Side-by-side distribution
Frontend Engineer
$181,642
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.3%
- Live roles
- 1,051
Game Developer
$162,848
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33%
- Live roles
- 103
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Staff Frontend Engineer ($500k - $1.5m salary)
Principal Front End Developer
Senior Frontend Engineer
Senior Frontend Engineer
Staff Frontend Engineer ($300k - $500k salary)
Staff / Principal Frontend Software Engineer
Principal Software Engineer, Frontend - Design Systems
Web Developer
Senior Software Engineer, UI
Frontend Engineer, Financial Web Platform
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 |
|---|---|---|
Mindrift
|
$124,800 | 12 |
|
Roblox
|
$269,270 | 11 |
Air Apps
|
$61,110 | 10 |
Verkada
|
$220,000 | 7 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$193,000 | 6 |
PlayStation Global
|
$187,600 | 6 |
Harvey
|
$241,700 | 5 |
Sigma Computing
|
$230,000 | 4 |
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 |
Frontend Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $201,150 | 70 |
| San Francisco | $200,000 | 63 |
| Boston | $191,250 | 6 |
| Seattle | $184,250 | 14 |
| Chicago | $169,105 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $159,766 | 6 |
| Toronto | $134,418 | 15 |
| Singapore | $124,800 | 5 |
| Berlin | $101,594 | 4 |
| Dublin | $99,370 | 3 |
Frontend Engineer vs Game Developer: which pays more?
The median for Frontend Engineer is $181,642 per year (typically $134,531–$220,000), versus $162,848 for Game Developer ($131,155–$218,940). That puts Frontend Engineer about 12% 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.