Computer and Mathematical · Holland code AIE

Video Game Designers

Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.

Also called: Design Director, Designer, Game Designer, World Designer, Environmental Artist, Game Design Consultant, Gamemaster, Level Designer.

O*NET 15-1255.01

At a glance

US median annual pay: $104,000; Middle half earn $73,290 to $158,820. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Bachelor's Degree; 55% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 4 of 5; Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
Create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
Document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.8 / 5
Critical Thinking3.8 / 5
Active Learning3.5 / 5
Writing3.3 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5

Knowledge areas

Design4.3 / 5
Computers and Electronics4.2 / 5
Communications and Media3.5 / 5
Mathematics3.3 / 5
Psychology3.3 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic30
Investigative53
Artistic90
Social22
Enterprising49
Conventional48

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

digital games designer · DE Game-Designer/Game-Designerin · FR concepteur de jeux numériques/conceptrice de jeux numériques
digital games developer · DE Game-Programmierer/Game-Programmiererin · FR développeur de jeux numériques/développeuse de jeux numériques
video artist · DE Videokünstler/Videokünstlerin · FR infographiste vidéo

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Graphic and multimedia designers (2142)123,000 employed
Artists (3411)64,500 employed
Web design professionals (2141)31,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test