On this page
- Level Designer Salary in 60 Seconds
- How Much Level Designers Make
- Starting Pay for Level Designers
- What Moves a Level Designer's Pay
- Top-Paying States for Level Designers
- Top-Paying Metro Areas for Level Designers
- Where the Level Design Jobs Are
- Level Designer Pay Compared With Related Game Careers
- How to Earn More as a Level Designer
- Job Outlook for Level Designers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Pages
- Sources
Level Designer Salary in 60 Seconds
- Level designers share pay data with game designers. BLS counts the specialty inside web and digital interface designers, with a median of $104,000 in May 2025. The middle half earned $73,290 to $158,820, and the top 10% earned over $201,550. Most of that occupation designs websites and apps. Pay Range ›
- A first level design job lands near $53,750 to $73,290. BLS publishes no pay by experience, so this is read from the 10th to 25th percentile. Junior designers build narrow pieces of a lead's plan, and many get their first design credit after time in QA or as an assistant designer. Starting Pay ›
- Owning whole levels is what studios pay for. The 75th percentile is $158,820 and the 90th is $201,550, where senior and lead designers sit. Scripting your own encounters can grow into technical design. Software developers had a median of $135,980, which is 31% above the design figure. Raising Your Pay ›
- California leads state pay at $136,110. Washington follows at $130,480, then New York at $120,990. California also has the most jobs at 27,090. The lowest published state median is Mississippi at $48,550, and BLS publishes a median for 46 states and DC. State Pay ›
- San Jose tops metro pay at $201,260. San Francisco is next at $163,810, then Boulder at $139,900. Those metros are expensive and the medians aren't adjusted for living costs. Remote roles don't follow the local table, so compare a remote offer with the national range. Metro Pay ›
- Employment is projected to grow 6%. BLS projects web and digital interface designers rising from 132,700 to 140,800 jobs by 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations. Studio hiring follows projects and funding, so a current portfolio of playable levels is part of the pay plan. Job Outlook ›
Heads up There is no level designer figure in federal data. The $104,000 median belongs to a broader occupation that mostly designs websites and apps.
How Much Level Designers Make
Level designers share their federal occupation with video game designers, so the figures here are the same ones on the video game designer salary page. O*NET lists Level Designer among the sample job titles of video game designers, next to Environmental Artist and World Designer, and BLS files that specialty inside web and digital interface designers.
Half of that occupation earned more than $104,000 and half earned less. The middle half earned between $73,290 and $158,820. The lowest-paid 10% earned under $53,750, and the top 10% earned over $201,550. That median is 2.0 times the $50,980 median for all jobs.
- Lowest 10%
- $53,750
- $25.84/hr
- 25th percentile
- $73,290
- $35.24/hr
- Median
- $104,000
- $50.00/hr
- 75th percentile
- $158,820
- $76.36/hr
- Top 10%
- $201,550
- $96.90/hr
The mean, total pay divided by the number of workers, was $117,490, which is $13,490 above the median. A gap that size means a smaller group of high earners at the top is pulling the average up, so the median is the better guide to a typical paycheck. In hourly terms the median is $50.00, and the middle half runs from $35.24 to $76.36. BLS counted about 113,330 people on payrolls in the occupation, and freelancers aren't in that count.
Starting outStarting Pay for Level Designers
BLS doesn't publish pay by years of experience, so a starting salary has to be estimated from the percentiles. The 10th to 25th percentile, $53,750 to $73,290, is a fair estimate of where a first level design job lands. That's $25.84 to $35.24 an hour. The 25th percentile is $30,710 below the median, which is roughly the distance a junior designer has to climb to reach a typical mid-career wage.
BLS doesn't publish pay by experience or by job title within the occupation, so read a first level design offer against the 10th and 25th percentiles rather than the median. The level designer career guide covers the routes in.
The job and the payWhat Moves a Level Designer's Pay
Since the federal figure can't separate level designers from the rest of the occupation, the useful question is what moves one level designer up the range compared with another. Inside a studio, it's mostly scope. A designer who owns a whole level, from the first paper map to the shipped version, carries more of the game than one who builds pieces of a level to someone else's plan, and studios pay for that. Owning a set of levels, or the rules every level follows, is the work of a senior or lead designer, and that's where the 75th percentile, $158,820, and the 90th, $201,550, come in.
The second thing is how technical the job is. Level designers script their own encounters, triggers and events, and at some studios that grows into a technical designer role that sits between design and programming. Software developers, the occupation game programmers are counted in, had a median of $135,980, which is $31,980 or 31% above the design figure. A technical level designer isn't paid as a programmer, but the closer the work gets to code, the more of that market it can draw on.
The third is the other direction, toward art. Level design and environment art work on the same spaces, and O*NET's list for the occupation includes environmental artist as a title. Special effects artists and animators, where 3D and environment artists are usually counted, had a median of $102,030, which is $1,970 below the design figure. Moving between the two jobs changes the work more than the pay.
