It may seem like a dream job: Getting paid big bucks by tech companies to sit at home and play video games all day. Furthermore, there are online sites that say it’s entirely possible:

The amount of money you can make as a game tester really varies. You can get paid hourly or an annual salary. Either way, the pay rate varies based on a few factors like the game company hiring you, your experience, geographical location and so on. You can expect anywhere from $10 per hour to $100 per hour. Check out a sample of the 23 Video Game Tester jobs posted on Upwork. (Current) Video Game Tester Jobs. Gameplay Tester for Game - Android / Tablet / Google Play - Play. Fixed-price ‐ Posted 3 days ago.

Keep in mind that being a playtester is not a full time job but more of a fun way to make some money on the side occasionally. Generally, a 15 minute playtest will have a reward of $9 USD. How much money will I earn?

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4. Nielsen - Download their app and get paid $50!

But is it really that easy to find a job, and make money, as a video game tester?

The harsh reality of video gaming

It may seem like sitting home all day and playing all kinds of cool video games would be a dream come true. However, most video gamers don’t last very long, and here are three big reasons why:

You are doing the same task repeatedly. Imagine watching your favorite movie, but instead of watching it from start to finish, you must watch the same 30 seconds of it over and over and over. Why? Because your job depends upon you finding bugs or errors. Should you spot some kind of issue with your video game at level 3, for example, you will need to reproduce that error and catalog where/how/when it occurs. Some bugs don’t always repeat, which can be maddening when you’re trying to prove they exist.

You won’t get paid a lot, if ever. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average salary earned by professional video gamers is about $50K/year. That sounds great, in theory…until you realize that these gamers have been gaming for years and years. Also, many gamers are programmers by trade, so they can not only spot a bug, but fix it.

In contrast, contracting and beginner video gamers earn $8-$10/hour. If they stick around a few years and prove their worth, their pay gets bumped up to about $14/hour.

You’ll rarely get to pick your gig. If you think you’ll be playing in-demand games like Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, think again. Sure, it’s not an impossibility, but games like that are usually handed off to senior beta testers who can quickly run through the game objectives and even fix the errors as they pop up. You, meanwhile, may end up testing a children’s puzzle game.

Crunch time means having no life. In the product launch world, there is a period of time, right before launch, called “crunch time.” This period of time is characterized by developers and testers putting in 18 hour days, getting little sleep, and barely seeing their families. As a tester, you might be asked to run through several different scenarios or to catch X amount of bugs…and all before Tuesday. Get really comfortable with your couch or office chair because you won’t be leaving it for a while.

With those disclaimers aside, it can be really fun and exciting to be a part of the video game testing world. Sometimes, you’ll score free games on top of getting paid for your efforts. You’ll also have the chance to connect with developers, programmers, and other gaming enthusiasts.

So, which companies can you sign up with to increase your odds of becoming a video game tester?

VMC

This rather promising company offers off-site gamers the opportunity to play top-notch games that have huge budgets and tight deadlines via its Global Beta Test Network. New GBTN jobs are posted weekly, and the only real requirements for applying are that you are at least 18 years of age and own one or several game consoles.

Volt

Game Tester Earn Money Now

Akin to sites like Monster or CareerBuilder, Volt is a recruiting firm that matches applicants with suitable jobs. However, Volt goes one step further and also helps you polish up your resume and submission materials. You can also just post your resume on this site and receive notifications of jobs that match your qualifications and experience.

Its job board is free to peruse, and the site often lists video game tester positions that are available for weekly (or longer) terms.

Upwork

You might assume that this site is only for freelance writing gigs, but Upwork also offers a good amount of game testing jobs. A quick search of the site using the terms ‘game testing’ pulled up the following results:

These freelance jobs are a good way to find out if you enjoy being a gamer, or if you might like other aspects of gaming, such as writing the product specs, generating content, or even marketing the games.

Game Tester Earn Money

ModSquad

This agency often works with developers to test games- which means that it occasionally needs off-site game testers. Check the site’s gaming area for more information.

A final note about scams…

Because at-home video gamer jobs appear to be the ideal way to make money by doing nothing, various scam sites have latched onto them as easy bait. As a result, if you do a Google search for video game tester jobs, prepare to be inundated with “opportunities,” like the one featured above. Such websites promise you up to $100/hour for playing video games, while other scam sites try to charge you money to “teach” you how to find such jobs. However, unless you locate a site that teaches you programming or debugging skills, it is a waste of your time and money.

1. Sign up below! If you’re eligible, we’ll send you our qualification test.
2. The qualification test is unpaid. It teaches you how to playtest.
3. If you fail the qualification test, don’t worry! You can retake the test.
4. After you qualify we’ll invite you to playtests where you can earn money.

Common Questions

Sign up above and then you'll get a short, unpaid qualification test which show you how to be tester and then you'll be able to playtest!

