I Think I've Decided on my Career, Is 40K Enough?

Well I think I want to become a video game level designer, but I just found out you only make about 40K a year to start out with. Is that enough to live comfortably?

Also if anyone knows any good schools where you can learn to develop games as a team or something like that, please let me know. :)

if you are just planning on living in an apartment youll be living a great life.

if you plan on starting a family with a house in a good neighborhood though youll be pushing it a bit, but oyu should be fine, as long as your spouse works as well.

Depends where and how you live.Dark__Link

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

[QUOTE="Dark__Link"]Depends where and how you live.Foolio1

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

[QUOTE="Foolio1"]

[QUOTE="Dark__Link"]Depends where and how you live.Dark__Link

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

what's your definition of comfortably? :? maid service and monthly vacations? My mom made half of that when it was just me and her and we lived an amazing life.

Depends where and how you live.Dark__Link

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

[QUOTE="Dark__Link"][QUOTE="Foolio1"]

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

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[QUOTE="Dark__Link"][QUOTE="Foolio1"]

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

dragonfly110

what's your definition of comfortably? :? maid service and monthly vacations? My mom made half of that when it was just me and her and we lived an amazing life.

[QUOTE="dragonfly110"]

[QUOTE="Dark__Link"] Also depends how you define "comfortably." No matter where I lived, I know $40k isn't even close to enough for me to live comfortably.Dark__Link

what's your definition of comfortably? :? maid service and monthly vacations? My mom made half of that when it was just me and her and we lived an amazing life.

i guess that makes sense :P

Well I think I want to become a video game level designer, but I just found out you only make about 40K a year to start out with. Is that enough to live comfortably?

Also if anyone knows any good schools where you can learn to develop games as a team or something like that, please let me know. :)

[QUOTE="Dark__Link"][QUOTE="Foolio1"]

This, but in most places that will be more than enough to support one person very comfortably.

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Just myself. Here would be my breakdown @ $40k/yr.

Apartment: $1250/mo.

Utilities: $200/mo.

Car + insurance: $600/mo.

Food: $500/mo.

Gas: $150/mo.

Other insurances/bills: $300

Savings/disposable income: $300

Sure, I can easily live on that... but it's just not "comfortable" to me. If I'm not putting anything toward savings, and have only $300 left over per month, then I'm CONSTANTLY worrying about money... so I'm not comfortable.

holy crap? 1500 a month? And I thought my 650 was high, I have a pretty big 2 bedroom apt too. I am so used to thinking about if I should get something or wait, or saving up a couple weeks or months to get something I dont even think about that as not living comfortably.AutoPilotOn

For right out of school 40k is alright, but not in the long term.

[QUOTE="Dark__Link"][QUOTE="brandontwb"]Thanks for the responses guys. I guess 40K would be good, but all I ever hear from classmates and stuff is how they'll be making 80K+ a year being a doctor or engineer, and it's a little depressing settling for so much less. I think I would really enjoy what I do though, despite ending up on the computer probably a lot more than I should be. I just need to learn more about what to do for post secondary education. P.S. I'm in grade 12 and live in Canada.Mousetaches

gameproduction would be a dream job for me, but it's a very unforgiving field of work to be in from what I understand, so I strayed off of it.

but it comes down to nepotism with a lot of those jobs, it's who you know.

It all depends on where you live. I think 40k is very very good, especially for a starting pay. You shouldn't have really any problems with living by yourself either.

It's more than enough for me! Some people just keep wanting more and more and more... I have no problem cutting my expenses.

gameproduction would be a dream job for me, but it's a very unforgiving field of work to be in from what I understand, so I strayed off of it.

but it comes down to nepotism with a lot of those jobs, it's who you know.

Dead-Memories

And plus the gaming industry has become a joke with DLC and DRM and ACTIVISION.GranDogTurismo

as much as I hate activision they are one of the core reasons the gaming industry is as big as it is today. They milk there franchises too much, but they did the polar opposite of making the industry considered a joke.

I live comfortably on 18k a year in California, so yea...starting out, 40k a year is very very very good.

Just realize that you really must love what youre doing, because the majority of stories speak of 60+ hour weeks normally, with no time off for holidays. I know someone who works for Lucasarts, and he didnt get holidays off...he had to pop out of work for like 5 hours on thanksgiving, ate dinner, then went back to work until 3AM, then went back to work at like 8AM. That was during crunch time, mind you, but still...

It's enough, but not too great or anything. What matters most is if you actually enjoy it though. If it makes you happy then do it. If it doesn't, then find something else with a higher paycheck.

That is enough for just you for sure.

Yeah thats decent enough, and if its a job you actually enjoy then go for it, its better to have a job that you enjoy and get payed a bit less for than one you hate and get paid more for.

actually you'll probably be making less than that.

look for entry level game industry jobs. None of them are 40k, and very few are entry level. Even w/ a 4 year degree, and a good portfolio you won't find well paying work in the gaming industry w/out experience.

The game industry is very catch-22/secret society. You can't get a job until you have experience, and you can't get experience w/ out a job. And with good reason the gaming industry has a lot of inside information which is kinda hard to explain until you've actually done a development cycle.

As far as schooling goes I can't say I've heard of too many actually bad schools. Sadly most people think "hey I'll graduate from here, and get a job". Well that's not the way it works in the game industry. Developers don't care about your degree or where you got it, but they do care about your skills (which you may or may not of picked up while working towards your degree).

40K a year is insanely high in my country :shock:, and I am fortunate enough to live in one of thewealthiest regions in the world.
I make about 22k a year and I have a very comfy life, can afford luxuries. So 40K in my book is very very VERY good .

First year out and getting $40,000 before tax isn't that bad. I'm going into marketing/public relations, which has an "averaging minimum" of $60,000 a year. My mate is doing mechanical engineering and their "average minimum" is $50,000. However it isn't just about the money, you have to enjoy what you do too