The average salary in the American videogame industry dropped by more than 4% to $75,573 in 2009, Game Developer Research said Tuesday.

Average paychecks for the people who make games reached a record high of $79,000 in 2008. Last year is the first year on record to see a major downturn in game developer pay.

Code-monkeys and suits pulled down the most money in 2009, with businesspeople taking home nearly $100,000 and programmers earning a little less than that.

Testers, many with fewer than three years’ experience, made the least. The winner of Sony’s reality show The Tester can expect to make around $38,000 a year in quality assurance if he decides to make a career of it. The good news is that testers who keep at it for at least six years see their average salary more than double.

The full results of the 110-page study, titled Game Developer Salary Report 2005-2010, can be purchased for $1500.

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