Learn how much you can expect to make as a UX professional with this 2022 salary guide.
Working as a user experience designer typically involves leveraging a wide range of technical and soft skills. And UX designers are often compensated well for their expertise.Â
In this article, we’ll discuss how much UX designers and other UX professionals earn in the US, as well as what factors can influence salaries in the world of user experience.
Read more: What Does a UX Designer Do?
The average base salary for UX designers in the US is $109,776 as of May 2022, according to job listing site Glassdoor [1]. The role was also included in Glassdoor’s list of 25 Highest Paying Entry Level Jobs, coming in at number six [2]. Compare this to $58,260, the mean annual salary across all occupations in the United States [3].
Interested in UX design? Start learning the job-ready skills you need to make a career switch from top UX professionals at Google with the Google UX Design Professional Certificate.
All average US salary data sourced from Glassdoor as of May 2022
How much you make as a UX professional will vary depending on where you work, how much experience you have, what skills you possess, and your specific job role. Let’s take a closer look at some of the factors that may influence your salary.
As technology becomes more user-centric, UX design teams are expanding to include more specialized roles. These different job titles often require different skill sets, and come with different compensation amounts.Â
Job title | Glassdoor | Robert Half |
---|---|---|
UX designer | $115,743 | $102,000 |
UI designer | $98,583 | $85,000 |
UX researcher | $128,682 | $92,250 |
Product designer | $105,448 | $85,000 |
Information architect | $113,758 | $101,000 |
UX writer | $103,053 | Not listed |
UX engineer | $110,607 | Not listed |
Generally, the longer you’ve been working as a UX designer, the more you can expect to earn. Moving into a management position can often lead to an even bigger salary increase. The average annual salary for creative and UX directors in the US is $149,734.
Working as a UX designer typically requires a variety of technical and soft skills. Having proficiency in some of these skills could mean taking home a bigger paycheck. Team leadership, content management, product management, and design skills correlate to the biggest percentage increase in pay for UX designers.
Read more: 9 Essential Skills for UX Designers
Another big factor that influences salaries across many jobs and industries is location. UX professionals living in San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles areas tend to see the highest salaries. Keep in mind that these cities are also among the most expensive to live.
Salary may be the primary form of compensation in the field of UX, but it’s not the only one. The most common benefits tend to include:
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Paid time off
Stock options
Retirement savings plan
Cash bonus
UX professionals typically earn significantly more than the national average. The good news is that skilled UX professionals are also in demand. LinkedIn listed UX design as one of 15 jobs on the rise in 2022 [4]. With user experience set to become a factor in what sites rank well on Google this year, the demand for UX designers could very well continue to grow.
If you’re ready to start building the job-ready skills you need for a role in UX design, consider earning your Google UX Design Professional Certificate on Coursera. You don’t need a degree or any previous experience, and you can get started for free.
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1. Glassdoor. "User Experience Designer Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/us-user-experience-designer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,2_IN1_KO3,27.htm." Accessed May 20, 2022.
2. Glassdoor. "25 Highest Paying Entry Level Jobs, https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/highest-paying-entry-level-jobs-19/." Accessed May 20, 2022.
3. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000." Accessed May 20, 2022.
4. LinkedIn. "LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2022: The 25 U.S. roles that are growing in demand, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-jobs-rise-2022-25-us-roles-growing-demand-linkedin-news." Accessed May 20, 2020.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.