Archive · 17 Nov 2025
Women in Gaming Earn 24% Less Than Men, New Survey Reveals
Imagine a big company that makes video games.
A new survey found that women who work there get paid less than men, about 24% less on average.
This is more than the usual difference in pay between men and women across all jobs in America.
Most women in the game industry feel they are not paid enough.
This is happening even though some big game companies have been trying to hire more women and be fairer.
Men often have the top jobs at these companies.
The game industry pays its workers pretty well, more than the average job in the US.
But, many game makers have lost their jobs recently.
This shows that even though things might be getting a little better, there's still a long way to go to make sure everyone gets paid fairly.
Women in the video game industry earn 24% less than their male counterparts on average.
The gender pay gap in gaming is wider than the US national average of 15%.
60% of women and non-binary individuals in gaming believe they are under-compensated.
Men hold the majority of executive positions in these companies.
Despite some efforts by companies to hire more women, they still constitute only 25% of the workforce.
- Who
- Women and non-binary individuals working in the video game industry
- What
- Earn 24% less than their male colleagues on average, with a wider pay gap compared to the overall US average.
- When
- A new survey published Friday by the Game Developers Conference Festival of Gaming (data collected in July)
- Where
- US-based video game companies
- Why
- The industry is described as still struggling to shed its male-dominated culture, with men typically holding the majority of executive positions.
Industry Efforts
Persistent Disparities
Gender Equity
Industry Efforts
Top firms like Riot Games, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard have made efforts to hire more women and some have paid settlements to former employees.
Persistent Disparities
Despite some efforts, a new survey indicates women in the video game industry are paid 24% less than their male colleagues on average, a wider gap than the US overall.
Representation and Compensation
Industry Efforts
While some companies are hiring more women, they still represent only 25% of the workforce.
Persistent Disparities
A significant majority (60%) of women and non-binary individuals in the industry feel they are under-compensated, with only 38% earning over $125,000 compared to two-thirds of men with similar experience.
- Average Salary in Gaming Industry
- $142,000
- Gender Pay Gap in Gaming Industry
- 24%
- Gender Pay Gap in US Overall
- 15%
- Percentage of Women in Gaming Workforce
- 25%
- Survey Sample Size
- 562 US-based games workers (July survey)
- Survey for Workforce Percentage
- 3,000 developers (February survey)