Aon Hewitt and TIGA survey shows three per cent rise in salaries for UK games software developers

By January 21, 2013 Press Releases

AonHewitt, the
global human resources solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE:AON),  has
today released key findings from its 2012/2013 Games Software Developers’
Salary Survey, carried out in association with TIGA, the trade association
representing the UK games industry. 

The survey, now in its fourth year, is the only comprehensive
salary survey carried out annually for the UK games software development
industry, with input from developers (both independent and publisher owned),
and covering over 14% of the software developer UK workforce. 

The survey offers
insight into current pay levels from graduates up to senior managers, typical
organisational structures and evolving workforce demographics.  

Steve Munday, senior reward consultant
at Aon Hewitt said: 
“As an established, comprehensive
and now well trusted source of market data, this survey has again provided a
detailed picture of the games software industry in terms of pay, benefits and
employee demographics. For employees covered by the survey and who remained in
the same job between 2011 and 2012, median pay increases remain unchanged from
the previous three years, at 3.0% – which is on a par with general industry in
the UK (3.2%, as reported in Aon Hewitt's UK Salary Increases Survey). Encouragingly,
less than one in 10 employees in the sector had a pay freeze in 2012, compared
to one in five in 2011.  The demographic aspects of the survey
also highlighted the increasing number of women joining what has been regarded
as a male dominated sector.  

Steve Munday
continued: 
“While the Aon Hewitt and TIGA survey
shows that this sector remains predominantly male (91%), over the period 2009
to 2012 the survey has seen an overall increase in the proportion of women,
moving from 7% in 2009 to 9% in 2012. However, unlike many sectors, despite the
low proportion of female employees, the survey results again suggest that the
median base salary of male and female employees at equivalent levels, are only
very marginally different (less than 0.5%), while target bonuses as a
percentage of salary show no difference between genders.” 

Dr Richard Wilson, chief executive
officer of TIGA said:  
“In what are generally difficult
times economically, there is good news in our annual survey.  Pay is up for most development staff,
graduate salaries are rising and pay freezes are down. With TIGA's Games Tax
Relief coming into effect in April 2013 the UK games industry is set for growth
in a period when many other sectors are struggling. This is a great time to
join the video games sector.”    

Other key findings from the survey
include:

  • Base salary increases of 3% over the last 12 months remain the same
    as those seen in the previous three years and on a par with UK general
    industry (3.2%) in the same period (Aon Hewitt's Salary Increase Survey
    2012).
  • Median graduate base salaries are up 7.4% on 2011, almost double
    the rate between 2010 and 2011.
  • Across most participating organisations, 7.0% of the survey
    population had a pay freeze in 2012. compared with 19.8% in 2011 and 13.0%
    in 2010.
  • Voluntary employee turnover in 2012 was down on 2011 at 13.5%,
    while attrition was up on 2011 at around 7.2%.
  • 9% of the survey workforce is female, the same as 2011 and up on
    2010 and 2009.
  • Over 50% of the survey population has less than five years of
    service.90% of participating organisations offer employees a Defined
    Contribution pension.
  • All participants offer some form of private medical insurance.    


ends – 

Notes
to editors:

About the
survey

For
the survey, salary information is provided for the key functions of art, audio,
design, production, quality assurance and technical development/programming.
There are 11 survey levels from ‘entry level’ to 'graduates' and all the way up
to ‘function heads’. These levels are underpinned by Aon Hewitt’s proprietary
job evaluation methodology JobLinkTM*. The survey also provides
detailed information on bonuses, cash allowances, employee benefits, annual pay
increases and employee turnover, as well as organisational structure and
employee demographics including gender, age and length of service.For the first
time, market information is also provided on:business support functions such as Finance, Human Resources and
Information Technology as well as the traditional specialist functions
such as Design and Technical Development / Programming. and by career path, specifically Support, Professional, Management
and Executive.

To purchase a copy of the Aon Hewitt Games Software Developers’
Salary Survey and/or participate in the next survey please contact
steve.munday@aonhewitt.com.*The survey levels
developed from Aon Hewitt's job evaluation system provide organisations with an
invaluable benchmarking tool when assessing their employees' roles

About TIGA: 

TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s
games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games
developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games
publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities
amongst our membership. Since 2010, TIGA has won 14 business awards and has been
nominated a finalist for 16 other awards.   

TIGA's vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games
business.  We focus on three sets of activities: political representation,
generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the
competitiveness of our members.  This means that TIGA members are
effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the
media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their
businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial
opportunities.

For further information, please contact Dr
Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939 643, or email: richard.wilson@tiga.org.

Notes to
Editors

About Aon Hewitt
Aon
Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions.  The company partners with organisations to
solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and
improve business performance.  Aon Hewitt
designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human
capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and
talent management strategies.  With more
than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt
makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees.  For more information on Aon Hewitt,
please visit www.aonhewitt.com.  

Sign up for News Alerts:http://aon.mediaroom.com/ 
Follow Aon Hewitton Twitter @AonHewittUK

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is the
leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage,
and human
resources solutions and outsourcing
services. Through its more than 61,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients
in over 120 countries via innovative
and effective risk and people
solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical
expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world's best broker, best
insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits
consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com
for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited
to learn about Aon's global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester
United. 

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