How much do game testers make? The answer to this question varies depending on the location, level of education, skill set, and the experience of the game testers, among other factors. Unlike other software jobs such as animation and programming, game testing requires minimal formal education. However, this doesn’t mean you regard game testing as a stress-free, straightforward task.

To know for sure the gross income of a game tester, let’s, first of all, understand what game testing is and all that it has to offer.

What is Game Testing?
Game testing, is also known as quality assurance, and it is the process of identifying and pointing out any bugs in games that haven’t yet been released. It is playing a game that isn’t fun to play yet. The job requires game testers to fulfill these two primary responsibilities:

• Verify if everything that required to be implemented has been implemented.
• Report any bugs about the game or any other issue that wasn’t correctly implemented.

Game testing isn’t as glamorous as it seems or sounds. Just like any other job, this one too comes bearing its pressures. In 2009, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that the video gaming industry made way over $10 billion in sales. Therefore, all workers associated with the gaming industry, including game testers, are pressured to make sure that nothing endangers the success of the games.

Since you’ve now understood what game testing is, and what it entails. It’s now time to answer your question.
Here, we are going to look at how much game testers make depending on several factors. These factors include:

Experience
As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. Experience is something that you can’t get freely without working for it. It grows our knowledge and skills about a specific thing. With enough experience and exposure, we eventually have the confidence and ability set to undertake what is asked of us.

In the gaming industry, game testers are required to have some sought of experience. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get picked while others are left behind. It means that you have a leg up in the game than most game testers in the market.

Experience gives responsibilities, and with it also comes some feet up the ladder. If you are at the top, the same should be seen on your salary status. It’s only right.

The Game Developer Magazine conducted a salary survey in 2011, which showed how many game testers make depending on their experience. Those within three years of experience in the game testing job earned an average of $36,100 per year. The second class of game testers who had four to six years of experience earned an average of $45,700 per year.

Level of Education
Although it isn’t a massive contributor to how much a game tester should earn, the level of education remains a factor when the earning question arises. According to the Game Developer Magazine, video game testers who had only a high diploma to show for making the most money. Their salary averaged at $52,000 annually, while those with bachelor’s degrees averaged under $43,000.

The Gaming Company
This is as obvious as it gets. The level of a gaming company considers many factors before it can decide on the amount to pay the quality assurance testers. Large gaming companies like Electronic Arts or Konami regard the workload, profitability, and turnover of their games before they can decide on the amount of revenue they can release to the game testers.

On the other hand, small scale gaming companies may end up paying less to the game testers than the other large firms in the gaming industry. But this is a visible counter to avoid any losses on their hands.

The Location or Region
Location is another contributor to how much game testers make. Different regions, including, states, countries, and even continents, differ in their currency exchange and tax policies. When data was collected in 2011 for how much money game testers earn, the results were quite impressive.

Game testers in the East averaged the most in earnings, which was around $49,600 per year. The West averaged an annual salary of about $47,100, while their counterparts down in the South only received about $35,830 per year.

The Interview
The interview is a factor that cannot go unmentioned as well. Just like other jobs, how well you present yourself in the interview can make a huge difference. How confident were you in there, did you fit into their criteria, did you negotiate your pay to your desires. It’s all about knowing your worth and what you are capable of delivering to your company. Don’t degrade yourself for the sake of just getting the job. Let your employers know what you are about right from the start.

Tips on Becoming a Game Tester
Getting a job as a game tester isn’t as easy as it may seem. Remember that this job requires a company with perhaps many years of experience and plenty of professional personnel to leave the final decision to you. Therefore, the company won’t, in whatever way, hire your services if they think that you aren’t qualified enough.

Here is a list of requirements to set you right, if you want to become a game tester:
• Have a high school diploma or GED. Both of them can also do.
• You must be a video game player.
• Earn yourself a college degree in video game design.
• Have a job in a Quality Assurance company

Final Thoughts
How much do game testers make? As of November 2019, the average salary for a game tester in the United States stood at $14.13 per hour. How much you earn as a game tester depends on several factors, such as the ones we’ve explained above.
If you are looking to indulge yourself in the gaming industry, you should first consider a career in game testing. It offers you a non-complicated way and a chance to grow up the ladder without too much pressure.