Video Game Testers
Overview
Introduction
Video game testers examine new or modified video game applications to evaluate whether or not they perform at the desired level. Testers also verify that different tasks and levels within a game function properly and progress in a consistent manner. Their work entails trying to find glitches in games and sometimes crashing the game completely. Testers keep very close track of the combinations they enter so that they can replicate the situation in order to remedy it. Testers also offer opinions on the user-friendliness of video and c...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Testers who worked for software publishers earned mean annual salaries of $48,280 in May 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Salaries for all testers ranged from less than $24,660 to $66,260 or more.
Software quality assurance analysts had median annual earnings of $68,483 in September 2020, according to Salary.com. Salaries ranged from less than $54,717 to $84,173 or more ...
Work Environment
Video game testers work in game development studios. They play games for a living, and this work can be very fun and entertaining. However, the work is also generally repetitive and even monotonous. If a game is being tested, for example, a tester may have to play it for hours until it finally crashes, if at all. Most testers agree that even the newest, most exciting game loses its appeal after...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for software developers, including testers, will grow by 22 percent, much faster than the average for all careers, through 2029. The push toward pre-market perfection will help to keep the video game testing profession strong. To stay competitive, companies are refining their procedures to ever-higher levels. In addition, the coronavirus pan...