Level Designer - Some questions

[Hourences]

300 euro is extremely little. It all boils down to where you work, I would prolly earn a few times more than I do now if I were to work in the USA, but that still doesnt mean they can exploit you...Whats the avg salary in Portugal/Poland? If your 300 euro is well below the avg, youre being exploited.

Being a game tester is a good way of getting into the industry but you'll will need some sort of higher education in English writing.

Depends where the studio is located. UK? Possibly yes, but in Germany or some other european mainland studio, no. Especially at smaller studios and local market studios you can get in without an english education.

The salary survery is american, a european tester would earn 800-1300 euro nett or so in western european countries excluding the UK. Its a crap job but the only way in to some.

I pay around 700 euro rent as well. A rent of 6-700 euro is normal if you don't want to live in the woods.

Insta, any reason why you wouldnt want to live in the woods? Besides your own preference? Im interested in Sweden and would definitely live outside town, any reason not to? Like "cant get out of your house in winter because theres 3 meter snow on the road" ?

[Steppenwolf]

Can't speak for Insta, only for myself. Of curse i could live somewhere in the suburbs of stockholm and only pay like 400 or so but now that i get the chance to live in such a awesome city i want to be close to all the action and the culture. I still will have a higher life standard then here in east germany where payment is really crappy.

[insta]

I pay around 700 euro rent as well. A rent of 6-700 euro is normal if you don't want to live in the woods.

Insta, any reason why you wouldnt want to live in the woods? Besides your own preference? Im interested in Sweden and would definitely live outside town, any reason not to? Like "cant get out of your house in winter because theres 3 meter snow on the road" ?

Haha, well I didn't mean literally "in the woods", I mean I just think it sucks to take the metro for 20-30 minutes each way every day, so I pay a bit more so that I only need to take it for like 10 minutes instead. The apartment I had before this one cost 250 euros but it took me ~25 min to get to work. Trust me, you won't get snowed in while living in Stockholm, unless you pay like 10 euros in rent and live underneath a container or something

[-HP-]

300 euro is extremely little. It all boils down to where you work, I would prolly earn a few times more than I do now if I were to work in the USA, but that still doesnt mean they can exploit you...Whats the avg salary in Portugal/Poland? If your 300 euro is well below the avg, youre being exploited.

The average salary in Portugal It's 500€/600€, That's what medium class people earn per month.

I Don't feel like being exploited at this company I'm working atm, fortunately I'm very happy with my job and salary!

What about Poland Slick?

[Taylor]

I was working in a biggest game industry company in Poland and they payed me 360 euro per month. It's about 4300 euro per year...

Slick wrote that LD is earning pounds 30 000 per year? It's 10 000 euro - now you can compare with my earnings...

A lot of people there (in that company) was caddish... Now you know why I leaved that job...

It's all relative though, exchange rate doesn't say everything. The UK is much more expensive. But 30,000 is way out, you're looking at more like 20,000, generally unpaid overtime and a contract that says you'll work more hours than is legally allowed otherwise (though hopefully a healthy bonus because of those last two).

[Steppenwolf]

Last half year here in germany i lived from wellfare. 560 euros/month. Rent for my one room appartment was 210 euro warm.

edit: it IS possible to live a halfway decent life from that here in this region but still OMG sound so low

[Skjalg]

I'd rather think about what you really do in your daytime.. If you like spending time in front of your computer and tv, why live in the middle of the city? Yea sure, you'll probably want to hang out with the guys at the office and start meeting girls and all that, but for how long? How long will it really take before you'll settle in to your own old rhythm again?

Besides, living outside "of the action" isn't such a bad idea, since you can always stay where the action is most of the time (since you have friends and you work there), but isn't it a lot better to just have a place thats a little secluded sometimes?

[^Slick]

":agcwkcs8]

What about Poland Slick?

What about Poland?

Just to re-define, my £30,000 was a guess, I was only £10,000 off, hehe. I'm only 17 so I really still don't know how much a dollar is worth, so to speak.

I'd rather think about what you really do in your daytime.. If you like spending time in front of your computer and tv, why live in the middle of the city? Yea sure, you'll probably want to hang out with the guys at the office and start meeting girls and all that, but for how long? How long will it really take before you'll settle in to your own old rhythm again?

Besides, living outside "of the action" isn't such a bad idea, since you can always stay where the action is most of the time (since you have friends and you work there), but isn't it a lot better to just have a place thats a little secluded sometimes?

I totally agree, though I'd really hate to have to take a long journey into town just to get to the shops to do my shopping. As long as a there is a decent shop within walking distance, I should be fine.

[Defrag]

woot i am finally getting what people averagely get in my position

Yay!

To change subject a little, what do people think about becoming a alpha tester being a decent entrance into the industry? I'd prefer not to become a tester but if it really is such a easy way in, as long as you've got the skills to move up of course then I may consider it.

Depends on the company and stuff. It can be a good way in (two of my friends who worked PT as testers got jobs programming for the same company) but it is in no way a guaranteed way of progressing. A lot of the testing team they worked with up to two years ago are still in the same job and going nowhere fast despite many of them have degrees etc. I think it's probably quite easy to fall into the daily work grind and then have no energy left to improve your skills & portfolio, so you end up stuck as a tester.

If you've got a solid array of skills & a good portfolio but can't seem to get your foot in the door (for whatever reason) then it's probably a good bet.

[mjens]

300 euro is extremely little. It all boils down to where you work, I would prolly earn a few times more than I do now if I were to work in the USA, but that still doesnt mean they can exploit you...Whats the avg salary in Portugal/Poland? If your 300 euro is well below the avg, youre being exploited.

I've checked how much 1 euro costs (it's 3,8zl) and with that I've earned 289 euro per month and the minimum salary in PL is 223 euro... Yuo are asking about avg salary as level designer or everyone else? if LD, it's about 528 euro...

[Fяэ&a]

So, when i´m going to become a LD i have to do 2 other jobs to get a average sallery? Omg

[dux]

If you live in a 3rd world country, yeah.

[Fяэ&a]

If you live in a 3rd world country, yeah.

rofl i sometimes think so

[mjens]

If you live in a 3rd world country, yeah.

Thank you very much...

[dux]

lol I'm just joking around man, relax.