Many indie developers earn less than the average games company developer in the US. That’s unfortunate, as an indie developer can earn as much as a full-time employee from a large games company. However, the lack of benefits and job security makes it difficult to gauge the profitability of this type of work. The following are the typical revenues of indie games. If you want to know how much you could potentially make as an indie developer, read on!
It’s important to note that the top 15% of indie games will net over $100k. These gross revenues, which don’t include Steam cuts, discounts, or charge-backs, are the amount of money an indie game developer will make in its first year. The average indie game developer will make between $13k to $40k, while the top 15 percent of indie games will make over $100k.
The highest-rated indie games can earn up to $100k in gross revenue, which doesn’t include Steam cuts, discounts, or return/chargebacks. The average indie game developer makes as much as an average games company developer in the US. If you’re considering starting your own indie game development company, these numbers are definitely not for you. If you’d like to see some more examples of the top indie games on Steam, you can check out VG Insights’ article on how to become a game developer.
The bottom 15% of indie games that have earned over $100k will only make you a few hundred dollars a year. But you’re still far from being an indie developer. In fact, many of the most popular indie games have become platforms for future titles. But that doesn’t mean that being in the top 10% of indie games is just pure luck. You need to do your research and benchmark yourself against other indie game developers to know how to make the most money possible.
While you can make a lot of money as an indie game developer, it’s still difficult to earn a substantial amount. For starters, an indie game should be successful enough to break even before taxes and Steam cuts are taken. The top 10% of indie games can become platforms for future games. The top 10% of games don’t just happen by accident. You need to do market research and benchmark yourself with other games to ensure that you’re in the top tier.
It’s important to note that the top 1% of indie games have made over $7 million. The average indie game developer has to make between $175,000 and $250,000 to break even. In contrast, the bottom 10% of games that are self-published don’t earn a dime. This means that you’re making more money than the average developer in the world. The bottom quartile should earn at least two million dollars.
In the top quartile, an indie game developer should earn at least $26,000. On the other hand, the top 14 percent of indie games should make over $100k. In this case, the average indie game developer would need to hire up to 40 people in order to earn that much. If he/she were to work for a gaming studio, the top quartile of indie games should be paid at least $175,000.
According to the US Department of Labor Statistics, the top 1% of indie games have a gross revenue of $7 million. This doesn’t include Steam cuts, discounts, and returns. So, for the average indie game developer, the average gross revenue would be between $175,000 and $10 million. In other words, an indie game developer should have the same income as an average US games company. And that’s only the beginning.
The average indie game developer’s gross revenue can easily top $100k. This figure doesn’t include Steam cuts, discounts, return/chargebacks, and other factors. An indie game developer’s gross revenue is typically less than the gross revenue of a games company. Therefore, the average indie developer can expect to earn the same as an average US games company developer. This is because the top 1% of indie games are usually self-published, so there are no marketing costs.
