A study from gaming recruitment brand TechNET Immersive shows that the video game industry has grown rapidly in 2020, with salaries on the rise.
The global games industry has grown more rapidly in recent years than any other form of entertainment media, quickly becoming worth more than music and movies combined. Gaming saw significant growth throughout 2020 as people stuck indoors turned to home entertainment more, and it looks like salaries in the industry are on the rise globally.
A new report by TechNET Immersive reveals that the games industry is now worth around £117bn, up from around £109bn in 2019. Around 69% of gaming salaries grew in 2020 and only 16% saw reductions due to the pandemic, with the average salary in gaming growing by 4.4% from £54,865.50 to £57.297.75.
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While games industry jobs are on the rise in Northern Ireland, professional game development jobs in the UK were still strongly centred around Guildford and London, both of which offered more jobs and higher salaries than other regions. Further afield, the biggest opportunities were seen in Stockholm, California, and Vancouver.
Video games now account for more than 50% of the entire entertainment market, with 2.5 billion gamers worldwide. Top export countries included China with over 500 million customers, the US with around 167 million, and 243 million gamers across the EU. The UK market accounts for around 32 million gamers.
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Curtis Bailey, Business Development Director at TechNET, commented on the report: "At this stage, it’s difficult to know how much of an impact Covid-19 has had on the entertainment industry. But one thing is clear - with cinemas, theatres, concerts and sports events closed around the world, it seems that for many people, gaming has become their primary form of entertainment. The industry has thrived in the pandemic, and salaries on the whole have increased worldwide."
For more details or to read the full report with breakdowns of salary by factors such as age range, job types, and gender, head over to https://technet-immersive.co.uk/xr-uk/
Source: Written based on press release
