Average Unity Developer Salary and Rates in the US and World in 2023
Updated 2022
Before we start reviewing Unity developers’ salaries, let’s do a quick recap of this game development environment. There are multiple platforms for game development in the world, but this one has always had the largest number of “fans.” Let’s see the reasons for Unity’s incredible popularity.
Qubit Labs can help you hire Unity developers for your dedicated development team.
Consoles, smartphones, tablets, and personal computers are now full-fledged gaming platforms. For gamers — it’s perfect, but for the developers, device fragmentation, difference in operating systems, and compatibility become real challenges.
Nevertheless, despite disparities between platforms, there is a tool that can become a great assistant for the developers in dealing with the mentioned problem. Unity is what we are talking about. It has over 1 million registered Unity game developers, and 300,000 of them use it regularly. Around 53% of mobile developers use Unity as well.
Unity is a multiplatform tool for developing 2D and 3D applications and games. It unites all the necessary and intuitively understandable tools for creating 3D content. Also, it boasts thousands of high-quality ready-made models, textures, effects, and scripts.
It was initially launched for independent developers and studios. Game development with Unity can help programmers create unique and captivating games that catch players’ attention at any platform, effectively and quickly. Because of this, the demand for Unity game dev for hire is very high.
Unity’s Advantages
Unity game development provides professionals with countless tools because they are all in the same development environment. The more convenient it is for a Unity game developer to orientate in the environment, the more high-grade product one delivers at the end.
Unity makes the development process simpler, enhances the specialist’s capacities, and makes the workflow more convenient. This tool is C#-based, which allows using the ready-made elements and techniques. So, everything the programmer has to do is to apply them in one’s project.
Unity game development has cross-platform support, which, as we have already mentioned, allows transferring the same code between the platforms with minimal changes. Also, it is easy for a junior Unity developer to figure out how to use the tool. It doesn’t require learning too many specificities or thinking about whether a certain Android version supports the extension or not. Most of the issues are solved by Unity itself.
Also, the Unity engine isn’t designed for a single specific case but is relatively versatile. A Unity game developer can see what they’re currently developing. So, they don’t need any additional devices to understand how the product will look at the final stage. There is a “window” in which the developer can see the object in the game and change the required parameter without leaving the scene.
The engine can also handle tasks like modeling 3D objects from the real world. After finishing developing your model and setting necessary properties, you can see how it works in different conditions and action.
There is a rendering tool in Unity responsible for changing the picture right when you insert some modifications. Games built with Unity are different thanks to their interaction between objects and the fact that there are built-in scripts for JS and C#. Therefore, you don’t have to learn any of these scripts. Just choose one of them and write anything.
List of Popular Games Made with Unity
Actually, there are numerous showcases of Unity’s success, including award-winning games, films, and AR/VR experiences. Though, we will list several games built with Unity to let you know the tool’s coverage:
- Norman’s Island
- Temple Run
- PHAROS AR
- Cycles
- Osiris: New Dawn
- Dead Trigger
- Trinity
- In the Valley of Gods
- Escape from Tarkov
- Cuphead
- Life of Us
Actually, Unity developer jobs imply working not only in the industry of video games but also in engineering, architecture, art, construction, medicine, education, and automotive areas. Clearly, the Unity developer salary is highly affected by the industry, and the country a professional is working in, but, still, we can answer the question “how much do computer engineers make.” Thus, let’s take a look at the average wages.
Unity Developer Salary in the US
The country significantly affects the Unity game developer salary, but, in the case of the US, the wages depend on the state as well. As you might have already understood, the highest average salaries are in San Francisco. Due to the location of Silicon Valley in that area, where there are billions of dollars and millions of outstanding developers, it has to offer competitive salaries to keep up with its status.
| Atlanta | $82,672–$120,250 |
| Austin | $72,906–$97,129 |
| Boston | $83,521–$111,271 |
| New York | $80,619–$125,591 |
| San Francisco | $86,044–$134,042 |
| Seattle | $81,052–$107,982 |
| Washington | $79,300–$123,535 |
So, how much does it cost to hire a programmer? Evidently, the highest average salaries are in San Francisco, ranging from $86,045 to $134,040. Unity developers get similar salaries in Boston ($83,521–$111,271) and Seattle ($81,052–$107,982). Speaking of New York, the average salary Unity developer for this city will be $80,619–$125,591.
As for Austin and Atlanta, average wages for Unity programmers there are $72,906–$97,129 and $82,672–$120,250, respectively. Unity earnings in Washington are around $79,300-$123,540 on average.
Here’s an illustration with the average Unity engineer salary in several states for 2021:
Average Hourly Rate for Unity Freelancers by State
A freelance Unity developer can set up the required hourly rate oneself, and the numbers are considerably different, both within states and inside them. Surely, it depends on the experience and standards of living. In California, for example, the number of remote Unity developer jobs is much higher than in Minnesota. Great competitiveness implies offering higher wages to be able to hire a devoted freelance Unity developer. Such distribution of states’ popularity among programmists is amidst the factors that influence salaries.
