Game Programmer: salaries and requirements
As of September 28, 2026, the cvGO database holds 56 active jobs for “Game Programmer”. Median pay among jobs that state it: US & Canada — $209,400 per year (n = 13). Most requested skills: Unreal Engine, C++, debugging.
Pay by region
| Region | Median | 25–75% | Jobs with pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| US & Canada | $209,400 per year | $164,600 per year – $213,000 per year | 13 |
Skills in requirements
- Unreal Engine — 84%
- C++ — 82%
- debugging — 27%
- networking — 25%
- performance optimization — 23%
- mentoring — 16%
- agentic workflows — 11%
- API design — 11%
- backward compatibility — 11%
- code design patterns — 11%
- Fortnite — 11%
- gameplay systems — 11%
- I/O access interfaces — 11%
- large codebase — 11%
- low-level engine systems — 11%
- system reliability — 11%
Levels
- Junior — 6
- Middle — 7
- Senior — 30
- Lead — 10
- Director — 2
FAQ
How much do “Game Programmer” jobs pay?
US & Canada: median $209,400 per year, half of jobs between $164,600 per year and $213,000 per year (n = 13). Pay is stated in 23% of jobs.
Which skills do “Game Programmer” jobs require?
Unreal Engine — 84%, C++ — 82%, debugging — 27%, networking — 25%, performance optimization — 23%. Share of jobs with parsed requirements (n = 44).
How many “Game Programmer” jobs are remote?
Remote — 20%, hybrid — 2%, office — 79% (of 56 jobs that state the format).
Are there entry-level “Game Programmer” jobs?
Intern and junior — 6 jobs (11%).
What level of English is required?
The level is stated in 96% of jobs; most often: C1 — 88%, B2 — 6%, B1 — 2%.
How we count
- Source: jobs in the cvGO database as of September 28, 2026: Global 82%, Telegram 13%, LinkedIn 4%, HeadHunter 2%.
- A job belongs to a profession by its title; one job may belong to several professions.
- Some jobs in the database match no profession in our catalogue and are not counted on these pages.
- Pay is the midpoint of the stated range or the single stated amount, in US dollars at a fixed rate (90 RUB per USD, table v1). Yearly amounts are divided by 12; if the period is not stated, it is inferred from the currency and amount; amounts outside 300–60,000 USD per month are excluded.
- A median is shown when a region has at least 10 jobs with pay.
- Skills and English are counted only for jobs with the employer’s own text.
- Duplicates of one job across sources are not merged.