The term "game designer" usually applies to those working in the video game industry. Designers help develop the storylines, graphics and game play that appear on a given game. Game designers can also work in "low tech" games such as board games and table-top role playing games. Low tech games require fewer man hours to put together, but salaries and benefits tend to be much lower.
Table-Top Game Designers
Table-top game designers work with graphics and rules text to create games that can be played anywhere. Prominent examples of their work include classic board games like Monopoly and role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. The proliferation of print-on-demand services means that just about anyone can create his own table-top games, though self publishing doesn't come with a salary. Instead, self-publishers get to keep the money they make through sales, which can be anything from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars a year. Game designers who work for a big company such as Hasbro or White Wolf Publishing can expect a more reliable salary, usually averaging between $30,000 and $50,000 per year.
Rookie Game Designers
In the video game industry, salaries often depend on the experience of the designer in question. Designers just starting out usually work as part of a team, either developing animation, designing concept art or programming the source code of the game itself. With one year of experience or less, salaries tend to be fairly modest --- around $40,000 a year, according to Game Designer Salary Data.
Mid-Level Game Designers
Video game designers with a few years of experience under their belt can expect to earn more every year, as a reflection of their enhanced skills. They usually take on the same duties as rookie designers, but with added responsibilities and a greater hand in the creative development of the game. Salaries range from around $40,000 to $60,000 per year, according to Game Designer Salary Data, depending on the company for whom the designer works.
Experienced Game Designers
Designers with five or more years of experience in the field earn salaries reflective of their position. These designers often oversee teams of fellow designers in creating a specific aspect of the game. They may serve as lead programmers, taking on the bulk of the code-generating duties, or as technical directors who run entire departments in the company. Salaries can range from $50,000 or $60,000 a year to almost $200,000 a year according to data from Animation Arena and A Digital Dreamer, depending on the company in question and the duties of the specific job.
