Ux ui designer salary: What is the UX Designer Salary? [2023 Salary Guide]
What is the UX Designer Salary? [2023 Salary Guide]
The average UX designer salary varies depending on a number of factors. To navigate these, here’s your complete, up-to-date salary guide.
Changing careers often comes with a lot of questions about daily responsibilities, quality of life, and what skills are required.
Maybe you’re already feeling like you’re a pretty good fit for a career in UX design, or you’ve already explored a UX design certification. The natural next step is to wonder what you can expect to earn in your new position—especially before committing to a UX certification program or quitting your current job.
(Keep in mind that CareerFoundry offers a free UX design short course, an excellent way to get started!)
Like most careers, the salary of a UX designer can be quite variable depending on your experience level, the company you work for, and where you’re working.
To help give you a better idea of what to expect—or to help you dream up the possibilities for where a career in UX might take you—we’ve compiled this guide on how much you can earn as a UX designer in 2022.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Is the UX designer salary market-led?
- UX salaries by experience
- Average UX designer salary by country
- UX designer salaries by company
- How to negotiate your first UX salary
- Salaries for other UX-related roles
- UX/UI designer salaries
- UX writer salaries
- UX researcher salaries
- UX strategist salaries
- Outlook and takeaways
Ready to learn all about UX designer salaries around the globe? Let’s get started.
Entering into a new career can be an exciting yet unpredictable territory to explore. You may not be sure if you can make the salary you desire or that you’ll have long-term security in your job.
Luckily, the demand for UX designers has been steadily increasing since the birth of the UX industry. Research by McKinsey shows that design-led companies have higher revenue and better performance overall. As this fact becomes more recognized, the average UX designer salary rises to meet it.
We cover the current state of the industry in our article asking whether UX designers are in demand near you.
How much does a UX designer salary vary based on experience?
As with any profession, as your experience and skills grow your salary expectations should reflect that. Here’s a list of the median salary across different levels in the U.S., averaged from Glassdoor and Indeed.
- UX Design Intern: US$60,864
- Junior UX Designer: US$100,334
- UX Designer: US$106,896
- Senior UX Designer: US$139,001
- Senior UX Design Manager: US$159,856
UX design has also been ranked as the sixth highest-paying entry-level job, according to this Glassdoor study. So, not only is the demand for UX designers high, but the salaries are also quite competitive.
And when compared to the average national annual salary of $53,490 per year, becoming a UX designer is even more desirable.
The salaries listed are an average taken from Indeed, Payscale, and Glassdoor.
United States
Average Salary: US$91,225
The United States has a variety of flourishing tech hubs within its borders. Cities like New York, Seattle, and San Francisco are quite popular for their highly regarded design schools and the presence of industry-leading companies like IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Salaries also vary depending on where you are in the U.S. The following figures are taken from Indeed, if you’d like to get salary data for a different location, check the Indeed salary portal.
- San Francisco, CA: US$118,766
- New York, NY: US$112,480
- Seattle, WA: US$109,043
- Los Angeles, CA: US$106,581
- Chicago, IL: US$105,359
- Denver, CO: US$103,518
- Minneapolis, MN: US$102,690
- Atlanta, GA: US$101,967
- Boston, NY: US$102,023
- Dallas, TX: US$101,151
- Portland, OR: US$100,968
Canada
Average Salary: US$55,075
Local Currency: CA$75,885
Canada offers a wide range of UX design positions with most being concentrated in Toronto and Vancouver.
This country also hosts numerous notable design agencies and branches including Net Solutions—a 20-year-old agency with previous big-name clients like Yahoo, PayPal, and Microsoft.
Germany
Average Salary: US$53,065
Local Currency: €54,246
Munich boasts the highest cluster of UX job opportunities, but Berlin is also an attractive option for UXers. Berlin hosts offices for many big-name corporations (ie. Mozilla, Google, etc.) looking to hire. It is even host to The MOBX Conference, Europe’s annual mobile UX summit.
In this video, Berlin-based UX designer Maureen gives a quick overview on her thoughts on the UX design job market in Germany and what it takes to make it overall:
United Kingdom
Average Salary: US$49,449
Local Currency: £43,939
There are loads of tech jobs throughout the UK, but with London’s reputation as Europe’s startup capital, many entrepreneurs are calling on UX designers for help.
