#GameDevPaidMe trends on Twitter as game developers share salaries

Developers, artists, and other workers in the video game industry are overworked and underpaid. That’s not a secret. What is usually a secret is the pay differences from one employee to the next.

Axios reports on how some game developers are taking it into their own hands to increase pay transparency:

Developers are sharing their salaries on Twitter under the hashtag #GameDevPaidMe to encourage pay transparency in their industry.

The hashtag started circulating last year, but has returned periodically as developers fight for better working conditions. Salary sharing is a way to equalize the field. By removing the secrecy, as well as the stigma, around discussing pay, workers have more power to advocate for themselves when negotiating salaries and raises.

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My Take

Pay transparency is a major issue in the video game industry (and a lot of American industries). The lack of transparency gives employers a major advantage in negotiations with workers over wages and potential raises. Research also shows that it can lead to major pay disparities based on gender.

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