Find Tech Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Video Game Designers in North Carolina

Find Schools Near


Video Game Designers in North Carolina

Considering working as a Video Game Designers in North Carolina? Here’s what you need to know. Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links. Excludes “Special Effects Artists and Animators” (27-1014) and “Graphic Designers” (27-1024).

What do Video Game Designers Make in North Carolina?

The video game designers working in North Carolina, the typical annual salary is $84,990 per year (or roughly $40.86/hour).Earnings range from $43,930 at the 10th percentile to $159,830 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $43,930 $21.12
25th percentile $61,740 $29.68
Median (50th) $84,990 $40.86
75th percentile $127,730 $61.41
90th percentile $159,830 $76.84
Salary ranges for Video Game Designers in North Carolina

The job concentration index in North Carolina nationwide is 0.95.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, video game designers earn a median of $62,617 per year ($30.10/hour), above the North Carolina median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 202,634 video game designers across the United States. In North Carolina alone, approximately 3,360 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 830 video game designers.

Forecasted number of jobs for Video Game Designers

Top North Carolina Metros for Video Game Designers

The largest metro-area employers of video game designers in North Carolina.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 980 $96,450
Raleigh-Cary, NC 690 $84,990
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 430 $106,900
Greensboro-High Point, NC 230 $82,230
Winston-Salem, NC 100 $64,760
Asheville, NC 80 $77,270
Wilmington, NC 70 $66,320
Burlington, NC 40 $86,290
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 40 $77,310
Fayetteville, NC 30 $77,550

Top States for Video Game Designers Employment

View the states that employ the most video game designers work.

State Number Employed
California 27,210
New York 14,840
Washington 7,840
Texas 7,360
Florida 4,140
Pennsylvania 4,080
Tennessee 3,470
North Carolina 3,360
Georgia 3,070
Colorado 2,740
Virginia 2,740
Massachusetts 2,690
New Jersey 2,450
Illinois 2,140
Ohio 1,940
Michigan 1,800
Minnesota 1,510
Arizona 1,430
Indiana 1,390
Missouri 1,360

Highest-Paying States for Video Game Designers

The highest-paying states for video game designers.

State Annual Median Salary
California $130,240
Washington $126,960
New York $121,700
Rhode Island $111,200
Massachusetts $107,560
Hawaii $105,560
Colorado $103,990
Georgia $100,530
Utah $99,300
Vermont $99,160

Skills

The most important video game designers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Programming  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.8 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.8 / 5
0
5
Complex Problem Solving  3.6 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  3.6 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Design  4.3 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  4.2 / 5
0
5
Communications and Media  3.5 / 5
0
5
Psychology  3.3 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.3 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.2 / 5
0
5

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for video game designers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Fluency of Ideas  4.1 / 5
0
5
Near Vision  4.0 / 5
0
5
Originality  4.0 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Information Ordering  3.9 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  3.9 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, video game designers typically:

  • 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.
  • Create and manage documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
  • Provide feedback to production staff regarding technical game qualities or adherence to original design.
  • Create gameplay prototypes for presentation to creative and technical staff and management.
  • Guide design discussions between development teams.

Work Activities

  • Thinking Creatively
  • Working with Computers
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Getting Information
  • Processing Information
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Analyzing Data or Information
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop In-demand technologies: Adobe Photoshop

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

  • Computer Science
  • Computer Information Systems
  • Information Science
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Software Applications
  • Information Technology

Careers similar to video game designers include:

Also Known As

Computer Game Designer, Computer Video Game Designer, Concept Artist, Content Creator, Design Director, Designer, Environment Artist, Environmental Artist, Game Design Consultant, Game Designer, Game Developer, Game Engineer, Game Master, Game Tester, Gamemaster.

References

Featured Schools

Find Computer Science Schools Near You

Our school finder matches students with accredited computer and technology colleges across the U.S. for free.