New research reveals best states for a career in game development – and Wisconsin ranks sixth
- A new study has identified the top states for a game developer career – with workers in Wisconsin having the sixth highest incomes after essential spending
- The study analyzed data on annual salaries for a career in game development adjusted to consumer spending to reveal where is best to work in that field
- Wisconsin reported an annual salary of $122,631, which is 12% higher than the national average wage ($109,223)
- Despite ranking sixth for best places to have a career in game development, Wisconsin ranks 41st for the most interested in pursuing that line of work
New data has revealed the states that offer Americans the most potential take-home of their earnings whilst working in game development – with Wisconsin as the sixth best option.
The research, pulled together by CSGO Gambling site, CSGOLuck, analyzed data on the average annual salaries offered in each state, compared to the average consumer spending, to identify where Americans are best off launching their gaming career.
And it turns out game developers in Wisconsin are in the sixth-best place if they’re hoping to rake in the biggest bucks in the industry as – when adjusted to consumer spending – the annual salary comes out at $122,631 – which is 12% higher than the national average wage ($109,223).
Idaho, however, takes the lead as the top state to work in for the industry at $135,559 – 24% higher than the national average wage ($109,223).
Following Idaho as the second-best state for a game development career is Mississippi at $131,158, which is 20% higher than the national average. New Mexico is third with $126,287 – still $15,000 higher (20% increase) than the average.
The top 10 highest-paying states for a career in game development
|
|
State |
Annual Salary Adjusted to Consumer Spending ($) |
|
1 |
Idaho |
$135,559 |
|
2 |
Mississippi |
$131,158 |
|
3 |
New Mexico |
$126,287 |
|
4 |
Indiana |
$125,105 |
|
5 |
Iowa |
$124,234 |
|
6 |
Wisconsin |
$122,631 |
|
7 |
Oklahoma |
$121,014 |
|
8 |
Georgia |
$120,797 |
|
9 |
Nevada |
$120,242 |
|
10 |
New York |
$117,845 |
On the other end of the scale, those in Colorado will have the least excess spending for savings and personal luxuries, with an annual salary 19% below the US average at $88,383.
Closely behind is Florida, with a very slight improvement as the state’s average salary – when adjusted to consumer spending – increases to $88,582. In third is Connecticut at $92,644, which is 15% below the national average.
As well as revealing where Americans are best off launching a career in game development, the study analyzed Google search volume for keywords related to a game development career over the last 12 months, to identify which states are looking to follow a career path in the sector.
Those in Vermont are searching for information on how to do so more than any other state in the US, with an average of 51.1 monthly searches per 100k residents.
This is a huge 88% higher than the national average of 27.2, even though Vermont game developers earn $111,662 – only 2% more than the national average.
Alaska is the second state most interested in game development, with 47 searches per 100k – almost three quarters (73%) higher than the US average, yet those in The Last Frontier earn 10% less than the national wage at $97,860.
In third is Delaware at 46.1 searches per 100k – 69% above the US average, however, the state experiences over a $20,000 pay cut (12% decrease) at $96,640 compared to the typical game developer.
The ten states most interested in a game development career
|
|
State |
Average Monthly Search Volume Per 100k |
|
1 |
Vermont |
51.1 |
|
2 |
Alaska |
47.0 |
|
3 |
Delaware |
46.1 |
|
4 |
Rhode Island |
43.1 |
|
5 |
New Hampshire |
42.5 |
|
6 |
North Dakota |
41.8 |
|
7 |
Wyoming |
41.0 |
|
8 |
Hawaii |
40.8 |
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
