Writes the software that plays, mixes and processes sound in video games, connecting audio middleware to the game engine. BLS does not publish separate figures for computer programmers; it counts them within computer programmer (SOC 15-1251), whose median pay is $100,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-1251
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Game Audio Programmer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $100,390a year, or $48.26/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $58KTop 10% $160K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -7.3%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−7.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −7.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,400110,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025110.8K
- Projected 2035102.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 110.8K Projected 2035 102.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college2.5%
- Associate's9%
- Bachelor's88%
- Master's0.5%
Highest education held by computer programmers Segment Value Some college 2.5% Associate's 9% Bachelor's 88% Master's 0.5%
Also advertised as: Audio Programmer, Audio Software Engineer, Audio Systems Programmer.
Pay
How much do Computer Programmers make?
Every game audio programmer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$100,390
Middle half earn $75,850 to $130,680
- 10th
- $57,710
- 25th
- $75,850
- 75th
- $130,680
- 90th
- $160,460
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $57,710 |
| 25th | $75,850 |
| Median | $100,390 |
| 75th | $130,680 |
| 90th | $160,460 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $100,390
- Median hourly wage
- $48.26/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $105,170
- People employed
- 92,230
Versus all US occupations
At $100,390, Computer Programmers earn 97% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $49,410 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 14% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $160,460 or more while the bottom 10% earn $57,710, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 72% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Connecticut pays the most at $133,820, and still leads at $129,157 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Computer Programmers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Connecticut | $133,820 | $129,157 | 1,650 |
| 2Massachusetts | $128,390 | $121,401 | 1,930 |
| 3Washington | $125,620 | $117,388 | 2,540 |
| 4Maryland | $125,570 | $119,637 | 2,490 |
| 5Virginia | $121,610 | $120,282 | 3,070 |
| 6Hawaii | $118,180 | $107,484 | 450 |
| 7California | $116,760 | $105,455 | 11,340 |
| 8Arkansas | $111,840 | $128,645 | 1,050 |
| 9Minnesota | $107,250 | $108,750 | 2,070 |
| 10New Jersey | $104,940 | $96,448 | 3,930 |
Job outlook
Is Game Audio Programmer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -7.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Computer Programmers | −7.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Computer Programmers to change -7.3% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 8,100 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,400 openings are projected each year, 4.0% of the 110,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Game Audio Programmer
Most audio programmers have a degree in computer science, often combined with music or audio training. DigiPen offers a BS in Computer Science and Digital Audio, and Berklee lists audio programmer as a role in its video game careers. Strong C++ skills, digital signal processing knowledge and experience with audio middleware are expected.
People often start as gameplay or tools programmers who take on audio tasks, or as technical sound designers who learn to code. Portfolios with audio engine features, plugins or DSP projects help. The Game Audio Network Guild and GDC audio talks connect people in this small specialty.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium 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 computer programmers.
- Bachelor's Degree88%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree9%
- Some College Courses2.5%
- Master's Degree0.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 88% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 9% |
| Some College Courses | 2.5% |
| Master's Degree | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Game Audio Programmer do?
Audio programmers build the technology that makes game sound work. They integrate audio middleware such as Wwise or FMOD into the engine, write systems that trigger sounds from gameplay events, and handle spatial audio so sounds come from the right direction and distance.
They also build tools that let sound designers work without writing code, manage memory and CPU budgets for audio on each platform, and sometimes write digital signal processing code for effects or dynamic music. Audio programmers bridge two teams, translating between sound designers' creative goals and engineers' technical constraints.
Day-to-day tasks
- Integrate audio middleware into the game engine
- Program sound triggering from gameplay events
- Implement spatial audio, occlusion and reverb systems
- Build tools for sound designers to tune audio
- Optimize audio memory and CPU use on each platform
- Write DSP code for effects and adaptive music
- Debug audio issues found during testing
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Audio programmers work at studio offices or remotely, at a computer with good headphones and monitors. They split time between engineering and audio team meetings. Schedules follow game production milestones. Testing often means listening closely to the same sounds many times while tracking down bugs.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
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 dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing 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 lot
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
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Writing3.3
- Speaking3.1
- Mathematics3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Speaking | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Programming4.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Quality Control Analysis3.5
- Systems Analysis3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Operations Analysis3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Programming | 4.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.5 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Development environment 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 Programmer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRA) built on O*NET's Computer Programmer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Game Audio Programmer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.4
- Investigative5.4
- Realistic4.0
- Artistic3.2
- Enterprising2.1
- Social2.0
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 Programmer
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with computer programmers highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Game Audio Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Game Audio Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Game Audio Programmer appears on
Questions
Game Audio Programmer: frequently asked questions
How much do Computer Programmers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for computer programmers. It counts them within computer programmer, whose median pay is $100,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $75,850 and $130,680, and the top 10% earn $160,460 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Game Audio Programmer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Computer Programmers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 88.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Game Audio Programmer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 7.3% over 2025–2035, a loss of 8,100 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Game Audio Programmer do?
Audio programmers build the technology that makes game sound work. A typical task: integrate audio middleware into the game engine. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Computer Programmers the most?
The highest state medians for Computer Programmers are Connecticut ($133,820), Massachusetts ($128,390), Washington ($125,620) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Game Audio Programmer?
O*NET scores Computer Programmers highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.