This move, announced on July 19, 2022, just ahead of Germany’s “Equal Pay Day,” aimed to promote transparency and fairness in compensation practices within the company.
Michael Zillmer, co-founder and COO of InnoGames, highlighted the positive impact of salary transparency, stating:
“Our salary bands have become an unofficial salary survey of the German games industry. We could hardly have wished for better. Even now, more than a year and a half after the first publication, we are still receiving unsolicited positive feedback, which almost always focuses on fair pay regardless of gender or negotiating skills. What is often forgotten: Salary bands also ensure fairness in times of crisis because they guarantee that new employees earn just as much as the current workforce.”
Zillmer emphasized the importance of fair pay regardless of gender or negotiating skills, noting that salary ranges also ensure fairness in times of crisis by maintaining consistency in compensation for new and existing employees.
Christiane Gäb, Director of People & Culture at InnoGames, shed light on the company’s approach to salary adjustments, revealing that salaries are evaluated annually to ensure they remain competitive in the top third of the German labor market. Gäb explained that the last adjustment occurred at the beginning of 2023, with increases of up to 37% for traditionally lower-paid career models such as Game Designer, Artist, Community Manager, and QA Engineer. However, Gäb noted that no further adjustments have been made since then, attributing this to the current game industry crisis, which may limit salary increases in 2024.
InnoGames’ salary ranges cover approximately 80% of the company’s workforce and provide insights into the minimum and maximum earning potential across nine career models, including developers, game designers, and marketers. Salary ranges are established when at least six employees share the same career model, ensuring cost-effectiveness and relevance.
InnoGmaes released a PDF detailing the nine salary ranges in table format, showcasing gross annual salaries for employees based in Germany. InnoGames clarified that salaries may vary in other countries and that transitional salaries in the ranges apply to employees on the verge of reaching the next career level.
