Also called: Gameplay AI Engineer
Programs how enemies, allies and creatures in a video game think and react.
You make guards in a stealth game investigate noises believably instead of running into walls. You tweak how smart enemies are so they feel challenging but beatable, and watch playtesters to see if it works.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's in computer science or game development.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Game Design.
Growing much faster than average (about 15% over 10 years). Tracks software developers.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. LLMs open new ways to make game characters smart, and programmers who build them are in demand.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus, AP Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1252.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.