10 Overlooked Ways ALL Video Game Studios Could Improve

If you’ve read anything I’ve previously written (and why wouldn’t you, I’m brilliant) you’ll know I believe the games industry, especially in the AAA space, has a problem with pay gulfs.

Whilst seniors and team leads are paid exceptionally well, some roles (and junior positions) are often paid pitiful salaries that I’ve legitimately been stunned at discovering.

Take QA, for example. These guys are the workhorses of the studio, do a diverse range of tasks, and often work the longest hours out of everyone.

So why should they be paid less than someone doing 37 hours of shelf-stacking?

Or role progression in the same field - a lead artist can expect anywhere between £70k-£90k per annum, but a graduate/junior has to make do with less than £20k, and average intermediate artist salaries rest around £28k for the year. So, why the enormous leap between intermediate and senior?

I know it’s to incentivise individuals to stick around for the long haul, but it highlights a real issue in staff worth. Are some roles really worth so little, relatively speaking?

I propose a much smaller pay gulf overall, to see a much more consistent level of happiness across the studio staff.