30% of game developers feel their salary doesn't cover cost of living

The problem is those who go into gaming think they are going to be little Miyamotos and don't realize that the reality is going to be nothing like they dream

The industry has changed a lot since Miyamoto started in it.  Projects have large teams, and a large number of people who will work for free in it, because they love videogames. 

vaio said: 30% of game developers feel their salary doesn't cover cost of living According to a study done by Develop, 30% of game developers feel their salary doesn't adequately cover their cost of living. The website polled developers from around the world, asking over 400 developers questions about their salaries and state of employment. The study revealed that the average yearly salary for a junior programmer is $28,000 per year. A lead programmer, meanwhile, on average nets about $60,000 a year. Positions in other sectors, such as audio, art and production, generally pay within the salary range of $30,000 to $60,000. The study doesn't specify what cities these developers reside in, but does note that the company interviewed developers around the globe. It's important to keep in mind that $30,000 per year, for example, may be a sizable income for developers located in small towns, but for companies based in major cities, the amount doesn't stretch as far. So, the study doesn't offer much of a context for the data it provides. Over half of those interviewed said that their employer offers other benefits in addition to salary pay.

looks like they must of did a lot of research into low income 2nd world countries or something because when I started out as a programmer my first year I got 52,000 and now I'm up to about 87 after you include benefits. I'm pretty sure in a year or two I'll be approaching 100k. 

28,000 is more than enough to make a decent living starting out. A ton of people make a hell of a lot less than that and do ok. Hell I make less then half that atm (working part time while in school) and me and my room mate are just fine.

A global study like this is pretty useless considering the massive disparity in the cost of living around the world. A programmer in Tokyo is going to need a much higher salary than his counterpart in China or eastern Europe in order to maintain a similar lifestyle.

not bad but being a video game programer is more about enjoyign designing video games and the passoin not the salary, whoever went in videogame desiging thinking that it has all the moeny is a dreamer

28k$ is a lot IMHO, and they need to understand that just a few people will have success in the videogames industry, there's no a Miyamoto or a Bill gates every 5 people!

It doesn't help that you have a big group of the playstation generation who also started a dev/digital entertainment course and end it soon..... Wonder if it ends up being oversaturated soon.

If a person with no kids can't survive off of $30k-$60k a year, they're doing something wrong.  Hell, my mom was a single mother and she never made anywhere near $40k and se still kept food on the table... and we were both obese back then so there was actually excess food on the table.  These game devs sound like a bunch of crybabies imo.  The should try bringing their lunch to work or getting a $1 McChicken/McDouble rather than starting every day with a $5 Starbucks latte and a $7 bagel, spending $10 for lunch and then capping it off with a $14 sushi dinner.

You also may just want to buy your standard $2-3 a gallon Kroger brand milk rather than going to Whole Foods and paying $15 a pint for 100% organic, non-pasturized, squeezed fresh every morning, and guaranteed to have a cow tit hair in every bottle so you know it's ultra fresh milk.