http://www.gamasutra.com/salarysurvey2014.pdf?_mc=AD_HS_LE_G14MRKEE04

Pages 1-5 talk primarily about the larger developers, and have some interesting data in them, but I'd like to concentrate on the indie stuff here (page 6). This includes all categories of indie devs, from solos to small teams.

- The average indie salary for 2013 was $11,812, down 49% from the year prior. On the one hand, it was a bit more respectable last year, which implies it won't always be this bad. On the flip side, such a large change in just one year indicates a ridiculous amount of volatility. Also worth noting: the survey only included developers who made over $10,000 in 2013, and were capped at $200,000, AND were limited to GDC attendees. So the cheap clone makers and the Notches of the world were excluded.

-The average indie salary for a member of a team (two or more developers) earned $50,833.

-Just over a quarter of indies got income via contract work instead of just their own game(s)

-Most attention-grabbing, fifty-seven percent of indie games (solo or team-developed) made under $500 in sales. Two percent made over $200,000.

BUY MORE INDIES! BUY MORE INDIES!!!

Because I am sad :(.

so average game makes $500 but average salary is 12,000.

so what am i to learn from that? that the average indie developer makes 24 games a year?

More likely it's a combination of contract work and paying salary in spite of low profits, i.e. running the business at a loss.

ahahahah #logic.

quits job

What a volatile industry we live in today.

That has to be some sort of typp. Maybe they meant sells under 500 copies.

Either case isn't particularly good though. If you ask me it just means they should change their business model. I personallt think that such small indie games should be free and add supported. The odd well placed ad banner here or there stands to make them a lot more than they are making now. Basically turning every indie game gaming session to a series of website like hits.

Indies don't make much money.

Finally.. If those indie devs all die of starvation cause they can't buy food Sony and MS will be forced to get real with AAA exclusives from third parties and not lousy indie games no one cares about.. This will Bite me back cause ofcourse all those 100 people who paid 5 bucks for a random indie game are here on this site..