It‘s estimated there are between 5,000 to 10,000 professional gamers worldwide who earn a full-time living playing video games through esports, streaming, and content creation. While millions love gaming, only a select few have managed to transform their passion into a career. Let‘s examine the various gaming professions and look at how much players can earn at the top levels of their field.
Esports Players
The highest earning esports athletes can make millions in tournaments and prize money. According to Esports Earnings, over 8,000 players have won tournament prize money, but earnings are concentrated at the very top:
- Only 5 players have earned over $6 million.
- Just under 200 players have earned over $100,000.
- Around 500 players earn $50,000-$99,000 on average.
Let‘s look at some earnings totals from elite players in major esports titles:
- Dota 2 – Anathan "Ana" Pham has won over $3.6 million during his career, one of the highest totals in Dota 2 tournament earnings.
- Fortnite – Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf won $3 million from the 2019 Fortnite World Cup alone. He‘s earned over $4 million total so far.
- League of Legends – Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok is considered one of the greatest LoL players ever with over $1 million in earnings.
While only a small percentage earn life-changing money, competitive gaming can be lucrative for those at the very top of their game. But going pro requires immense dedication – it‘s estimated that up-and-coming esports players practice at least 8 hours per day to hone their skills. Only a select few will reach the highest competitive levels.
Streamers
Live streaming on platforms like Twitch has enabled some gaming personalities to build huge audiences and earn incomes from subscriptions, donations and sponsorships.
Gaming is one of Twitch‘s most popular categories. To illustrate the earning potential:
- As of 2022, Ninja has over 18 million Twitch followers and earned an estimated $10 million in 2018 alone primarily from streaming Fortnite.
- Imane "Pokimane" Anys has 8 million followers. She‘s considered Twitch‘s top female streamer and earned $1.5 million in 2021.
- Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek is renowned for his elite FPS skills. He has over 10 million followers and earned $9 million in 2021 according to estimates.
The table below shows follower counts for some other top gaming streamers:
| Streamer | Follower Count |
|---|---|
| xQcOW | 11 million |
| Tfue | 10.5 million |
| Myth | 7.4 million |
While becoming a popular streamer is challenging, those who manage to build a sizable audience can clearly earn significant incomes through their gaming skills and entertaining personalities.
YouTube & Other Platforms
On YouTube, gaming content creators can also generate considerable incomes from their large subscriber bases and high video view counts. Some top examples:
- VanossGaming has over 28 million YouTube subscribers. While his revenue isn‘t disclosed, channels of this size can easily make millions per year.
- Markiplier has over 33 million subscribers and reportedly earned $17.5 million in 2021 primarily from YouTube.
- Jacksepticeye earned $16 million in 2021 thanks to his nearly 30 million subscribers.
Besides YouTube and Twitch, gamers are monetizing their audiences across platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The more viewers and followers amassed, the higher the earning potential.
Other Gaming Careers
While professional streamers and esports players tend to earn the biggest payouts, there are many other gaming jobs with strong salaries:
- Video game developers earn an average of $81,000 per year according to Indeed. Senior software engineers can make $120,000+.
- Game designers average around $70,000, with lead designers earning over $100,000.
- Quality assurance and game testers average around $55,000 but salaries can exceed $80,000.
Paths to a Pro Gaming Career
Becoming a full-time professional gamer is incredibly competitive but certainly achievable with talent, determination and smart strategies. Here are some tips:
- Start by gaining experience in gaming jobs like QA testing, community management, or content writing.
- Maintain a regular streaming schedule and engage with your audience. Slowly build up your followers.
- Consider joining an esports organization to train, compete in tournaments, and get exposure.
- Continuously analyze your performance and focus on areas for improvement. Review your play data.
- Learn business, marketing and branding skills that will help monetize your audience.
With dedication and perseverance, you can turn your gaming passion into a profitable career! Just maintain realistic expectations – only the very best achieve the highest levels of financial success. But the journey itself can be tremendously rewarding.
