Game Developer
Builds interactive systems where feel matters more than spec. Independent release is a genuine path with real failure rates.
- Pay band (est.)
- $133k–$211k
- Time to competence
- 5 years
- Licence
- None
- Setting
- desk
- Leverage
- high
- Place constraint
- medium
- Physical demand
- 8/100
- Hours burden
- 70/100
Factor percentiles
Percentile against the whole curated set. Higher is better on that factor only.
- Play90th
Absorbing rather than merely paid.
- Specific knowledge81th
A combination of skills that is hard to copy.
- Leverage86th
Output that scales through code, media, capital or crew.
- Demand80th
Durability and shortage, scored conservatively.
- Pay91th
Mid-career floor and the range above it.
- Body79th
Inverse of physical demand and hours.
- Autonomy91th
Control of methods and time.
- People fit97th
Distance from your preferred people level.
- Place flexibility76th
Remote fit and freedom from specific metros.
- Time to skill63th
Inverse of years to competence.
- Meaning load50th
Closeness to the families you marked as meaningful. Your mapping, not ours.
- Downside tolerance36th
Inverse of named risk to body, market or platform.
Downside
Crunch culture and mass layoffs; most indie titles do not earn out.
Examine this against your weights
The percentiles above use the default weights. Set your own on the ranking and this vocation moves with them.
- Place constraint is medium. Where you live is analysed at locationistics.com.
- Hours burden is 70/100 and people intensity 55/100. Who you are with is analysed at relationistics.com.
Source note: BLS OEWS May 2024, Software Developers (15-1252): median $133,080, 90th percentile $211,450. Outlook from BLS 2025-35 projections, +10.2%. Other scores editorial. All figures are estimates for comparison.