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Ranked list · 30 careers

30 Jobs for Gamers, Ranked by Fit and Pay (2026)

Game Economy Designer tops this list at $104,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +6.0% projected employment change over 2025–2035. Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.

Careers on this list
30From 1,731 in the bank
Median pay on the list
$101,210BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected to grow
15 of 30BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year
605,700Combined, BLS EP

Method

How we built this list

Careers that make games and the work around them: designers, programmers, artists, sound designers, testers, producers and esports roles. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages.

  1. Careers that make games and the work around them: designers, programmers, artists, sound designers, testers, producers and esports roles. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages.
  2. Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
  3. The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.

The list

The top 30 jobs for gamers

100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.

  1. 1

    1. Game Economy Designer

    Specialty within video game designer

    Median pay
    $104,000median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.0%
    Openings / yr
    8,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Designs and tunes the currencies, rewards, prices and progression pacing in video games, especially free-to-play and live service titles.

  2. 2

    2. Game Systems Designer

    Specialty within video game designer

    Median pay
    $104,000median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.0%
    Openings / yr
    8,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Designs the rules and numbers behind a video game, such as combat, progression, crafting and abilities, and balances them so play stays fair and fun.

  3. 3

    3. Level Designer

    Specialty within video game designer

    Median pay
    $104,000median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.0%
    Openings / yr
    8,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Builds the playable spaces in video games, laying out maps, missions, puzzles and encounters that guide players through the game.

  4. 4

    4. Video Game Designer

    Computer and Mathematical

    Median pay
    $104,000median a year
    Growth
    +6.0%
    Openings / yr
    8,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Design core features of video games.

  5. 5

    5. Game Producer

    Specialty within project management specialist

    Median pay
    $102,320median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.7%
    Openings / yr
    76,500
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Manages the schedule, budget, people and priorities of a video game project so the team can ship it on time.

  6. 6

    6. Character Artist

    Specialty within special effects artist and animator

    Median pay
    $102,030median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Sculpts, models and textures the 3D characters and creatures in video games, films and other real-time projects.

  7. 7

    7. Cinematic Artist

    Specialty within special effects artist and animator

    Median pay
    $102,030median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Creates the cutscenes and story sequences in video games, staging cameras, animation and lighting inside the game engine.

  8. 8

    8. Game Audio Programmer

    Specialty within computer programmer

    Median pay
    $100,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −7.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes the software that plays, mixes and processes sound in video games, connecting audio middleware to the game engine.

  9. 9

    9. Games User Researcher

    Specialty within market research analyst and marketing specialist

    Median pay
    $78,760median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +7.0%
    Openings / yr
    82,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Runs playtests and studies how players experience a video game, then turns findings into recommendations for the development team.

  10. 10

    10. Narrative Designer

    Specialty within writer and author

    Median pay
    $76,910median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    11,900
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Plans and writes the story, characters, dialogue and lore of video games, and designs how players experience the narrative through play.

  11. 11

    11. Game Audio Designer

    Specialty within sound engineering technician

    Median pay
    $73,130median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −3.1%
    Openings / yr
    1,000
    Education
    Certificate

    Creates and implements the sound effects, ambience and audio behavior in video games, from footsteps to spell casts.

  12. 12

    12. Game Audio Director

    Specialty within sound engineering technician

    Median pay
    $73,130median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −3.1%
    Openings / yr
    1,000
    Education
    Certificate

    Leads the audio team on a video game, setting the sound and music vision and managing the people, budget and tools that deliver it.

  13. 13

    13. Game UI Artist

    Specialty within graphic designer

    Median pay
    $62,960median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −1.7%
    Openings / yr
    16,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Designs the menus, icons, health bars, maps and on-screen displays in video games, balancing style with clarity.

  14. 14

    14. Game Localization Specialist

    Specialty within interpreter and translator

    Median pay
    $60,170median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +2.0%
    Openings / yr
    6,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Translates and adapts video games for players in other languages and cultures, from dialogue and menus to jokes, names and marketing.

  15. 15

    15. Esports Caster

    Specialty within broadcast announcer and radio disc jockey

    Median pay
    $47,340median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −7.6%
    Openings / yr
    2,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Provides live play-by-play and analysis on esports broadcasts, explaining the action to viewers on streams and TV.