By stateTop-Paying States for Level Designers
California has the highest published state median for the occupation, $136,110, followed by Washington at $130,480 and New York at $120,990. BLS publishes a median for 46 states and DC, and 8 of them are above the national figure of $104,000. The lowest is Mississippi, at $48,550.
| State | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $136,110 | $91,600 to $191,960 | 27,090 |
| Washington | $130,480 | $75,570 to $170,400 | 11,580 |
| New York | $120,990 | $94,620 to $167,590 | 16,560 |
| Massachusetts | $113,540 | $86,420 to $157,510 | 2,740 |
| New Hampshire | $111,150 | $69,990 to $145,580 | 430 |
| District of Columbia | $107,650 | $85,040 to $136,480 | 480 |
| Rhode Island | $105,990 | $76,350 to $137,110 | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $104,160 | $74,230 to $129,220 | 2,820 |
| Georgia | $103,810 | $81,950 to $142,110 | 2,800 |
| Texas | $102,650 | $78,480 to $138,430 | 5,910 |
These medians cover every employer of web and interface designers in the state, and the high-paying states have large software and technology employers as well as game studios. They aren't adjusted for living costs. A studio in a state lower on this list can still pay a level designer well, so use the table to judge an offer against its local market and not as a ranking of where game studios pay most.
By metroTop-Paying Metro Areas for Level Designers
Metro figures are narrower than state ones, and the spread is wider. The San Jose area tops the list at $201,260, ahead of San Francisco at $163,810 and Boulder at $139,900. BLS publishes a median for the occupation in 154 metro areas.
| Metro area | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $201,260 | $161,970 to $218,450 | 4,400 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $163,810 | $110,100 to $211,120 | 6,630 |
| Boulder, CO | $139,900 | $104,470 to $176,150 | 360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $133,760 | $75,570 to $173,020 | 10,330 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $133,340 | $93,570 to $159,300 | 510 |
| Ithaca, NY | $125,810 | $66,850 to $170,680 | 40 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $123,850 | $80,020 to $168,950 | 1,270 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $122,270 | $86,770 to $159,540 | 2,330 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $120,640 | $79,610 to $142,560 | 880 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $119,950 | $85,290 to $166,580 | 1,080 |
Some metros on this list employ only a few hundred people in the occupation, so a single large employer can set the median. Check the employed column before you read too much into a high figure. The metro with the most jobs is a different list, and it's the next table down.
Job countWhere the Level Design Jobs Are
Where the occupation pays most and where it employs the most people are two different lists. California has the most jobs, 27,090, and the five largest states hold about 58% of the national total.
| State | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 27,090 | $136,110 | $91,600 to $191,960 |
| New York | 16,560 | $120,990 | $94,620 to $167,590 |
| Washington | 11,580 | $130,480 | $75,570 to $170,400 |
| Texas | 5,910 | $102,650 | $78,480 to $138,430 |
| Florida | 4,620 | $77,730 | $60,880 to $108,800 |
| Tennessee | 3,610 | $63,510 | $57,890 to $63,510 |
| North Carolina | 3,400 | $97,990 | $63,920 to $133,860 |
| Colorado | 3,250 | $95,880 | $78,450 to $132,620 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,820 | $104,160 | $74,230 to $129,220 |
| Georgia | 2,800 | $103,810 | $81,950 to $142,110 |
By metro, the New York area employs the most, 14,990, followed by Seattle with 10,330. The Seattle area has the highest concentration among the ten largest, about 6.8 times the national share of jobs.
| Metro area | Employed | Per 1,000 jobs | Concentration | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 14,990 | 1.58 | 2.17 | $119,190 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 10,330 | 4.95 | 6.80 | $133,760 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 9,220 | 1.47 | 2.02 | $106,550 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 6,630 | 2.79 | 3.83 | $163,810 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 4,400 | 3.88 | 5.32 | $201,260 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 2,500 | 2.27 | 3.12 | $63,510 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,380 | 0.59 | 0.81 | $104,150 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,330 | 0.86 | 1.18 | $122,270 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,120 | 1.32 | 1.81 | $98,330 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,900 | 0.60 | 0.83 | $97,000 |
Only 4 metros appear in the top ten for both pay and jobs: San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston. For a job search, that matters more than either list alone. A high median in a small market means few openings to apply for, and a big market can still pay below the national figure: the Nashville area has 2,500 jobs in the occupation and a median of $63,510. Level design roles are a small slice of any of these totals, so look at which studios in a metro make games with levels to build before deciding where to look.
ComparisonLevel Designer Pay Compared With Related Game Careers
Each game job is counted in a different federal occupation, so these comparisons are between occupations and not studio pay scales. At $104,000, the level designer figure is below the occupations that count game developers ($135,980) and game testers ($104,300), and above those for animators ($102,030), game producers ($90,360), narrative designers ($76,910), concept artists ($55,490). The video game designer figure is the same as this one, since it's the same occupation.
