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Game Designer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a game designer is $91,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,100 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay in game design follows the studio and the project more than it follows the job title.
- Larger, publisher-backed teams generally pay more than small independent ones, and contract work tied to a single title can mean strong rates for a year and gaps after release.
- A designer's value comes from games they have shipped and the range of systems they have owned, so seniority shows up in pay quite sharply.
The median salary rose by $19,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than game designer
The largest typical pay rise is $37,800 a year, moving into Game Developer.
- Game Developer+$37,800/yr
- UX Designer+$5,200/yr
- Animator+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher game designer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time game designer salary is $91,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Creative software production and UX and interaction design tend to command a premium over general game designer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Game Developer pays a typical $37,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Game Designer salary questions
How much do game designers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a game designer is $91,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is game designer pay rising or falling?
The median game designer salary is up $19,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than game designer?
Game Developer pays a typical $37,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to game designer.
Related salaries
- UX Designer salary
- Game Developer salary
- Animator salary
- Web Designer salary
- Multimedia Designer salary
- Product Manager salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.