Becoming a multimedia programmer | Salary, skills, qualifications

Utilising exceptional vision and creativity, you'll work across a variety of skills and disciplines, including animation, 2D and 3D modelling, videos, sound, digital photography, and more.

You may also work on content for websites, DVDs, mobile apps, video games, e-learning materials, and other interactive elements. These are used for a range of purposes, such as advertising, entertainment, learning, and promotion.

You'll usually work to a designer's specification to produce products that are visually appealing and easy to use.

As job titles aren't standardised, the work of a multimedia programmer may overlap with other roles, such as:

Multimedia is often described as:

digital media
interactive media
new media
online/internet media.

Responsibilities

As a multimedia programmer, you'll need to:

work with designers and other creative specialists, such as animators, video producers, and 3D modellers to understand the design concept and advise on how it can be implemented technically
discuss the operational and financial parameters necessary for the product to be produced on time and to budget
write efficient computer code or script to make the various features work, ensuring sound, graphics, animations, and timings work as intended and make good use of processing and data storage capacity
create and link databases to the user interface so information can be retrieved, stored, and processed interactively via the application
write HTML or similar web-based languages, as well as use authoring packages where appropriate to create content and effects
run tests to identify bugs and fix any problems that arise by rewriting or adding code
keep stakeholders updated on progress and anything that might delay the project
provide technical support to an application once it's running, and make further adaptations, patches, or rewrites to the code
research and keep abreast of emerging technologies in order to deliver the most up-to-date solutions, including learning new programming languages or technologies
take on other roles, such as design and animation - although this applies mostly to smaller projects and will depend on your level of expertise.

Salary

Junior salaries for multimedia programmers in the UK start at £22,000 to £25,000.
With experience and increased responsibility, you can expect to earn an average of £30,000, but this can be as high as just under £40,000.
At management levels and/or with expertise in niche areas, it's possible to earn between £64,000 and £78,000.

The title of multimedia programmer can cover developer, designer, and engineer roles as a result, salaries can differ depending on the actual job title.

Salaries also vary depending on the sector and employer, as well as your skills, experience, responsibilities, and location. Salaries are lower during the initial training period.

There are many opportunities for contract and freelance work. These can pay well, but you typically have less job security and fewer benefits, such as paid leave and a pension.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You may need to work beyond the standard 9am to 5pm working day, especially when there are deadlines to meet.

There may be opportunities for remote or hybrid working.

What to expect

The work is office-based and you'll usually be part of a multi-disciplinary team of other creative specialists.
Jobs are quite widely available, but entry-level positions may be more difficult to find. Vacancies tend to be in major towns and cities, particularly London and the South East, and are concentrated where there are clusters of other creative industries, such as broadcast media, filmmaking, and animation.
Although more companies are addressing the gender imbalance in the IT sector, women are still underrepresented, making up just 20% of the UK tech industry. This is a recognised issue and steps are being taken to redress the balance. See Women in Tech and BCSWomen for more information and job vacancies.
With experience, it's possible to set up your own company.
There is some client contact, but you won't need to travel much during the working day.

Qualifications

Although becoming a multimedia programmer is open to all graduates, a degree or HND in a technical or creative subject may increase your chances. Relevant subjects include:

animation
computer science or software engineering
digital media
engineering or electronics
fine or visual art
game design
graphic design and illustration
interactive or multimedia technology or design and animation
mathematics or physics
multimedia technology
spatial design
web design
3D design or digital art.

It's essential to build up a portfolio of projects to demonstrate your technical skills and creativity. Employers are looking for a strong programming background and skills in multimedia applications.

Entry without a degree or HND is difficult due to competition for jobs, although you may be able to get an entry-level role and work your way up by gaining experience and learning new skills. However, some employers may stipulate a degree rather than an HND.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification isn't necessary, although an MSc in multimedia or a related area may be helpful, particularly if your first degree is in a non-related subject.

Search for postgraduate multimedia courses.

Skills

You'll need to have:

collaboration and teamworking skills to work effectively in cross-functional teams
communication skills
creativity and imagination
a logical approach to problem solving
the ability to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines
self-motivation and the ability to work independently
project management skills
organisation and time management skills to manage a complex range of tasks
attention to detail.

Specific employer requirements vary depending on the sector and the platform being used.

Work experience

You'll need to provide evidence of your skills to prospective employers, so prepare a portfolio with examples of your work.

Many university courses in multimedia and computer sciences offer a placement year in industry, which can be helpful for building up your portfolio, gaining hands-on experience and developing a network of contacts.

Look for relevant vacation work, voluntary work, projects, or placements so you can build up your experience. Your portfolio could include a range of projects you've worked on, such as web pages, an animated video game 'cut scene', or a presentation incorporating a variety of media.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Multimedia programmers are typically employed in specialist media, software, and web design companies, as well as other IT and tech organisations that use or create multimedia products.

You can find work in a range of sectors, including:

advertising and marketing
broadcasting
education
IT and games
publishing and media
telecommunications - particularly mobile phone suppliers and networks.

Many companies in this sector are small and tend to focus on providing specialist services to niche markets. However, some large organisations have in-house website development and/or new media or multimedia departments.

Typical employers include:

construction developers
DVD authoring companies
educational institutions and e-learning suppliers
facilities houses, offering support services such as post-production and special physical effects for the creative industries
independent production and broadcasting companies
independent production companies and broadcasting companies
interactive design agencies
interactive museums and visitor attractions
internet service providers (ISPs) and web hosting services
IT consultancies
marketing and advertising agencies.

Look for job vacancies at:

British Interactive Media Association (BIMA)
Contractor UK - for contracting jobs after you've gained some experience
CWJobs
TechJobsNow

With experience, contracting may be an attractive option. While most job sites cover contractor roles, you can also try sites such as Contractor UK.

Professional development

You'll usually need to take responsibility for your own professional development. This means keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date in what is a rapidly changing industry.

For example, you'll need to learn new software applications and programming languages, and adapt to new or developing platforms. Software that many multimedia programmers use may include Blander, Adobe, Audacity, etc.

You'll usually learn on the job with support from more experienced colleagues. You may attend short courses on company-specific software and systems, and will stay current on skills and developments, following websites that showcase the newest ideas and reading specialist journals. Check out these useful sources of development training:

BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) provides professional qualifications and IT-related events, information and guidance.
Lists of courses, conferences and qualifications in media and multimedia are published at British Film Institute (BFI) and ScreenSkills.
Further education (FE) and higher education (HE) institutions run a variety of courses, including postgraduate degrees in areas of multimedia.

Career prospects

As you gain experience, you may need to move jobs to progress your career. After a few years, you could move into middle or senior management roles, such as team leader or production manager.

It's also possible to find work as a project manager, coordinating the input of a group of skilled professionals, with responsibility for ensuring the project is completed on time and to budget. The role of a project manager requires an all-round skillset, covering business, content, design, and technical competencies.

You may wish to specialise in a particular multimedia format, such as:

web applications
mobile technologies
interactive television
games development.

As the multimedia industry evolves, digital security and online services are becoming major growth areas, with opportunities for skilled programmers to work with larger and more diverse audiences.