The top paying metropolitan areas for the game designer profession include Lowell Area, MA-NH, San Jose, CA, Rochester, MN and Poughkeepsie, NY, and New Haven, CT.
By far the highest salaries can be earned in Lowell Area, MA-NH where the annual mean wage is $105,600 followed closely by San Jose, CA where wages earned are in the region of $104,930. Rochester, MN wages are around $102,810 whilst Poughkeepsie, NY and New Haven, CT are roughly $99,190 and $98,260.
If you’re skilled in computer programming or game designing, jobs in these areas will certainly pay well, but if you’re just starting out your salary will depend entirely upon your experience in either of these fields.

This chart displays annual mean salaries for Game Designers in the U.S. The data was collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES - May 2008.
These jobs are now highly sought after and the competition is great, so when applying for a position it’s always a good idea to know a good deal about your prospective employer and his products. This will enable you to understand the particular work projects that’ll be required.
As far as game designers are concerned, it’s always a good idea to build up a portfolio which will help you gain more experience and also assist you with employment opportunities.
With either profession, in order to reach the highest possible salaries within these areas, dedication to your art is essential. The world of computer technology is constantly changing, so no matter what area of the profession you are in, you should be constantly updating your knowledge.
In order to compete in the top paying metropolitan areas for computer programmer/game designer profession you will need to ensure you get the best qualifications possible.
Related Charts for Game Design Salaries:
Game Design Salaries - Top Paying States
Game Design Salary Ranges - Top Paying Industries
The bar graph above shows the cities with the highest Game Design salaries. The data is shown in table format below:
| City |
Annual Mean Wage |
| Lowell Area, MA-NH |
105,600 |
| San Jose, CA |
104,930 |
| Rochester, MN |
102,810 |
| Poughkeepsie, NY |
99,190 |
| New Haven, CT |
98,260 |
|