A game tester is someone who is paid by game developers and producers to test out pre-release beta versions of different games. Testing games can be relatively easy for entry-level testers to master or more complicated, and this depends specifically on the type of games tested and the details of each individual job description.

However, most testing jobs simply require the game tester to provide feedback and review to the game developer by evaluating the overall user experience of the game and whether or not the game has any bugs or errors. This presents an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy playing games on a regular basis to get paid for what they like to do.

The Importance of Game Testers

Game testing jobs may revolve around one specific gaming platform  or around multiple platforms. Although the majority of game testing will typically be centered on PC games, it is also possible to find various game testing jobs for the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii consoles. The multi-billion dollar video game industry is continuing to grow and evolve, so a variety of new game testing positions is likely to appear within the future. Companies invest millions of dollars in game advertising and development, so games that contain numerous glitches can destroy a company's credibility and reputation quickly. This is why game testers are needed to identify these problems and report them before the game is released to the public.

Possible Salaries

The amount of money that you can expect to be paid for testing video games will vary according to your experience and the amount of hours you are willing to work. You can also expect to encounter variations in pay rates based upon overall marketing reach and status of the gaming company/developer (for example, EA Games are likely to pay more for professional game testing than a relatively unknown developer of assorted Flash games). You will want to keep this in mind when job hunting, as it will play a major role in determining your overall wages.

Entry-level game testers (those with between one and four years of experience testing within the video game industry), on average make between 18,000 and 36,000 every year. Some testers make significantly more, but these averages help to demonstrate how much money you can realistically expect to make for your first few jobs. Additionally, some game testers are not hired in yearly contracts and instead work as freelancers. More experienced testers with 4+ years of experience can usually earn more money than entry-level testers.