- Salary Video game designer salary $104,000 median (web and digital interface designers)
- Salary Narrative designer salary $76,910 median (writers and authors)
- Salary Game developer salary $135,980 median (software developers)
- Salary Game tester salary $104,300 median (software quality assurance analysts and testers)
- Salary Animator salary $102,030 median (special effects artists and animators)
- Salary 3D artist salary $102,030 median (special effects artists and animators)
- Salary Technical artist salary $102,030 median (special effects artists and animators)
- Salary Game producer salary $90,360 median (producers and directors)
- Salary Concept artist salary $55,490 median (fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators)
How to Earn More as a Level Designer
The data points to three levers. The first is seniority. The climb from the 25th percentile to the median is $30,710, and the climb from the median to the 90th percentile is $97,550, so the biggest gains sit above the median. BLS doesn't tie those percentiles to job titles or years of experience.
The second is the technical side. Software developers are the one game occupation paid well above the design figure, by 31% at the median. Scripting your own encounters and tools is part of level design already, and doing it well is the path toward technical design.
The third is location, with a catch. The top metro median of $201,260 is $97,260 above the national figure, but those metros are expensive places to live and the medians aren't adjusted for that. Remote roles don't follow the local table, so compare a remote offer with the national range instead. The game design salaries hub lists every game job's figure side by side.
OutlookJob Outlook for Level Designers
BLS projects employment of web and digital interface designers to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, from 132,700 to 140,800 jobs, against 3.5% for all occupations. That adds about 8,100 jobs over ten years, and BLS expects about 8,300 openings a year, most of them from people retiring or changing careers. The projection counts self-employed workers too, so its base is larger than the wage survey's payroll count.
BLS doesn't project level design or game studios on their own. Studio hiring follows projects and funding, and a team can shrink after a game ships. A level designer's yearly earnings depend on staying employed between projects as much as on the rate, so a current portfolio of playable levels is part of the pay plan. The level designer career guide covers what goes in it, and the best game design schools ranking compares programs that teach level design on cost and completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does a Level Designer Make?
The federal median for the occupation level designers are counted in was $104,000 a year in BLS May 2025. O*NET lists level designer as a job title within video game designers, which BLS counts with web and digital interface designers. The middle half of that occupation earned $73,290 to $158,820, and the hourly median was $50.00. Most of those workers design websites and apps, so a studio's pay scale can sit above or below the figure. See the full pay range.
What Is the Starting Salary for a Level Designer?
A reasonable estimate for a first level design job is between $53,750 and $73,290 a year, the 10th to 25th percentile for the occupation in BLS May 2025. BLS doesn't publish pay by experience, so that range is read from the percentiles and not measured. In hourly terms it runs from $25.84 to $35.24. A junior level designer at a studio in a high-paying metro can start above it. See starting pay for level designers.
Do Level Designers Make Less Than Game Designers?
Not in the federal data, because there's only one figure for both. Level designers and other game designers are counted in the same BLS occupation, web and digital interface designers, with a median of $104,000 in BLS May 2025. Inside a studio, pay follows scope more than title: a level designer who owns whole levels or leads a team can out-earn a generalist designer. The video game designer salary page reads the same occupation from the game designer side.
Where Do Level Designers Make the Most Money?
The San Jose metro area has the highest published median for the occupation, $201,260, followed by San Francisco at $163,810, in BLS May 2025. Among states, California leads at $136,110. These figures cover web and interface designers in every industry and aren't adjusted for living costs, which are high in all of those places. A high median is worth less if your rent rises faster than your pay. See the top-paying metro areas.
Is Level Design a Growing Career?
The occupation is projected to grow faster than the economy as a whole. BLS expects web and digital interface designer jobs to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all jobs, with about 8,300 openings a year. BLS doesn't project level design on its own, and studio hiring rises and falls with projects, so treat the figure as a read on the wider occupation. See the job outlook.
Do You Need a Degree to Become a Level Designer?
No credential is required, but most people in the occupation have one. In O*NET's survey of video game designers, 55% said a new hire needs a bachelor's degree. Studios hire level designers on playable levels and the write-ups that explain them, so a degree helps most when it gives you time to build those. The pay figures on this page don't change with a degree, since BLS doesn't publish wages by education. The level designer career guide covers how people get hired.
How Can a Level Designer Earn More?
The biggest step in the federal data is from the median to the top of the range: the 90th percentile, $201,550, is $97,550 above the $104,000 median, and lead and senior roles sit up there. Moving toward technical design is the other route, since software developers had a median of $135,980 in BLS May 2025. Location matters too, but the best-paying metros are also among the most expensive places to live. See how to earn more.
Sources
- 1 BLS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: 15-1255 Web and Digital Interface Designers National and state wages and employment. National figures checked against api.bls.gov. Accessed .
- 2 BLS, OEWS May 2025 all-data file Metro area wages, employment and location quotients, and national hourly percentiles. Accessed .
- 3 BLS, Employment Projections 2025-35 Projected employment change, annual openings, and the median wage for all occupations. Accessed .
- 4 O*NET OnLine, 15-1255.01 Video Game Designers Sample job titles including Level Designer, and the education survey. Accessed .