Currently I am interested in level design, so I have been using Source SDK to mod levels (because all the assets are already made) and I have been thinking about learning Unreal Editor. My ultimate goal is to be a level designer for a game company, although I know I will have to work my way up in the company in order to get to that position.

My question is that a lot of times when I see the job descriptions for level designers they want a familiarity with something like 3ds or Maya. So will I have to learn how to model in order to be a level designer? The reason why I am confused is because I am not sure if a level designer job is really meant for a 3d artist, or if it is a separate skill set all together and knowing Source SDK, or Unreal is enough. I am not so sure I like modeling very much.

Thanks to all that help me answer this question.

To build their level geometry, many game studios don't use a level editor like Valve Hammer Editor or UnrealEd -- a lot of studios use Max/Maya.

As a designer, you wouldn't actually be modelling pretty artwork in Max/Maya, you'd be making "grey box" layouts of level meshes.

An artist would take your greybox layouts and actually make the pretty version of the level from it.
[hr]As for having to 'work your way up' - Design isn't "above" other roles, it's next to them. You don't work "up" to a completely different role. You might start in a junior design role and then work up to an intermediate design role...

So will an entry level of understanding manipulating geometry in 3ds Max be enough to be "technically" qualified?

So will an entry level of understanding manipulating geometry in 3ds Max be enough to be "technically" qualified?

The answer to the question "is it enough"