How do you negotiate a higher salary as a game developer?

This can also backfire with outdated misinformation. Use online salary tools as a guide and even when connecting with employees of the current company you are interviewing may not show the whole picture of true salary comparison. Variables like time in position, and critical nature of the position, budget etc will determine your salary so definitely do your research but do limit yourself when job hunting. The golden rule is to always ask if you want to negotiate a higher salary, use the data from your online tools as a guide but don't let it prohibit you.

Gaming companies can be notoriously diverse when it comes to job titles. What might be an Associate Designer at one company might be a Mid or even Senior Designer at another company. Distilling your current role to its core responsibilities can give you an idea of what other roles to look at even if they might be more senior. To know your worth, don't just look at your current job description, research other comparable jobs to see how their roles compare. Don't sell yourself short if you're doing the actual work!

See the bigger picture. You might think $X/hour sounds like a lot, but if the game is gonna sell on the basis of a particular art style you're the best at, it might be a steal. The same work and talents will have widely different values depending on the projects. Understand how you can be a part of success, and sell yourself in that light.

Know this: Most salary data you will find will be from the US where salaries are much higher than anywhere else. You have to adjust it to a salary in your own location. Use OECD income numbers to find the ratio (like for instance: US-French). Example: Swedish salaries are like 65% of US salaries right now. So multiple your research data by 0.65 and then do a currency conversion. Then adjust upwards for past inflation (add 10%). Also remember to TALK to people: friends and colleagues. Confirm your data.

In any other industry this is easy to do, problem with the games industry is one studio will offer you 20k more and another will offer 20k less. Best advice I can give anyone is know your value but try to be realistic. One thing I've noticed is candidates asking for a AA/AAA salary from a Indie games studio. Things like Glassdoor are amazing for reviews and give a better insight but when it comes to salary it really is common sense, base in on how senior the title is, the responsibilities and even what the company offers in regards to benefits. You can always negotiate when an offer is made but complete the process before asking the unthinkable or unreasonable. Don't oversell and don't push it too far otherwise you will always lose out.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from a previous manager was to keep a "Brag Book" where you start documenting all your accomplishments, awards, and praise while working at a company. This is also helpful when it comes time to end of the year promotions and reviews. A brag book is very useful when interviewing as well.

Portfolio, achievements, stats and figures. Factual information is key, not I was acting senior and deserve the salary but didn't have the title and have nothing to back this up. If you've passed the interview process and been made an offer, this is half the battle. Employers made an offer based on a starting figure, this isn't always them being rude or not appreciating your worth but this is negotiation at it's finest. Sometimes they just need a little help to see a clearer picture to justify the higher salary. Know your worth and know your value, if an employer can't appreciate this then take it as a red flag and find someone who can and will.

If you're at a company that has a structed system to performance evaluations, pay/title increases, and employee growth, these can be great conversations to have with your manager. What do I need to do to grow in this company? Are there responsibilities or goals I can work towards that would align with title change/higher salary? Know what your growth options are can give you a way to "prove" your value if you're able to show how you've successfully met the goals for your current role and are ready to level up.

Demonstarting technical ability through achievements and Tech Tests would be the best way to showcase your value. If you have a well put together CV and portfolio to present this then you are halfway there.

Present how you can contribute to the company's success, and why you want a higher salary. Document your achievements, your projects is a good way to show what you can do. Other stuff is just selling yourself.

I would also add, to be consistent from beginning to end. When talking to a recruiter, make sure you are open and upfront with the reasons for looking for a new opportunity and why you deserve to be there. The hiring team will often cross-reference back to the beginning of the process and you don't want any information to be misleading. Stick with a strategy and be consistent.

For some people, advocating for themselves through salary negotiation comes easy and for others it's more difficult! A recruiter will know and potentially even expect to negotiate salary with candidates, so don't hesitate to bring up the conversation. Go into the conversation knowing what your target is and knowing what would cause you to walk away. If it's helpful, practice your pitch by yourself or with a friend. That can help give you the confidence you'll need in that conversation. Know your worth!

