Side-by-side distribution
Backend Engineer
$185,375
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33%
- Live roles
- 2,443
Game Developer
$162,848
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33%
- Live roles
- 103
Highest-paying jobs
Intermediate Backend Software Engineer
Senior Staff Backend Engineer ($500k - $1.5m salary)
Staff Software Engineer (Backend)
Lead Software Engineer (Backend)
Senior/Staff Backend Engineer, Applied AI
Backend Engineer, AI
Backend Engineer
Senior Backend Engineer
Senior Backend Engineer (Java)
Senior Backend Engineer (Java)
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Software Engineer, Game Safety
Principal Core Systems Software Engineer - Game Engine (C++)
Principal Software Engineer - Game Engine Systems
Senior Software Engineer, Game Engine Systems
Game Developer - AI Trainer
Indie Game Developer - AI Trainer
Senior Game Security Programmer
Software Engineer, Game Development
Software Engineer, Game Development
Systems Software Engineer - Game Engine Network (C++)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Air Apps
|
$68,094 | 33 |
Affirm
|
$183,000 | 20 |
Databricks
|
$205,100 | 16 |
Grafana Labs
|
$192,485 | 15 |
OpenAI
|
$309,000 | 9 |
Teleport
|
$261,440 | 9 |
Verkada
|
$215,000 | 9 |
Whoop
|
$150,000 | 9 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Roblox
|
$267,950 | 7 |
2K
|
$119,530 | 6 |
Applied Intuition
|
$170,000 | 3 |
|
Handshake
|
$260,000 | 2 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$209,500 | 2 |
|
Epic Games
|
$186,868 | 2 |
Striking Distance Studios
|
$166,000 | 2 |
teamLFG
|
$200,000 | 1 |
Backend Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $220,000 | 165 |
| New York | $207,500 | 163 |
| Seattle | $205,500 | 38 |
| Denver | $195,875 | 4 |
| Austin | $189,750 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $184,075 | 12 |
| Boston | $178,750 | 20 |
| Chicago | $175,000 | 5 |
| Singapore | $151,034 | 3 |
| Toronto | $145,000 | 37 |
Backend Engineer vs Game Developer: which pays more?
The median for Backend Engineer is $185,375 per year (typically $145,499–$225,000), versus $162,848 for Game Developer ($131,155–$218,940). That puts Backend Engineer about 14% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Backend Engineer and Game Developer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.