I am just curious about all of this. I would just like to know the salary a level designer would make by making levels for somebody by freelancing. Like how much would they make by making a good size level or two levels?

depends on level detail, if props are already made, built with block or models, textures provided, if a concept or prototype is presented before... etc. etc. etc.

Are you talking actual design? or asset creation? full detailed level? how big? quality?

I'm talking about asset creation and full detailed level and best quality. I have a big level that is FPS.

that would price in the thousands, possibly tens... so yeah you might want to think about what details art done by your art dept. and what you can get away with in your own team, then out source a little less than all of the artwork for the level.

Is there a way you could price your work or a way to look at something and get a good price?

Price Estimates come after you look at information about the level. Its very specific too each type. For example, an rpg level might be a huge vast level with lots of detail, like shrubs paths plants and water. A level designer that has a tool to place each of them quickly (Terrain painting, sets water levels, a tool for clustering sprites) Might charge a certain price, but a small fps level might cost 1.5x that purely because each object has to be lined up perfectly and will be very visible, like rails pipes parts tables etc.

get what I'm saying?

Yeah, I do I'm just reasearching this because I might go into designing FPS levels and other similar things and try to make some money. Can you make money at this stuff by designing levels for people on here when they need help? I'm talking about a good living or $25,000 or maybe $30,000 a year.

It will take a while.

For this community, you would be lucky to make about 500 USD per level the first few times you work. I wouldn't pay more for someone new and that I didn't know. Once you get a reputation, you can start charging more. But this community is VERY low budget and you would be lucky to earn more than a few thousand a year just from us.

Which means that to earn a living, you would have to serve 20 to 30 such communities which means having at least 20 to 30 projects a year... I don't know anyone that can output quality levels at that rate.

On the other hand, you can try for some of the "bigger" communities, like Unreal engine. There, you might earn 5 to 10 thousand per level, but there is no way that you will get that job without an extensive portfolio and plenty of experience.

So what I'm saying is this can be done but the road is long and hard. You can serve a lot of low budget communities and then try for the big guys; I see no other way. I predict that it will take you at least 5 years before you can actually earn a full living from freelance level creation work.

Thanks for the info. That is very interesting fastlane69.