Creates and implements the sound effects, ambience and audio behavior in video games, from footsteps to spell casts. BLS does not publish separate figures for sound engineering technicians; it counts them within sound engineering technician (SOC 27-4014), whose median pay is $73,130 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 27-4014
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Game Audio Designer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $73,130a year, or $35.16/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $137K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -3.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−3.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −3.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,00015,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202515K
- Projected 203514.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 15K Projected 2035 14.6K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school32%
- Certificate20%
- Some college8%
- Associate's12%
- Bachelor's20%
- Post-master’s certificate4%
Highest education held by sound engineering technicians Segment Value High school 32% Certificate 20% Some college 8% Associate's 12% Bachelor's 20% Post-master’s certificate 4%
Also advertised as: Sound Designer (Video Games), Game Sound Designer, Technical Sound Designer, Audio Designer.
Pay
How much do Sound Engineering Technicians make?
Every game audio designer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$73,130
Middle half earn $49,910 to $100,280
- 10th
- $37,570
- 25th
- $49,910
- 75th
- $100,280
- 90th
- $137,370
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $37,570 |
| 25th | $49,910 |
| Median | $73,130 |
| 75th | $100,280 |
| 90th | $137,370 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $73,130
- Median hourly wage
- $35.16/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $81,390
- People employed
- 13,080
Versus all US occupations
At $73,130, Sound Engineering Technicians earn 43% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,150 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 7% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $137,370 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,570, a gap of 3.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $115,190, and still leads at $105,868 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Sound Engineering Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $115,190 | $105,868 | 290 |
| 2District of Columbia | $106,630 | $97,024 | 90 |
| 3New York | $87,510 | $81,087 | 2,050 |
| 4Nevada | $84,570 | $84,588 | 170 |
| 5Maryland | $79,990 | $76,211 | 160 |
| 6California | $78,150 | $70,583 | 4,060 |
| 7Georgia | $77,010 | $79,975 | 200 |
| 8Kentucky | $74,100 | $82,188 | 60 |
| 9Illinois | $73,130 | $73,161 | 570 |
| 10Indiana | $73,130 | $78,357 | 50 |
Job outlook
Is Game Audio Designer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -3.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sound Engineering Technicians | −3.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Sound Engineering Technicians to change -3.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,000 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 15,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Game Audio Designer
Most game audio designers studied audio production, sound design or music technology, and Berklee and DigiPen both run programs focused on game sound. Employers look for a demo reel that replaces the audio on gameplay video, plus hands-on experience with Wwise or FMOD and a game engine.
Breaking in usually means sound work on student projects, game jams and indie games, or starting in game QA or audio contract roles. Audiokinetic offers free Wwise certification courses. The Game Audio Network Guild runs scholarships, a student competition and awards, and GDC is a central meeting point for the field.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as sound engineering technicians.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)32%
- Post-Secondary Certificate20%
- Bachelor's Degree20%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree12%
- Some College Courses8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 32% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 20% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 20% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 12% |
| Some College Courses | 8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Game Audio Designer do?
Game audio designers make every sound a player hears that is not music or voice. They record and edit source material, layer and process it into weapon shots, creature roars, interface clicks and environmental ambience, and make sure each sound fits the game's art style.
The other half of the job is implementation. Using audio middleware such as Wwise or FMOD and engines such as Unreal and Unity, designers hook sounds to animations and game events, add randomization so repeated sounds do not grow stale, and set up mixing and spatial audio. They work closely with animators, designers and audio programmers and fix bugs found in testing.
Day-to-day tasks
- Record, edit and layer sound effects for characters, weapons and environments
- Design ambient soundscapes for game levels
- Implement sounds in middleware such as Wwise or FMOD
- Connect audio events to animations and gameplay systems in the engine
- Set up mixing, attenuation and spatial audio behavior
- Fix audio bugs reported by quality assurance testers
- Collaborate with designers and animators on audio feedback for actions
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Designers work in studio offices or remotely, often in treated rooms with good monitors and headphones. Field recording trips are occasional. Schedules follow production milestones, with crunch possible before launches. Many designers spend part of their week in meetings and reviews with animation and design teams.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Learning Strategies2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Operation and Control3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Time Management3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- File versioning software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Game Audio Designer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARI) built on O*NET's Sound Engineering Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Game Audio Designer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Realistic5.2
- Artistic4.9
- Conventional4.2
- Investigative3.3
- Enterprising2.2
- Social1.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Game Audio Designer
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
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- Architecture and Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician
$78,190median a year
Most earn $50K to $116K
+2.4%Associate's - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
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$52,600median a year
Most earn $37K to $84K
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More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with sound engineering technicians highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Game Audio Designer$73,130
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Game Audio Designer | $73,130 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Game Audio Designer appears on
Questions
Game Audio Designer: frequently asked questions
How much do Sound Engineering Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for sound engineering technicians. It counts them within sound engineering technician, whose median pay is $73,130 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $49,910 and $100,280, and the top 10% earn $137,370 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Game Audio Designer?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Sound Engineering Technicians. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 32.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Game Audio Designer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Game Audio Designer do?
Game audio designers make every sound a player hears that is not music or voice. A typical task: record, edit and layer sound effects for characters, weapons and environments. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software, Document management software.
Which states pay Sound Engineering Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Sound Engineering Technicians are New Jersey ($115,190), District of Columbia ($106,630), New York ($87,510) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Game Audio Designer?
O*NET scores Sound Engineering Technicians highest on the Realistic, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTP, INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.