Always be respectful, professional and polite. Aggressive, defensive, or emotional behaviours are only going to give off red flags and this works both ways. Biggest thing I could recommend is ask questions, this works both ways and it's a 50/50 split. It's called Negotiating for a reason. It's a give and take situation, you have given your best and got the offer but you have to be a little selfish and see what they have to give in return. Great games are made by great people but nothing great about not being able to pay bills or being on 10k less then someone in the same position as you. Employers are normally upfront about this but never hurts to do a little research and know the answer before asking the question, helps to be prepared.

Be confident in yourself and your skills. The hiring team will always appreciate that (do not be arrogant, that is something else). Try to negotiate not only money (yes from a point in life, when you already have a decent salary, money is not the most important), but a better work-life balance (more PTO days, remote work) or even bonuses (that are on your contract) like clearly stated performance ones. Ask what is expected from you to get a pay raise, when these pay raises occur in the company, and after how much time you will be eligible for a performance review and a pay raise.

In my experience as a recruiter, the number one lesson I learned from the candidate experience is that it never hurts to ask for the whole picture, if you see no sign-on bonus or equity or assistance with relocation, always ask for more information. It never hurts to ask for that information when negotiating your salary.

More and more states are requiring job postings to include salary ranges. While not of these ranges are entirely helpful if they are too broad, you can expect to see a range of salaries that could help ballpark what potential compensation could be. In general, recruiters are there to help answer questions on all things related to compensation.

As a game developer, my biggest advice is to keep your portfolio fresh and always updated. Hiring managers do request for your portfolio links and what can increase your success rate as a developer is to have fresh relevant and updated work portfolios.

Use tools like GDC vault to learn from GDC talks even if you can't attend in-person! When seeking out mentors, ask what has worked well for them to get to where they are. Join likeminded groups of professionals on social media to build your overall network and find networking events. Also, keeping your online presence (LinkedIn, portfolio, GitHub, etc) up to date little by little can be less work than trying to update it all at once while looking for a new role or trying to prep for a negotiation.

One should always look for what is the market demand and what area are needed to be covered by him. Showing interest in the needs of company can help build company's trust on you and yes highlight your work which is being in demand. Always have your best work in portfolio.

A job is temporary, and it might be gone someday. Do not rely only on what you did there! Learn stuff by yourself, update your portfolio once in a while, and always, always network with professionals from different companies ;)

I would highly recommend not burning any bridges at this step. Even if the outcome is not what you wanted from the beginning, the key to any relationship building is that you could be considered down the road for another position or even the same position with a different outcome. The last thing you want to do is burn a bridge that could potentially hurt your chances with the same company or even a different company if a hiring manager remembers your situation, best practice is to always be respectful at the end regardless of the outcome.

If the offer doesn't tick the boxes for you, never settle for less. Nothing worse then knowing what could have been and what you have taken. Never just apply for anything and everything BUT always keep your options open. If you have another offer coming through, ask an employer to wait so you can see the full picture. If they can't wait for you to go over your offers and do what you think is best, then they are not the right company for you. Money doesn't pay for happiness, it certainly doesn't offer stability when your making games for profit. Perfect example of this are most mobile games these days are very are ad heavy and monetization based, players will delete it quicker then they download it.

Yes, if the final offer (as a whole package) is not ok for you, do not accept it just to change a job. Keep in touch with the company, and yes be respectful to them. There are 90% chances to meet with those people again in your career.

Do your research. Look at salary comps for positions in states that require disclosures, pay attention to remote posts w/ cost of living adjustments in multiple areas, then apply the math to where you live. Ask about additional factors like bonuses and royalties and avoid agreeing to contracts that define success necessitating payment on a studio or corporate level. In situations where the base is below market or individual need, inquire about a performance-based 90-day review centered around mutually identified objectives and adjustments. Ask about core hours, OT, and other elements that may increase of decrease your wages. If it’s onsite, get firm details on relo, and if it is a senior position, push for temp housing.

In a nutshell: Showcase Expertise: Flaunt your skills and unique contributions. Know Your Worth: Research industry standards—be aware of your value. Confidence Matters: Present achievements confidently, highlighting your impact. Strategic Timing: Discuss compensation after showcasing your prowess. Package Perspective: Consider benefits, bonuses, and growth potential. Flexibility Is Key: Be open to compromise while ensuring your needs are met. Stay Informed: Keep up with industry trends, showcasing adaptability. Win-Win Focus: Aim for satisfaction on both sides.