One caveat about those salary surveys: they're averages. Really good developers can make just as much in games as anywhere else, provided they are truly passionate and truly skilled. You also have to know how to negotiate for salary when you take a job; don't just walk in and pick up whatever offer is on the table. Show them what you can do, and what you could make elsewhere - and any company with good business sense will do what they can to help keep you around. This works best if you go in at a market-fair rate first and make yourself indispensable to the team, then push for pay raises.

Just be warned that if you aren't goddamn fantastic at your job, that has a high probability of backfiring.


In any case, as has been said, if you aren't really truly into programming for its own sake, don't do it as a career. There are far better ways to make lots of money for comparatively little stress. You also probably won't get to implement your own ideas, at least not on company time, which means you'd darn well better enjoy the job on its own merits and not just be in it to do whatever it is you want to do for yourself.

Of course there's always the indie/self-publishing route, which is getting downright practical these days what with Steam and other digital distribution channels. But you'd better love programming and cheap ramen noodles, or you'll find the indie road excruciatingly hard.