This qualification test is to determine your eligibility in joining the PlaytestCloud tester panel. When you become a part of the tester panel you'll start receiving the real playtests that you get paid for.

If you have any questions, you should check out more of our FAQs for testers here.

PlaytestCloud was created to help game developers learn more about what players think about their games and if there are any issues that need to be addressed. For you, it's a chance to make some money on the side while improving mobile games!

Android - Android Phone/Tablet with Android 5 Lollipop or better (except Amazon Fire Tablets)

iOS - it needs to be iOS 12 or iOS 13. Supported devices are: Phone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPad Pro (any model), iPad Air (any model), iPad mini (4th generation and newer), iPad (2017 - 2019), iPod Touch 6G

No. Keep in mind that being a playtester is not a full time job but more of a fun way to make some money on the side occasionally. Generally, a 15 minute playtest will have a reward of $9 USD.

The reward payment for each playtest can vary depending on the tasks required during the playtests and the length of the playtest itself. We will always let you know how much the reward payment is in the invitation email we send you.

Keep in mind the qualification test is unpaid. Generally, a 15 minute playtest and survey will have a reward of $9 USD (we also make payments in GBP) but if you are ever unsure, please check the invitation email for the reward amount.

Our software will only record when you're in-game. We record all the action on the screen and what you say through the microphone so please keep that in mind.

If a phone call comes in or you leave the game to check something on your device, the recording will be suspended.

The game developers want to know what you are thinking while you play their game. Is there anything that is confusing or frustrating? What do you like/dislike most while you are playing? What’s your goal right in this very moment?

When you talk out loud while you are playing your feedback will accurately reflect exactly what you are thinking and feeling in that moment.

You agree to a non-disclosure agreement before every playtest that prohibits you from sharing anything about the game with anyone.

Yes. This is because PayPal has the lowest costs for sending international payments and is the best digital method for transferring payments. Please keep in mind that PayPal may not be available in your country.

We also don’t want you to have to provide any sensitive financial information such as credit card or bank account numbers. With PayPal, all we need is the email address connected to that account. We do need your postal address for our internal bookkeeping as part of German tax law. We will never share this information and won't contact you by post.

Game Tester Earn Money Now

When the game developer receives your recording they will also receive your first name, age, the country you live in, and the list of games that you’re playing now as well as your favorite games of all time!

Developers want to know how certain audiences interact with their game, because of this we provide some demographic information to the game developers to help them better understand their target audience.

We work with game studios who rely on your input to make their games better, so we will share your playtests with the makers of the game.

Although we send over 100,000 playtest invitations per month, not everyone will get a playtest. When we arrange a playtest, we randomly select playtesters who respond to our call for participants. This means most of our playtesters will receive a new playtest invitation each month.

Yes! To increase the likelihood of getting a playtest it's best to keep your profile updated, especially the device you are using and your favorite and current games. We will also send you email reminders about updating your profile!

To take part in a playtest with your child, you will need to have them there with you and they must play the game themselves. We’ll let you know in the invitation email we send who needs to play the game.

You can encourage your child, but please do not talk or play for them. Let them explore the game how they like and help them if they are stuck.

We try to process payments for playtests as soon as possible after they have been reviewed, so you should not have to wait more than a few days to be paid. There is no minimum amount that you need to reach to to be paid.

If you are waiting on a payment and want to speak to somebody about it please email help@playtestcloud.com.

We work with a variety of game developers so there are many different games that are tested!

Yes! Being a playtester is not about being an expert. Game developers are looking for a variety of people to give feedback on their games so anyone is free to join!

Because the games that we test are still in the middle of development, they might not look or behave exactly as they’re meant to. You will probably find some bugs, but that shouldn’t be the goal of the playtest. If you find that the game crashes, just see if you can enter the game again. If the game continues to behave this way then please let us know on help@playtestcloud.com and we’ll try to help!

Most playtests are sent automatically to testers in many different timezones, which is why they may occasionally come at inopportune times.

Game Tester Full Time

We completely understand if you have something else that is more important and it is not a problem if you miss a playtest!

Please speak in English for playtests.

There might be some playtest where we specifically say that it's okay to speak other languages, but if you don't see any information about the language you are required to speak, assume that it's English.

If you would like to delete your tester account with PlaytestCloud just get in touch with our Community Manager at help@playtestcloud.com! Your account will be deleted within 30 days and you will be removed from receiving playtests and email newsletters.

Unless we say otherwise, there is no deadline for the playtest and it will be closed when all available slots for players are filled

Sometimes our tests fill up very quickly as they do operate on first come, first serve basis and places in the playtest aren't held for anyone.

Our algorithm is always evolving to give a fair amount of playtests to everyone and generally playtesters will receive an invitation to a game test twice a month. You might not be lucky this time but your next playtest will be coming soon!

Game Testing From Home

You can check out our Facebook page and even take a look at a third party review of being a playtester.