Side-by-side distribution
Frontend Engineer
$160,950
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.1%
- Live roles
- 1,339
Game Developer
$173,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 16.1%
- Live roles
- 93
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Frontend Engineer ($400k - $500k salary)
Staff/Principal Frontend Software Engineer
Staff/Principal Frontend Software Engineer
Software Engineer, Frontend
Frontend Software Engineer, Codex App
Frontend Software Engineer, ChatGPT Space
Principal Frontend AI Engineer - Cortex Code
Senior / Staff Software Engineer, Frontend
Principal Frontend Software Engineer - Discovery
Staff Software Engineer, Frontend
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Software Engineer, Creator Game Operations
Senior Software Engineer, Game Engine
Senior Software Engineer - Game Engine Systems (C++)
Staff Gameplay Engineer - Systems and Performance
Senior Gameplay Engineer - Game Modes
Software Engineer - Game Development
Game Security Software Engineer
Mobile Game Security Software Engineer
Senior Gameplay Software Engineer (UE5)
Software Engineer - Simulation, Game Engine & World Systems (Autonomy)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CACI
|
$137,075 | 18 |
Air Apps
|
$58,701 | 11 |
Sift Stack, Inc.
|
$205,000 | 9 |
GDIT
|
$155,000 | 9 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$113,700 | 9 |
|
Harvey
|
$241,700 | 8 |
Verkada
|
$225,000 | 7 |
|
Roblox
|
$268,610 | 6 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Roblox
|
$269,270 | 3 |
|
teamLFG
|
$207,750 | 2 |
| KA KRAFTON Americas | $173,000 | 2 |
|
Applied Intuition
|
$166,581 | 2 |
|
Skyboxlabs
|
$147,500 | 1 |
2K
|
$106,280 | 1 |
| CC Cloud Chamber | $106,280 | 1 |
thatgamecompany
|
$105,000 | 1 |
Frontend Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $208,750 | 66 |
| San Francisco | $205,000 | 67 |
| Boston | $200,000 | 8 |
| Seattle | $199,000 | 16 |
| Austin | $187,500 | 5 |
| Chicago | $155,600 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $134,531 | 4 |
| Paris | $130,094 | 3 |
| Denver | $127,250 | 5 |
| Berlin | $112,040 | 3 |
Frontend Engineer vs Game Developer: which pays more?
The median for Frontend Engineer is $160,950 per year (typically $122,500–$202,483), versus $173,000 for Game Developer ($106,280–$209,331). That puts Game Developer about 7% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Frontend 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.