Also called: Game Programmer, Gameplay Engineer
Codes how a game plays: controls, combat, AI enemies, abilities, and the feel of every jump.
You tweak the timing of a double-jump twenty times until it feels just right, then program a boss that learns your attack patterns. Playtesting your own work is literally part of the job.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in CS or game development; portfolio of playable games.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Game Design, Game Programming.
Growing about average. Industry volatile; competitive entry.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI tools write much gameplay code quickly, trimming junior roles; tuning how a game feels stays human craft.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Physics, Art or design.
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.