Video games employ 4,500 in Mass.

Becker has been recognized for its game design education, edging out schools such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Employed in places like Becker College's digital institute, the video game industry has more than 4,500 workers in Massachusetts making an average of $102,600 annually, according to new data released today by the Entertainment Software Association.

The association's report says that the U.S. video game industry is creating high-paying jobs and generating revenue for communities across the nation. Employment in the video game industry in Massachusetts grew at an annual rate of nearly 5 percent. Massachusetts-based employees in the industry earned an average compensation of $102,600 per year in 2015, almost doubling the average U.S. household income.

The video game industry's impact may be especially felt in and around Worcester.

Becker College is among the nation's leaders, ranking fifth in the country in game design education, as measured by the Princeton Review last year. It hosts the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute, or MassDiGI, an incubator of sorts for the state's video game industry.

Elsewhere, video game startup Petricore is based downtown in offices overlooking the Worcester Common. Petricore founder Ryan Canuel and several members of his team were once MassDiGI interns.