How much do game journos earn?

[Geoff D]

I've been led to believe not much - is it really a pittance? Or are they all fabulously wealthy & want for nothing?

[Moodmon]

EDIT - Next time read the topic title Moodmon. You berk.

[Ginza]

Moodmon 90,000 no way. Try 20 or 30k at best

[RLench]

I could easily be wrong but most magazine journalists earn about ?20,000 a year...as a very rough average. I'd expect games journalists to earn about the same.

Specialists (editors, page designers etc) earn a bit more but I doubt it's much.

There's a few journalists on here...maybe they can give more specific details?

[Sketcz]

?20'000!? DAMN!

Whenever I apply for a games journo position, and they want to know how much I want, I always say I expect around ?13k-16k

No wonder I was never called for an interview, Ive been selling myself short all this time!

[LeatherRaven]

The starting wage at Future is about 11.5k-12k (a bit more for London Future I think) and at Dennis Publishing it's about 14k. I don't know about Paragon, but I imagine it would be about the same. This would be for a position like editorial assistant or staff writer and it goes up as your responsibilities do, for example if you run a section. There's the opportunity to freelance within your publisher which helps bump things up a bit, but generally you're not allowed to work for anyone outside. With freelance it can be more lucrative, depending on your contacts. Games journalism isn't particularly well paid, but you do get the perks of free games and trips abroad.

Rhianna

[Strider]

I could easily be wrong but most magazine journalists earn about ?20,000 a year...as a very rough average. I'd expect games journalists to earn about the same.

You'd expect it

[Geoff D]

The starting wage at Future is about 11.5k-12k (a bit more for London Future I think) and at Dennis Publishing it's about 14k. I don't know about Paragon, but I imagine it would be about the same. This would be for a position like editorial assistant or staff writer and it goes up as your responsibilities do, for example if you run a section. There's the opportunity to freelance within your publisher which helps bump things up a bit, but generally you're not allowed to work for anyone outside. With freelance it can be more lucrative, depending on your contacts. Games journalism isn't particularly well paid, but you do get the perks of free games and trips abroad.

Rhianna

Interesting - thanks for that

No wonder I was never called for an interview, Ive been selling myself short all this time!

Actually, according to LeatherRaven's figures it sounds like you've over-priced yourself

[MonkeyWrench]

When I was doing it I was on 18k, give or take a few hundred quid depending on the exchange rate (I worked for a US company). I know a couple of people that work at Future, one of them had a starting wage of 15k, although he is an art editor (but has written a few bits and pieces for PSM2), the other is deputy ed of OXM, but I'm not sure how much he is on, probably more than 15k for sure. My art ed friend used to share a flat with one of the Edge guys (I think, it could be OPS2M) and he was let go, but future kept throwing freelance work at him. He made more money freelancing than he did being on the payroll...go figure.

[kaichunyau]

Hey, they must do for for love, not money, after all!! 8)

How they can afford the beer and skittles I don't know...

[TM]

Game journo wages range between ?9K and ?35K. (Actually, Paragon may be a bit lower than that at the bottom end, but I couldn't say for sure.)

[PeteJ]

9k?

I'm really tempted to apply for various magazines for a full-time job. I did it about a year ago but was rejected by every single one (yay me!), but I have a bit more experience now so it may be worth a shot. ?9k seems awfully low though, especially as (from what I hear) the hours are extremely long and the work hard.

Freelance work also interests me, though my attempts at such work has so far been a bit...poor

[revisedgenocide]

From the various sniping that occurs between game Journos on a multitude forums it doesnt seem a nice place to be at times. Couple that with poor wages it doesnt get any better.
Still id guess the benefits outweigh the negatives. Theyd have to wouldnt they.

[MonkeyWrench]

PeteJ ever though of doing to website work as a profession instead? I used to run a bunch of sites and the work was way better than working on a mag. I didn't have to get up until 11am, only did a couple of ours of work each day and I paid hardly anything in tax! No pressure either. Great times...

I've been toying with the idea of getting a new network of sites up and running, if anything takes off I'll drop you a line

[TM]

9k?

At certain companies, yes. Or so I'm told.