Many of the world’s biggest tech brands are based in the US and if you’re thinking about working there as a UX designer, you’ll want to know how much you can make. Where you live and work will impact how much money you earn, but the fact remains that demand for UX designers in the US is growing. As a result, being informed about salary data can help you understand your earning potential, whether you’re just starting out or you’re a mid-career or senior designer trying to benchmark your salary.
We analysed data on UX salaries from Glassdoor for insight into how much you can get paid as a UX designer.
UX Designer Salary in the US at a glance
Across the United States the average salary for a UX designer is $89,000 to $149,000 per year. It breaks down along junior, mid-level, and senior levels as follows:
| Junior: 1-3 years | Mid: 4-6 years | Senior: 7-9 years |
| $77,000-$121,000 | $89,000-$137,000 | $95,000-$146,000 |
Compared to front-end developers, which make $57,000 to $95,000 on average, full-stack developers, who make $75,000 to $125,000 on average, and website designers, who make $44,000 to $81,000 on average, UX designers are doing better, and that’s expected to continue.
UX Designer Salary by place
Of course, different cities across the US offer different salaries. For example, a UX designer in a city in Oklahoma, where competition for jobs will be much lighter, will make less than one in the dense metropolis of New York City, where costs are higher and demand is fiercer. Here’s how UX salaries stack up for three key cities across the United States.
| City | Junior: 1-3 years | Mid: 4-6 years | Senior: 7-9 years |
| Boston | $84,000-$131,000 | $94,000-$145,000 | $118,000-$173,000 |
| San Francisco | $95,000-$151,000 | $108,000-$164,000 | $125,000-$187,000 |
| Austin | $76,000-$121,000 | $81,000-$130,000 | $108,000-$162,000 |
UX Salaries in Boston
Already home to the world’s most prestigious technological university MIT, Boston is also building a solid reputation as a technology hub. Well-known tech employers include Trip Advisor, HubSpot, iRobot alongside social media giant LinkedIn. Junior designers with 1-3 years experience can get paid $84,000-$131,000 here. And with just a couple more years of experience, mid-range designers (4-6 years) will see that number jump to $94,000-$145,000. Senior UX designers in Boston can expect to earn somewhere in the range of $118,000-$173,000.
UX Salaries in San Francisco
The undisputed home of technology is Silicon Valley and nearby San Francisco hosts many of the biggest names in the industry, including Google, Twitter, and Apple. Junior designers who start their career in San Francisco can expect to make $95,000-$151,000 while mid-range designers will average $108,000-$164,000. Senior designers in Silicon Valley will earn about $125,000-$187,000.
UX Salaries in Austin
Austin has developed a reputation for its tech startup scene, while also having a strong tech heritage with long-term residents Dell and Oracle. Research tells us that junior designers in Austin can make $76,000-$121,000 and mid-range UX designers will take home $81,000-$130,000. And for senior designers, that figure increases to $108,000-$162,000.
The indicators are that UX will continue to be a fast-growing discipline in the US in the years to come. According to US careers expert Zippia, UX is expected to grow by 3% across the country.
UX Salary by specialisation
Though UX generalists may be the most common specialization in UX design, there are a variety of specializations in the field, including UX researcher, content designer, product designer, and UX-UI designers. Here’s how they stack up in terms of salary:
| Role | Junior: 1-3 years | Mid: 3-5 years | Senior: 5-7 years |
| Generalist User Experience Designer | $77,000-$121,000 | $89,000-$137,000 | $95,000-$146,000 |
| UX Researchers | $64,000-$111,000 | $69,000-$121,000 | $107,000-$154,000 |
| Content Designers/UX Writers | $48,000-$80,000 | $54,000-$90,000 | $59,500-$99,500 |
| Product Designers | $66,000-$106,000 | $77,000-$121,000 | $83,000-$130,000 |
| UX-UI Designers | $52,000-$93,000 | $60,000-$107,000 | $67,000-$120,000 |
Factors that impact a UX designer’s salary
There are a variety of factors that can impact your salary. They include:
1. Seniority
How senior you are in an organization can make a big difference in your salary. That said, UX designers make more than many other sectors, and more than some in the tech sector, even at junior levels.
