Computer Occupations

How to become a Video Game Designer

Official title: Video Game Designers

Also called: Design Director, Designer, Environmental Artist, Game Design Consultant, Game Designer, Gamemaster, Level Designer, World Designer

Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.

Main tasks

Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
Create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
Document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.

How to become one

Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers vary, ranging from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Game Designer.
College: Computing & IT degrees, Offered by 34 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $104,000 a year The middle half earn $73,290 to $158,820.
About 132,700 people work in this job now, and about 140,800 are projected by 2035. (+6%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Video Game Designer?

Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers vary, ranging from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree.

How much does a Video Game Designer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $104,000 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $73,290 to $158,820.

Is a Video Game Designer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 132,700 to about 140,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Video Game Designer?

Usually. 72% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Video Game Designer?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.