how much does a video game designer make uk
How much money does a Video Game Designer make in United Kingdom?
Average Yearly Salary
60,200 GBP
( 5,010 GBP monthly)
LOW
29,500
GBP AVERAGE
60,200
GBP HIGH
93,900
GBP
A person working as a Video Game Designer in United Kingdom typically earns around 60,200 GBP per year. Salaries range from 29,500 GBP (lowest) to 93,900 GBP (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Video Game Designer salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Video Game Designer Salary Distribution in United Kingdom
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
-
Salary Range
Video Game Designer salaries in United Kingdom range from 29,500 GBP per year (minimum salary) to 93,900 GBP per year (maximum salary).
-
Median Salary
The median salary is 61,400 GBP per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Video Game Designer(s) are earning less than 61,400 GBP while the other half are earning more than 61,400 GBP. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
-
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Video Game Designer(s) are earning less than 40,900 GBP while 75% of them are earning more than 40,900 GBP. Also from the diagram, 75% of Video Game Designer(s) are earning less than 79,200 GBP while 25% are earning more than 79,200 GBP.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
Video Game Designer Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Video Game Designer salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Video Game Designer with less than two years of experience makes approximately 35,000 GBP per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 44,900 GBP per year, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 62,000 GBP per year, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
" On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark. "
Additionally, Video Game Designer(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 76,800 GBP per year, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 82,300 GBP per year, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 87,800 GBP per year, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Video Game Designer average salary change by experience in United Kingdom
| 0 - 2 Years | 35,000 GBP | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +29% | 44,900 GBP |
| 5 - 10 Years | +38% | 62,000 GBP |
| 10 - 15 Years | +24% | 76,800 GBP |
| 15 - 20 Years | +7% | 82,300 GBP |
| 20+ Years | +7% | 87,800 GBP |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Video Game Designer Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Video Game Designer(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Video Game Designer salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Certificate or Diploma, the average salary of a Video Game Designer is 44,900 GBP per year.
While someone with a Bachelor's Degree gets a salary of 60,400 GBP per year, 34% more than someone having a Certificate or Diploma degree.
A Master's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 92,600 GBP per year, 53% more than someone with a Bachelor's Degree.
Video Game Designer average salary difference by education level in United Kingdom
| Certificate or Diploma | 44,900 GBP | |
| Bachelor's Degree | +34% | 60,400 GBP |
| Master's Degree | +53% | 92,600 GBP |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United Kingdom costs anywhere from 29,600 Pound Sterling(s) to 88,700 Pound Sterling(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Video Game Designer Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Video Game Designer employees in United Kingdom earn 4% more than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 61,500 GBP | |
| Female | -4% | 58,800 GBP |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary Comparison By Gender in United Kingdom for all Careers
Video Game Designer Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in United Kingdom
How much are annual salary increments in United Kingdom for Video Game Designer(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Video Game Designer
Video Game Designer(s) in United Kingdom are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 12% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.
United Kingdom / All Professions
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
"The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in United Kingdom is 7%."
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2020
| Banking | 3% | |
| Energy | 6% | |
| Information Technology | 9% | |
| Healthcare | 3% | |
| Travel | 6% | |
| Construction | 9% | |
| Education | 3% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in United Kingdom for the year 2020. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Video Game Designer Bonus and Incentive Rates in United Kingdom
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
A Video Game Designer is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
42% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 58% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 58% | |
| No Bonus | 42% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based Bonuses
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance Bonuses
Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based Bonuses
Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year Bonuses
These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
| Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
| Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
"Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine."
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Video Game Designer Average Hourly Wage in United Kingdom
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in United Kingdom is 29 GBP. This means that the average Video Game Designer in United Kingdom earns approximately 29 GBP for every worked hour.
Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
Video Game Designer VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Video Game Designer is 4% less than that of Other IT. Also, Other IT salaries are 12% less than those of Information Technology.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Applications System Specialist | 63,500 GBP |  +6% |
| Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Specialist | 81,400 GBP | +35% |
| Artificial Intelligence Developer | 83,700 GBP | +39% |
| Blockchain Associate | 67,200 GBP | +12% |
| Blockchain Developer | 64,500 GBP | +7% |
| Computer Animator | 59,100 GBP |  -2% |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | 58,400 GBP | -3% |
| Computer Operator | 47,400 GBP | -21% |
| Computer Technician | 56,100 GBP | -7% |
| Copy Editor | 55,600 GBP | -8% |
| Data Center Technician | 61,800 GBP | +3% |
| Documentation Specialist | 59,900 GBP | -0% |
| Ethical Hacker | 63,600 GBP | +6% |
| GIS Analyst | 65,600 GBP | +9% |
| Global BI Analyst | 74,600 GBP | +24% |
| Hardware Design Engineer | 65,700 GBP | +9% |
| Hardware Technician | 54,100 GBP | -10% |
| Help Desk Analyst | 69,700 GBP | +16% |
| Informatics Optimization Specialist | 72,900 GBP | +21% |
| Information Assurance Analyst | 70,700 GBP | +17% |
| Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer | 58,600 GBP | -3% |
| Information Technology Quality Specialist | 72,600 GBP | +21% |
| Information Technology Trainer | 72,100 GBP | +20% |
| Interface Designer | 57,000 GBP | -5% |
| Microsystems Engineer | 68,900 GBP | +14% |
| Numerical Control Programmer | 55,600 GBP | -8% |
| Records Manager | 56,700 GBP | -6% |
| Scrum Master | 58,600 GBP | -3% |
| Software Sales | 60,600 GBP | +1% |
| Software Specialist | 61,300 GBP | +2% |
| Storage Engineer | 55,600 GBP | -8% |
| Systems Engineer | 54,100 GBP | -10% |
| Systems Integrator | 67,200 GBP | +12% |
| Technical Sales | 66,800 GBP | +11% |
| Technical Trainer | 72,400 GBP | +20% |
| Technical Writer | 65,000 GBP | +8% |
| Tester | 57,000 GBP | -5% |
| Usability Engineer | 66,700 GBP | +11% |
| User Experience Consultant | 72,400 GBP | +20% |
| User Experience Design Expert | 75,100 GBP | +25% |
| User Experience Researcher | 70,400 GBP | +17% |
| User Interface Designer | 65,700 GBP | +9% |
| Video Game Designer | 60,200 GBP | +0% |
| Visual Information Specialist | 62,800 GBP | +4% |
| Writer and Documentor | 63,000 GBP | +5% |
Salary Comparison By City
| Aberdeen | 64,000 GBP |
| Abingdon | 53,700 GBP |
| Armagh | 59,300 GBP |
| Bangor | 51,200 GBP |
| Belfast | 63,900 GBP |
| Birmingham | 70,900 GBP |
| Bradford | 68,200 GBP |
| Brighton | 61,000 GBP |
| Bristol | 66,100 GBP |
| Cambridge | 57,700 GBP |
| Canterbury | 55,000 GBP |
| Cardiff | 64,300 GBP |
| Chester | 57,700 GBP |
| Coventry | 68,000 GBP |
| Derby | 60,700 GBP |
| Derry | 58,200 GBP |
| Dundee | 63,100 GBP |
| Durham | 54,200 GBP |
| Edinburgh | 64,400 GBP |
| Exeter | 58,000 GBP |
| Glasgow | 67,200 GBP |
| Gloucester | 58,400 GBP |
| Hartlepool | 58,100 GBP |
| Inverness | 54,500 GBP |
| Kingston upon Hull | 67,100 GBP |
| Kirkwall | 53,600 GBP |
| Leeds | 71,900 GBP |
| Leicester | 63,800 GBP |
| Lincoln | 58,400 GBP |
| Lisburn | 57,300 GBP |
| Liverpool | 67,700 GBP |
| London | 70,000 GBP |
| Manchester | 69,300 GBP |
| Newcastle | 67,200 GBP |
| Newport | 59,500 GBP |
| Newry | 60,100 GBP |
| Norwich | 56,600 GBP |
| Nottingham | 63,400 GBP |
| Oxford | 60,300 GBP |
| Peterborough | 61,900 GBP |
| Plymouth | 64,700 GBP |
| Poole | 62,000 GBP |
| Portsmouth | 59,200 GBP |
| Ripon | 52,100 GBP |
| Salisbury | 54,700 GBP |
| Sheffield | 67,700 GBP |
| Somerset | 67,300 GBP |
| Southampton | 63,800 GBP |
| St Davids | 52,600 GBP |
| Stirling | 58,800 GBP |
| Stromness | 54,700 GBP |
| Strontian | 49,700 GBP |
| Swansea | 63,800 GBP |
| Truro | 56,100 GBP |
| Wakefield | 53,800 GBP |
| Wells | 51,300 GBP |
| Winchester | 54,500 GBP |
| Wolverhampton | 63,200 GBP |
| York | 62,400 GBP |
Salary Comparison By State
| England | 116,000 GBP |
| Northern Ireland | 57,400 GBP |
| Scotland | 86,900 GBP |
| Wales | 57,200 GBP |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in United Kingdom earn 4% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
| Private Sector | 69,500 GBP | |
| Public Sector | +4% | 72,600 GBP |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
how much does a video game designer make uk
Source: http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=228&loctype=1&job=12716&jobtype=3