These are Unity developers’ salaries for 2021 to compare:
These are Unity developers’ salaries for 2022:
| State | Total Number of Developers of All Technologies | Hourly Rate of Freelance Unity Developer |
| California | 628,414 | $150 |
| Colorado | 107,423 | $55 |
| Connecticut | 53,543 | $60 |
| Georgia | 129,145 | $52 |
| Maine | 10,758 | $48 |
| Massachusetts | 141,755 | $52 |
| Minnesota | 94,211 | $47 |
| New Jersey | 162,977 | $54 |
| New York | 218,041 | $58 |
| North Carolina | 125,937 | $45 |
| South Carolina | 42,587 | $47 |
| Texas | 324,717 | $63 |
| Utah | 43,842 | $46 |
| Virginia | 204,699 | $46 |
| Washington | 143,971 | $51 |
The average Unity developer hourly wage in California is the highest, approximately $150. As for Texas ($63), Connecticut ($60), and New York ($58), local specialists’ salary demands are on a similar level. Unity developers in New Jersey are paid $54, in Massachusetts and Georgia — $52, and in Colorado — $55.
The software engineers’ salary is lower in Washington ($51), Virginia ($46), and Minnesota ($47). Unity developer hourly wages in Utah ($46), Maine ($48), and North Carolina ($45) are the lowest wages compared to other states.
Unity Developer Salary and Rates in the World (Annual)
Although an IT engineer salary differs across the counties, it doesn’t always mean that developers from a particular region are much worse in professional terms than others. It’s more about the countries’ levels of development and general economic stability.
If the average IT salaries in Germany are lower compared to American ones, it is because of the competitiveness on the market and the number of developers. Also, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Unity game developer salary in India is the lowest compared to other countries.
These are Unity developer salaries in the world for 2021 to compare:
These are Unity developer salaries in the world for 2022:
| USA | $91,813–$140,000 |
| Canada | $61,875–$119,925 |
| Netherlands | $49,434–$86,761 |
| Germany | $48,791–$64,677 |
| UK | $47,468–$83,408 |
| Australia | $53,008–$70,029 |
| Norway | $45,286–$64,471 |
| Denmark | $46,120–$67,547 |
| Spain | $31,295–$51,076 |
| Singapore | $30,872–48,541 |
| Ukraine | $18,978–$48,157 |
| Poland | $20,754–$50,998 |
| Brazil | $15,029–$25,983 |
| India | $6,444–$18,144 |
An average Unity IT engineer salary in the US is the highest in the world, namely $113,750. As for the Unity developer salary Germany, it’s around $58,000 per year. Meanwhile, the average Unity developer salary in the UK is $61,030. A mid-level Unity engineer salary in Canada is $100,000.
The salary of a Unity developer in Australia is $65,108 annually. Speaking of the IT salaries in the Netherlands, local mid-level Unity developers earn $70,060. When looking at the average Unity developer salary in Norway ($59,194), Denmark ($63,309), and Singapore ($38,653), you won’t see a big difference in the numbers.
As for Unity earnings in Ukraine and Poland, local developers make $30,471 and $35,825 correspondingly. The average salary for a Unity developer in Spain is around $35,953. Brazil pays approximately $18,597 per year to mid-level Unity specialists. Meanwhile, the Unity developer salary in India is $10,575 per annum.
Unity Developer Salary and Rates Comparison by Big Cities and Experience Level (Annual)
Since experience is among the most critical requirements for a specialist in any area, a junior Unity developer has to realize that the first years in the area are for seeing opportunities and taking advantage of them. Although junior developer salaries in Warsaw and Toronto differ widely, both positions are oriented toward giving knowledge rather than money.
However, there is a wholly contrasting situation when it comes to a senior developer salary. No matter where such a professional resides, they will receive a competitive salary, which is usually multiple times higher than the average wage in the country.
This is the comparison of Unity developer salary by big cities and experience level for 2021:
This is the comparison of Unity developer salary by big cities and experience level for 2022:
| Junior | Middle | Senior | |
| San Francisco | $58,596 | $101,655 | $161,229 |
| Toronto | $54,213 | $100,505 | $145,000 |
| London | $56,546 | $61,300 | $75,880 |
| Sydney | $54,700 | $58,101 | $75,092 |
| Berlin | $49,578 | $58,624 | $70,012 |
| Warsaw | $25,453 | $36,876 | $51,274 |
| Singapore | $31,246 | $38,628 | $54,453 |
| Kyiv | $19,379 | $35,500 | $49,891 |
- The average Unity developer salaries are around $101,655 in San Francisco.
- A mid-level Unity engineer salary in Toronto is $100,505.
- The average Unity developer salary London is $61,300.
- In Sydney, a mid-level Unity specialist earns $58,101 annually.
- A mid-level Unity programmer salary in Berlin is $58,624.
- Warsaw Unity developers earn $36,876 per year.
- Singapore pays $$38,628 per year to Unity programmers.
- The average salary Unity developer in Kyiv is $19,379; meanwhile, junior developers earn $35,500 and seniors — $49,891.
Hire Unity Development Team with Qubit Labs
In case you need to hire a team of Unity developers or a single professional who will meet your expectations, Qubit Labs will be happy to assist you. The average annual salary of a Unity developer from Ukraine starts from $18,379 (junior), $30,500 (middle), and $45,891 (senior).
We provide a personal approach, team onboarding and retention, flexible agreement, and transparent cost to all our clients. Thus, you can find a skilled and devoted professional of any level in Ukraine. If you have any questions left, feel free to contact us.
Conclusion
As you can see, a Unity game developer is a demanded profession on the international market, and the more experience and skills a specialist has, the higher one’s salary will be. The US is the leader in the area because it offers the most competitive wages and engages large numbers of developers to relocate to the country.
The average Unity programmer salary in the world is from $10,575 (India) to $113,750 (the US). Nevertheless, multiple factors affect the mentioned numbers, and they have to be taken into account as well.
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