2. Skill set
Your skills and proficiency with tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD may impact your salary as well. You may be a great designer, but if you aren’t great with Figma, for example, and your company relies heavily on it, your salary will suffer. Similarly, if you’re at a company that designs AR/VR, for instance, or puts a big emphasis on accessibility and you are still learning these skills, that will negatively impact your salary as well.
3. Employer
Factors like the industry of the company that offers you a job is in and how big that company is can influence your salary as well. For example, in L.A. if you get a job doing UX design in the entertainment industry, you’ll make less than if you got a job doing UX at a bank or in healthcare. At the same time, larger companies have larger salaries than smaller companies. And while it might be fun working for a startup, be prepared to take lower base pay.
4. Location
Not surprisingly bigger cities pay more. As you can see from out breakdown of three major US cities above, people in Boston make more than people in Austin while people in San Francisco make more than both of them.
5. Remote vs. in-office
Then there’s the matter of whether you’ll be a remote versus in-office employee. This matters less in tech than in some other industries, but you should still consider whether you’d prefer to be in-person, especially in early stages of your career so you can learn from others, or if you’d prefer to work remotely for greater freedom.
6. Portfolio and education
Your portfolio and education also makes a big impact on your salary. An education which conveys a strong understanding of the field, especially when you’re just starting out, is essential. Moreover, a portfolio doesn’t have to have a lot of projects but the projects it does have should be results-driven, eye-catching, and solve interesting problems. This will put you in the best place for negotiations.
7. The impact of AI on salary
There is one factor that’s shifting UX designer’s salaries more than others in the last couple years: AI. User experience designers are integrating AI into their workflow and people who can do this more easily will not only get more done, they’ll see bigger salaries as well. Also there’s an increased call for AI-driven personalization in UX design. Anyone who can do a standout job in this kind of design will see demand for their services grow and their pay increase as well.
You can become an expert at AI for UX with the UX Design Institute’s Certificate in AI Fundamentals for UX.
Trends shaping UX salaries
There are several trends shaping UX salaries today, including:
AI integration
Integrating AI into your workflow whether for tasks like user research, like transcription, or for automation, so you have more time to do other things, will shape UX salaries. The ability to incorporate AI will become more and more of an essential as time goes on and AI becomes expected, instead of a nice to have.
Demand for accessibility expertise
Designing for all users is increasingly valued. As a result accessibility expertise, and especially roles as accessibility designers, are in demand.
Deeper user research
Companies can no longer cherry pick where they do user research or only do one kind of research. Instead a well-thought-out discovery plan is essential. As a result, user researchers have increasingly strong earning potential.
Multi-platform skills
Those who can build and maintain full-scale design systems that work from the smallest smart phone to the largest computer screen will be able to command higher salaries.
How to increase your earning potential
No matter what level you’re at in your career you can always do more to increase your earning potential. Here are some ideas:
- Upskill: Embrace a better understanding of AI, accessibility, or research, through courses, workshops, or lectures, and make sure your work reflects this learning.
- Build a strong portfolio: Make sure your portfolio only showcases your best, most comprehensive and results-oriented projects.
- Network: If you have a strong network of colleagues you can rely on them to help boost your hireability, and your salary.
- Gain formal training and certifications: Formal training can not only teach you interesting things, it can ensure that your earning potential is even better.
Takeaway
The average salary of a UX designer in the US is $119,000 per year. That’s nearly double the national average of workers across the US of $63,128 per year. In other words, when it comes to salary, becoming a UX designer is more than worth it.
If you’re serious about a career in UX, why not sign up for UX Design Institute’s Professional Diploma in UX Design, a university-backed course that’s designed to get you job-ready. In this industry standard course you’ll get:
- 1 -on-1 mentoring
- A qualification recognised by employers
- Career coaching by industry experts
- A comprehensive curriculum
- Portfolio guidance by hiring managers
And if you’d like to learn more about specializations in UX, check out these articles: What does a UX researcher do?, What does a UX writer (also known as a content designer) do?, and What does a product designer (UX/UI) do?
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UX salaries in other countries
If you’re interested in UX salaries in other countries, please see our guides for the following markets:
- UX Designer salary in Ireland in 2023
- UX Designer salary in the UK in 2023
- UX Designer salary in Canada in 2023
- UX Designer salary in Australia and New Zealand in 2023
