How much does a game programmer make

The position of games programmer is one of the best paid positions within a games company, an entry level programmer can expect to earn between £15-25k/year rising to around £35-65k/year should they eventually obtain a lead programmer position. According to the 2001 and 2002 salary surveys of Game Developer magazine:

• Game programmers are generally well paid compared to designers and artists. The average salary of a male programmer is $66k* (up from last year's average of $63k).
  
• Lead programmers get around $79k. The highest paid programmer makes around $300k.
  
• Females comprise 3% of the programming force. The average salary for female programmers is $54k (down from last year's average of $70k).

Want the latest word on salaries in the games biz? 1. Go to http://www.gamasutra.com. 2. Click the SEARCH button. 3. If it doesn't let you do a search because you aren't registered, then register, and repeat from step 1 (omitting step 3). 4. In the search box, type "salary survey" (exactly as I have spelled it here - "sallery" won't hack it!). 5. Make sure "Search Gamasutra" is selected. 6. Click "Search." 7. You will be presented with a Google-style list of links. 8. Go exploring. 9. After reading everything on Gamasutra about salaries, go to http://www.igda.org. 10. Repeat steps 2 through 8. (*Note: 'k' = 1,000, and salaries are per year.)
(Note: As of March 2004, the 2003 Salary Survey is now available - go find it.)