Play games all day, get paid $25k per year
Jill Duffy's posted an annual update to CMP's Game Career Guide, making it amply clear that you do not want to enter the games industry through the QA route. The reported average salary of $24,797 paid to game testers won't go far in sunny, expensive California. But hey, with the hours you'll be working, you can skip paying rent and just sleep in the office.
That said, testing isn't a bad foundation for building a career in the industry. One Mary Margaret recruiter told CMP: "Testers get more exposure to both good and bad game design." Such valuable exposure can serve as a springboard into a design job.
Nice cover art, too. Not sure we're completely comfortable with the implication that everyone's in it for the money, though. Most folks working in games are incredibly talented and could earn larger salaries outside of games. They're in it because they love it, for the most part.
