Also called: World Designer, Environment Designer
Builds the maps, missions, and worlds players explore.
You block out a city level with gray boxes, place enemies and secrets, and watch testers to see where they get lost. Then the art team turns your boxes into a beautiful world.
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 game design; portfolio of levels or mods is essential.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Game Design, Architecture.
Growing slowly. Competitive.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI and procedural tools generate maps and layouts, so fewer designers build every space; pacing and fun stay human.
Classes: Art, Geometry, Architecture or drafting.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1255.
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.