Sound Designer Salary (2026)
The median sound designer in the games industry earns $129,295 per year with 6–10 years of experience (global, base salary in USD), with most offers falling between $103k and $162k.
Figures are based on 9+ anonymous community salary reports and public industry surveys, resolved per experience band. Rows marked model estimate have no direct survey data yet — submit your salary to improve them. See the methodology for how numbers are computed.
Salary by experience (global)
| Experience | Low | Median | High | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 years | $29,419 | $34,560 | $39,701 | Community datan=3 |
| 3–5 years | $74,830 | $87,500 | $100,170 | Community datan=6 |
| 6–10 years | $103,436 | $129,295 | $161,619 | Industry reportn=32 |
| 11–15 years | $60,826 | $135,113 | $164,838 | Industry report |
| 16+ years | $120,000 | $150,000 | $180,000 | Model estimate |
Salary by region
Median base salary (USD) for the best-covered experience band per region — bands differ where coverage differs. US buying power converts that figure to what it buys locally (World Bank 2023 price levels, see methodology).
| Region | Median | Experience | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $98,550 | 6–10 years | Community datan=5 |
| Rest of World | $86,296 | 3–5 years | Industry report |
| United Kingdom · Western Europe · Nordic Countries · Eastern Europe | $54,348 | 6–10 years | Community datan=6 |
| Asia Pacific | $44,728 | 3–5 years | Industry report |
Open sound designer jobs
Recent listings from games-industry job boards:
How this compares outside games
Official government wage statistics for the closest occupation across all industries. Not games-specific, never mixed into the data above.
| Occupation (official) | Coverage | Low | Median | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound Engineering Technicians | United States (national, all industries) | $37,570 | $73,130 | $137,370 | US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Audio and video recording technicians | Canada (national, all industries) | $32,118 | $50,256 | $69,527 | Government of Canada Job Bank Wages 2025 |
Sources used on this page
- Community data — public community salary datasets, individual reports shared with us, and anonymous submissions on this site (2018–2026).
- GDC State of the Game Industry 2025 — Annual survey by Game Developers Conference / Informa.
- 8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 — Games-industry recruitment agency salary report. Cited with permission.
- Skillsearch Games & Immersive Salary and Satisfaction Report 2026 — Annual survey by games recruitment agency Skillsearch. Cited with permission.