The U.S. video game industry is one of the nation’s fastest growing economic
sectors. Americans spent $23.5 billion on video games, hardware and accessories
in 2016. The industry directly or indirectly employs more than 220,000 people.
This is according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
The top five states for video game jobs are California, New York, Massachusetts,
Washington and Texas, according to the ESA. California is the largest employer
-- 41 percent of computer and video game jobs are located in that state.
In addition to employed game testers, there are also thousands of outside
testers. These are volunteers who test games in exchange for a copy of the
software. This type of experience can sometimes lead to a paid job later on.
Salaries vary based on factors such as the size of the game company and
the cost of living in the area.
"Most testers starting out are paid hourly," says Matthew Burns. He's a
senior producer at the University of Washington's Center for Game Science.
He's also a former tester.
"I'd say the rates are comparable to a retail or entry-level clerical job,"
says Burns. "More experience, being a test manager or lead tester, or doing
more technical work, can increase the pay."
Competition for testing jobs can be fierce. This is especially true for
testing positions that don't require previous work experience in the industry.
Volunteer experience, industry connections and a demonstrated passion for
video games can increase your chances of getting hired.
"Right now, we're not really hiring just anybody," says Nathan Pinard.
He's a QA manager for a game company called Ludia. "We have specific needs....
I'd say if you want qualified people with at least one year of experience
you won't get a lot of resumes, but [for] people that want to get their foot
in, there's probably a lot more."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth for the video
game industry will be slow for the period 2014-2024. The projected growth
rate is six percent, which is expected to result in an increase of 3,900 jobs
by 2024, according to BLS.