US game devs average near $81,000 in 2010 - Survey

As the global economy tanked in 2009, so too did the fortunes of the average game developer, who saw his or her salary decline by 4 percent to $75,573 per year. However, though gaming-industry retail sales continued to slump throughout 2010, those behind the games saw a substantive rebound in their compensation.

Today, Game Developer magazine issued the results of its 10th annual Game Developer Salary Survey, revealing that average compensation rose 7 percent in 2010 to $80,817. Game Developer said that figure applies to American mainstream game-industry persons, including those who make software for consoles and online platforms. (The magazine notes that not every single employee was counted as part of its survey.)

The 2010 pay grade sets a new bar for game developers, trumping even 2008's record high of $79,000. Those who operate on the business and legal side of the game development scene easily earned the most, with respondents reporting an average salary of $106,452. Game Developer noted that 85 percent of these employees also earned some form of additional compensation.

Production remained the highest paid "talent" for both console and online game industries, bringing in an average salary of $88,544. This field also included the highest concentration of female employees at 17 percent.

As for other fields, programmers earned on average $85,733 in 2010, while those in art and animation disciplines brought in $71,071. Game design specialists had an average salary of $70,223, followed closely by audio experts, where the medium was $68,088 last year. Those employed in quality assurance reported an average of $49,009, which again amounted to the lowest paid discipline.

Game Developer's survey also took a look at the indie scene. Independent contractors brought in on average $55,493 last year, while those who self-identified as indie game makers earned about $26,780.

Despite making less money, indies apparently had a rosier perspective on the state of the industry. According to the survey, independent developers were more likely to hold the view that the industry was "more fertile and innovative than ever." Salaried game makers, however, were more inclined to feel that the state of traditional game development was "frustrating," and that "larger studios are 'trimming talent' and crunching harder."