  16. 16

    16. Esports Coach

    Specialty within coach and scout

    Median pay
    $47,320median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +6.1%
    Openings / yr
    36,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Trains competitive video game teams, building strategy, reviewing match footage and developing players at colleges, high schools and pro organizations.

  17. 17

    17. Chip Architect

    Specialty within computer hardware engineer

    Median pay
    $424,566typical, Levels.fyi (NVIDIA company pages)
    Growth
    +9.1%
    Openings / yr
    4,100
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Defines the high-level design of processors and other chips, deciding how they compute, move data and balance speed, power and cost.

  18. 18

    18. GPU Kernel Engineer

    Specialty within software developer

    Median pay
    $310,000typical, Levels.fyi (NVIDIA company pages)
    Growth
    +10.2%
    Openings / yr
    95,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes and tunes the low-level GPU code, called kernels, that makes AI training, inference and scientific computing run fast.

  19. 19

    19. Software Developer

    Computer and Mathematical

    Median pay
    $135,980median a year
    Growth
    +10.2%
    Openings / yr
    95,300
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.

  20. 20

    20. QA Analyst

    Computer and Mathematical

    Median pay
    $104,300median a year
    Growth
    +5.7%
    Openings / yr
    10,700
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes.

  21. 21

    21. Concept Artist

    Specialty within special effects artist and animator

    Median pay
    $102,030median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Designs the look of characters, creatures, environments and props before they are built for films, games and animation.

  22. 22

    22. Rigging Artist

    Specialty within special effects artist and animator

    Median pay
    $102,030median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Builds the digital skeletons and controls that let animators move 3D characters and creatures in films and games.

  23. 23

    23. Special Effects Artist and Animator

    Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

    Median pay
    $102,030median a year
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

  24. 24

    24. Technical Artist

    Specialty within special effects artist and animator

    Median pay
    $102,030median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −0.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Bridges art and programming in games and animation, building shaders, rigs, tools and pipelines that let artists' work run in real time.

  25. 25

    25. Game Engine Programmer

    Specialty within computer programmer

    Median pay
    $100,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −7.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes the core technology behind video games, such as rendering, physics, memory and tools, so a game runs smoothly on consoles, PCs and phones.

  26. 26

    26. XR Developer

    Specialty within computer programmer

    Median pay
    $100,390median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −7.3%
    Openings / yr
    4,400
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Builds virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications for headsets and phones, used in training, gaming, medicine, design and retail.

  27. 27

    27. Online Community Manager

    Specialty within public relations specialist

    Median pay
    $74,750median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Openings / yr
    23,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Builds and looks after an online community of customers, fans, players or developers, running forums, Discord servers and events that keep members engaged.

  28. 28

    28. Video Game Composer

    Specialty within music director and composer

    Median pay
    $73,710median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +1.2%
    Openings / yr
    4,200
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Writes original music for video games, often built in layers that change as the player explores, fights or reaches new areas.

  29. 29

    29. Trading Card Grader

    Specialty within inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher

    Median pay
    $48,570median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    +2.5%
    Openings / yr
    66,700
    Education
    High school

    Inspects sports and trading cards under magnification to authenticate them and assign a condition grade that sets their market value.

  30. 30

    30. Voice Actor

    Specialty within broadcast announcer and radio disc jockey

    Median pay
    $47,340median (parent occupation)
    Growth
    −7.6%
    Openings / yr
    2,000
    Education
    Bachelor's

    Performs voices for animation, video games, commercials, documentaries, dubbing and corporate media.

Questions

Jobs for Gamers: FAQ

What is the top career on the jobs for gamers list?

Game Economy Designer leads the list with a median wage of $104,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +6.0% over 2025–2035. Typical entry-level education is bachelor's.

How was this list put together?

Careers that make games and the work around them: designers, programmers, artists, sound designers, testers, producers and esports roles. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages. Careers that make games and the work around them: designers, programmers, artists, sound designers, testers, producers and esports roles. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.

How much do jobs for gamers pay?

Across the 30 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $101,210 a year, from $47,320 at the bottom to $424,566 at the top (BLS OEWS May 2025 and the industry compensation sources cited on each career page). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.

How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?

5 of the 30 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).