IT jobs can be all games

Technology has been a growth industry for the United States, but the recession has put a crimp in the IT job market, and many analysts don't see a truly strong rebound for a few years. But one area that remains relatively hot is the development of software for video games.

These jobs not only pay well, but for some computer geeks, it is a dream come true. You can be paid to come to work and play games all day.

Currently, computer and video game companies directly and indirectly employ more than 80,000 people in 31 states, according to the Entertainment Software Association. The average salary for direct employees is $92,300, resulting in a total, national compensation of $2.2 billion. Jobs in the industry are projected to grow to more than a quarter million American jobs in the next few years.

Although spread out around the country, the industry is concentrated in Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, North Carolina and the Washington, D.C. area.

PricewaterhouseCoopers has said the sector remains "one of the above-average growth segments of the global entertainment industries through 2011." At the moment, the United States is the top video game market in the world, employment remains strong, and there will be a need for computer software engineers who understand what will attract an audience and bring in the big bucks.

For a more "mature" generation, all this may seem an idle use of brainpower. But more than 200 institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, now offer courses or degrees in video games.

Drew Davidson, the director of the entertainment technology center at Carnegie Mellon University, told National Public Radio last week that colleges around the country are plugged in. "We're seeing a huge upswing in terms of universities trying to offer degrees that focus around games or interactive media...just because they're so popular."

Here are some basic facts from the Entertainment Software Association. U.S. computer and video game software sales grew 22.9 percent in 2008 to $11.7 billion--more than quadrupling industry software sales since 1996. Sixty-eight percent of American households play computer or video games. In addition, 37 percent of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA, up from 20 percent in 2002.

As NPR noted, the growth is coupled by an industry dynamic that "values creative collaborations among artists, designers and programmers. The majority of jobs are full time with benefits, and it's a fluid career with people moving across the country, or the world, to take on new projects."

All of this is good news for IT workers, and perhaps a path to explore. - Judi

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