Also called: Gameplay Designer, Systems Designer
Designs the rules, mechanics, and goals that make a video game fun.
A game designer writes design docs for a new weapon, builds a quick prototype, watches playtesters struggle with it, and tweaks numbers until it feels right.
Game industry pay estimates (no single BLS category); big studios pay more but layoffs have been frequent since 2023.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Game design or CS degree common; a portfolio of games you've made matters most.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Game Design, Computer Science, Psychology.
Growing about average. Games are huge, but hiring has been volatile.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI prototypes mechanics and content faster, trimming junior roles; designing what makes a game fun stays human.
Classes: AP Computer Science, Math, Creative writing, Art.
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.