Member Article

Gamers receive 3% salary raise

Salaries in the gaming industry rose by 3% last year, according to a survey carried out by UK trading association TIGA and human resources firm, Aon Hewitt.

In a survey that covers wage levels from graduates up to senior managers across 14% of the industry, statistics showed a rise in average salaries.

Graduates working in the gaming sector saw a significant 7.4% from 2011, which was almost double the growth rate between 2010 and 2011.

Voluntary employee turnover fell year-on-year to 13.5%, while workforce reduction was up from 2011 to approximately 7.2%.

Research also showed the gaming workforce is a relatively new one, with more than half its workers only having been in the sector for five years or less.

Women made up 7% of the gaming industry’s employee population, which was level with the previous year but up from 2010 and 2009.

Steve Munday, senior reward consultant at Aon Hewitt, commented:“While the Aon Hewitt and TIGA survey shows that this sector remains predominantly male (91%), over the period 2009 to 2012 the survey has seen an overall increase in the proportion of women, moving from 7% in 2009 to 9% in 2012.

“However, unlike many sectors, despite the low proportion of female employees, the survey results again suggest that the median base salary of male and female employees at equivalent levels, are only very marginally different (less than 0.5%), while target bonuses as a percentage of salary show no difference between genders.”

Pay growth was healthier across the sector than in recent years, as 7% of the population had static pay over the past 12 months, in comparison with 19.8% in 2011 and 13% in 2010.

TIGA’s chief executive, Dr Richard Wilson, commented: “In what are generally difficult times economically, there is good news in our annual survey.

“Pay is up for most development staff, graduate salaries are rising and pay freezes are down.

“With TIGA’s Games Tax Relief coming into effect in April 2013 the UK games industry is set for growth in a period when many other sectors are struggling. This is a great time to join the video games sector.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .