Anyone knows if the average game composer gets paid well/decently/like shit? I know some of you work in the industry, but I don't know if you'd know something like this.
Sound Design isnt exactly the most prosperous of gigs, from what I gather. You dont really see job listings for them.
It is typically outsourced, I think.
Composing is generally contract work. Game composers are usually hired well into the game's actual production, contracted for a set number of pieces, usually paired directly with the gameplay motifs, and additional related pieces which are scored and timed to match cutscenes, if there are cinematics.
Sound design, as pertains to games, is usually everything except the music. The sound department of any game company is commonly understaffed, poorly communicated with (this is a two-way problem, naturally), and commonly viewed as the least reliable of the development disciplines, in my experience, usually due to implementation problems which stem from a lack of initial foresight on the audio programmer(s) and the previously aforementioned lack of communication between the sound team and Everybody Else.
The money is not horrible, but it's not great compared to, say, code. It's comparable to what artists and game designers make, but there are fewer slots open.
If you're thinking of becoming a sound dude/dudette, I recommend stressing the need for continuous, up-managed communication paired with a strong infrastructure for a successful and bump-free sound implementation.
