship something. With programmers and artists, you can at least see what they've studied in school and see clear examples of their work, but it's a much harder judge for those getting into game design.
As a result of this, this is one of the positions that see the most oddball routes into it as you'll meet people in this field that worked their way up through the test department, others that started out in videogame journalism writing reviews for publications such as your very own IGN.com, and quite a few that simply got a break by designing some amazing levels for some first-person shooter PC game that offered the tools to do so for their users.
Producers
If you're not sure if you have the technical know-how to get into engineering, the artistic abilities to take on a job in art or animation, or the general creativity and vision needed to break into game design, your best bet to get into the business of making games is to become a Producer.
That's not to say that any random schmuck off the street could serve in Production on a game - no matter how often engineers, artists, and designers at a company might say otherwise - because it's a very important part of the development of a title as it's the Producers that have to deal with managing the schedules of all those working on the game as well as being the interface between the game making side of the business and the money making side.
It's a very stressful job that requires a great deal of organizational skills, as well as the ability to deal with people that often aren't the most socially adept (this would be the engineers and some artists).
The fact that the Producers are closely tied to the business side and that there aren't going to be nearly as many people in production when compared to art or engineering, has led to some very well paid producers in the industry. Those just starting as associate producers or producers can expect to rake in between $44K and $60K within their first few years of employment and those lucky enough to work their way up to an executive producer position can hope to see a salary on par with the industry average of $122K.
Not too shabby for someone who's merely making schedules, managing the talent, and dealing with the annoying marketing stiffs. It's pretty obvious why these guys are also the most hated within most development companies, even if the hate isn't necessarily warranted. At least, these producers can revel in the fact that they're getting their names in the credit first, are the ones being interviewed about the games, and have typically worked their way up through the company via the test department or design. Oh, yeah, and let's not forget that they're also driving some pretty nice rides, as well.
Testers
The easiest "in" for getting into videogame development is undoubtedly the field of Quality Assurance. As long as you have a high school diploma and can show that you have good verbal and written communicational skills, you should be able to find your way into some videogame company's test department.
There are always positions available because of the huge importance of game testing as well as the high turnaround that these departments see due to various circumstances such as the "stars" getting moved up to lead QA, design and production positions and those not ready for the immense amount of work needed of them bailing out.
While the starting pay for testers, which is generally in the area of $8-$10/hour, might not be enough to support a family, it often is a position that really rewards one based on how much of yourself you put into it. As overtime is almost always available, those looking to put in excess of 40 hours/week can often expect to make time and a half for any additional hours beyond 40 that they are willing to put in.
And, as mentioned throughout this article, many of the designers and producers in the industry that are driving fancy cars and living the "good life" will undoubtedly be able to happily tell you of funny tales that happened while they got their start in some company's test department.
What's Next?
The games industry is on a crash course towards Hollywood and mass market acceptance. That it will grow and continue to build momentum while branching out to cover areas of entertainment that we haven't even thought of yet isn't a pipe dream anymore, it's an inevitability.
If you get your rocks off thinking about helping to create one of those new experiences while pocketing a sizeable salary at the same time, there's no reason why it can't happen. It's all just a matter of honing your skills, figuring out which field best suits your assets, and just working harder and wanting it more than the next guy.
After that, the next big question is going to be trying to decide if you want the gas guzzling Ferrari in yellow or red or take the low key approach and get a hybrid vehicle to show that you care for the environment and are efficient with your money. Because hippy chicks do it way better than some huge fake breasted Sunset-hopping harlot. Or, uh, so we hear.
source:http://games.ign.com/articles/659/659458p1.html
As a result of this, this is one of the positions that see the most oddball routes into it as you'll meet people in this field that worked their way up through the test department, others that started out in videogame journalism writing reviews for publications such as your very own IGN.com, and quite a few that simply got a break by designing some amazing levels for some first-person shooter PC game that offered the tools to do so for their users.
Producers
If you're not sure if you have the technical know-how to get into engineering, the artistic abilities to take on a job in art or animation, or the general creativity and vision needed to break into game design, your best bet to get into the business of making games is to become a Producer.
That's not to say that any random schmuck off the street could serve in Production on a game - no matter how often engineers, artists, and designers at a company might say otherwise - because it's a very important part of the development of a title as it's the Producers that have to deal with managing the schedules of all those working on the game as well as being the interface between the game making side of the business and the money making side.
It's a very stressful job that requires a great deal of organizational skills, as well as the ability to deal with people that often aren't the most socially adept (this would be the engineers and some artists).
The fact that the Producers are closely tied to the business side and that there aren't going to be nearly as many people in production when compared to art or engineering, has led to some very well paid producers in the industry. Those just starting as associate producers or producers can expect to rake in between $44K and $60K within their first few years of employment and those lucky enough to work their way up to an executive producer position can hope to see a salary on par with the industry average of $122K.
Not too shabby for someone who's merely making schedules, managing the talent, and dealing with the annoying marketing stiffs. It's pretty obvious why these guys are also the most hated within most development companies, even if the hate isn't necessarily warranted. At least, these producers can revel in the fact that they're getting their names in the credit first, are the ones being interviewed about the games, and have typically worked their way up through the company via the test department or design. Oh, yeah, and let's not forget that they're also driving some pretty nice rides, as well.
Testers
The easiest "in" for getting into videogame development is undoubtedly the field of Quality Assurance. As long as you have a high school diploma and can show that you have good verbal and written communicational skills, you should be able to find your way into some videogame company's test department.
There are always positions available because of the huge importance of game testing as well as the high turnaround that these departments see due to various circumstances such as the "stars" getting moved up to lead QA, design and production positions and those not ready for the immense amount of work needed of them bailing out.
While the starting pay for testers, which is generally in the area of $8-$10/hour, might not be enough to support a family, it often is a position that really rewards one based on how much of yourself you put into it. As overtime is almost always available, those looking to put in excess of 40 hours/week can often expect to make time and a half for any additional hours beyond 40 that they are willing to put in.
And, as mentioned throughout this article, many of the designers and producers in the industry that are driving fancy cars and living the "good life" will undoubtedly be able to happily tell you of funny tales that happened while they got their start in some company's test department.
What's Next?
The games industry is on a crash course towards Hollywood and mass market acceptance. That it will grow and continue to build momentum while branching out to cover areas of entertainment that we haven't even thought of yet isn't a pipe dream anymore, it's an inevitability.
If you get your rocks off thinking about helping to create one of those new experiences while pocketing a sizeable salary at the same time, there's no reason why it can't happen. It's all just a matter of honing your skills, figuring out which field best suits your assets, and just working harder and wanting it more than the next guy.
After that, the next big question is going to be trying to decide if you want the gas guzzling Ferrari in yellow or red or take the low key approach and get a hybrid vehicle to show that you care for the environment and are efficient with your money. Because hippy chicks do it way better than some huge fake breasted Sunset-hopping harlot. Or, uh, so we hear.
source:http://games.ign.com/articles/659/659458p1.html
# posted by dark master : 10/21/2005 09:41:00 AM
