The average nominal pay for comparable years of experience in the video game industry has fallen 13% from November 2022 to October 2026, according to an analysis by Amir Satvat of ASGC and 1Up Ventures. Using U.S. inflation as a benchmark, that equates to roughly 23% less purchasing power over the same period.
Satvat's community dataset, covering tens of thousands of people, shows employers now hiring individuals with roughly three additional years of experience into comparable roles for essentially unchanged pay. Flat nominal salaries therefore conceal declining pay relative to experience, and this dynamic is described as the most important factor driving the trend. Supporting data from independent surveys includes GDC’s 2025 U.S. survey noting that 25% of respondents rehired after layoffs reported pay cuts of at least 10%, Skillsearch’s 2026 Games & Immersive survey finding 46% of reemployed respondents earning less than before, and InGame Job / Values Value reporting EU/UK/Swiss median pay fell 15% for senior art/design roles and 8% for senior programming roles between 2024 and 2025.
Additional corroboration comes from GameSoundCon surveys showing median pay for U.S./Canadian game audio employees with two or fewer years of experience fell 6% between 2023 and 2025, the Polish Gamedev Salary Report 2025 indicating compensation at outsourcing and subcontractor companies fell 7% from 2024 as total employer cost, and broader context of over 57,000 game industry jobs lost globally from 2022 through the end of 2026 per ASGC tracking. Housing affordability in expensive North American games hubs, where 75%+ of open roles exist, likely makes the real financial impact understated for many workers.
