Hiring gaming & immersive talent – 2025 salary expectations revealed!
If you’re hiring gaming & immersive talent, knowing what they expect to earn in 2025 is non-negotiable.
In a space driven by creativity, technical excellence, and rapid innovation, salaries have become a major talking point. Professionals across gaming, VR, AR and XR are more open than ever about their expectations – and they’re looking for the same transparency from the companies trying to hire them.
Our 2025 Gaming & Immersive Tech Salary Survey reveals how professionals are feeling about pay, progression and what they want to see from employers this year. Let’s dive into the latest trends.
Salary expectations in gaming & immersive tech
If you want to stay competitive, you need to know what candidates are hoping for. This year’s data gives a clear view of where expectations are, and it paints an interesting picture.
What kind of salary increase are professionals in gaming & immersive tech expecting in 2025?
- Less than 5% increase: 33%
- 5% increase: 22%
- 10% increase: 14%
- 15% increase: 3%
- More than 15% increase: 3%
- No increase at all: 25%
There’s cautious optimism in the air. While many professionals are hoping for a modest bump, a quarter of respondents aren’t expecting any salary increase at all. And yet, 53% told us they received a raise over the past year.
This disconnect could point to mixed signals in the market, or simply a reflection of companies still recovering from a slower 2024. Either way, this makes clear salary conversations even more vital. Employers must align expectations early and back them up with clear benchmarking.
How satisfied are people with their pay?
We asked professionals to rate their salary satisfaction out of 10. The average score for 2025 was 5.9 – a slight improvement from 5.7 last year.
It’s a move in the right direction, and may reflect stronger review cycles, better offers, or professionals finding roles that match their financial goals. Still, a score just shy of 6 shows there’s more work to be done.
In such a fast-moving industry, assuming your team is satisfied could be a costly mistake. Transparent pay structures and regular feedback loops will help you stay ahead of the competition.
Salary progression – still a sticking point
When it comes to pay progression, the numbers tell a story of frustration.
We asked professionals how satisfied they were with their company’s salary progression opportunities. The average score: 4.9/10, slightly down from 5.2 in 2024.
It’s clear many professionals feel stuck in limbo, particularly those looking to climb the ladder within their current organisation. Lack of clarity around promotion pathways, performance criteria, or salary bands can all feed into this.
If you want to retain your best people, you can’t afford to keep salary growth a mystery. Lay out clear progression plans, reward performance consistently and make it easy for talent to see a future with your company.
Hiring in 2025? Transparency is everything
The message from this year’s report is clear: professionals in gaming and immersive tech want to be paid fairly – and they want to know where they stand.
Even as salary satisfaction inches upward, concerns around progression and stagnant expectations remain. For hiring managers and leaders, this is a chance to stand out.
- Benchmark your salaries carefully
- Be upfront about what candidates can expect
- Invest in long-term progression plans
These aren’t just nice-to-haves – they’re your best tools for attracting and keeping the talent that powers your next big innovation.
Download the full 2025 Gaming & Immersive Tech Salary Survey now to explore industry-wide trends, role-specific data and what your team expects this year and beyond. You can also reach out to the team about your upcoming vacancies!