The largest city in the UK, London has its own Silicon Roundabout, where the demand for UX designers is at its highest.
Australia
Average Salary: US$58,598
Local Currency: AU$93,154
UX designers may find the highest pay rates in Sydney and Melbourne, but there are many other blossoming tech communities as well. Adelaide is a city where the UX industry is rapidly growing, meaning a lot of opportunities for designers to put their efforts toward meaningful and impactful projects.
New Zealand
Average Salary: US$49,745
Local Currency: NZ$87,678
Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand’s largest city Auckland is unsurprisingly a large tech hub boasting the highest UX designer salaries in the region, however, it has a high cost of living to match.
France
Average Salary: US$41,693
Local Currency: €42,619
It doesn’t take a skilled detective to guess which French city commands the highest salaries for UX design—the capital, Paris.
Outside of the City of Love, salaries drop slightly, but so would the cost of living. Cities like Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse could be more attractive options.
South Africa
Average Salary: US$26,883
Local Currency: R490,579
The range of salary a UX designer can expect to earn varies quite widely in South Africa, with larger cities like Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town commanding the largest.
China
Average Salary: US$30,752
Local Currency: ¥222,281
Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai are some obvious heavy hitters in the UX industry. However, UX designers should keep their eyes on Shenzhen, an exponentially growing city that has been named China’s supreme design hotspot. Shenzhen is projected to play a big role in the UX field within the next two decades.
You may have your sights set on working in a particular location or organization during your UX career.
UX designer salaries can vary greatly from country to company, so it’s always best to research your desired position.
To give you an idea of what UX designers at some well-known companies are making, we’ve put together this list of salary ranges for some popular organizations.
Microsoft
US$116,000-136,000
Microsoft UX designers are constantly creating innovative digital products that influence the globe, and Microsoft is leading the way for inclusive design. Get ready—the interview process can be quite extensive as they require a high level of motivation and design skill from the team.
Meta
US$168,000-263,000
The former Facebook company, Meta also owns social media giants Instagram and Whatsapp, and other subsidiaries. With its emphasis on user-centered design, great people and great benefits, Meta is considered an ideal employer for many UXers.
Apple
US$149,000-234,000
Considered by many to be the father of modern UX, Apple still sets the standard for clean, innovative design that places the user’s needs at the forefront.
Although the culture is considered a pro, the onboarding is reportedly rigorous.
Amazon
US$145,000-232,000
While its reputation as an employer leaves a lot to be desired, there’s no doubt as to Amazon’s market power. This lends a certain level of job security, even if maintaining a healthy work-life balance may be difficult.
Adobe
US$101,000-131,000
Being a UX designer for Adobe is a bit like being a designer for other designers. As an Adobe UXer, you would be creating seamless and efficient products for others in the field to use on their own projects.
US$162,000-264,000
Google’s reputation as an employer is stellar. And with its dedication to innovating for the ultimate UX experience across all its services, it’s unlikely a UXer will ever get bored.
BBC
US$46,000-52,000
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is an award-winning production company and public broadcasting service based in London.
The BBC design team creates engaging and easy-to-navigate experiences for all the BBC products.
Alibaba
US$144,000-241,000
Alibaba is one of the world’s largest e-commerce corporations with millions of international users and merchants. This large UX team (70 members!) is consistently implementing evidence-based solutions for businesses to distribute their products to Alibaba users all over the world.
IBM
US$94,000-123,000
This major research organization is one of the biggest producers and sellers of computer hardware, middleware, software, and consulting services. As a UX designer for IBM, you would be working for the world’s biggest tech company.
Adidas
US$81,000-101,000
This multinational sporting lifestyle company is one of the biggest contributors to the design, distribution, and marketing of athletic products worldwide. The Adidas design team is driven to design products with the potential to redefine the sports and games their users are passionate about.
4. How to negotiate your first UX salary
Being new to the UX design industry may leave you wondering what sort of compensation to expect when applying for your very first position. You might not want to set your expectations too high, but be wary of asking for too little.
Your skills are valuable at all stages of your design career, so before your first interviews, be sure to do some research, consider your auxiliary skills, and talk to others in the field.
Do your research
The best way to make sure you’re asking for a fair wage is to do some research into what other designers with similar skill levels are making. You’ll want to look for the average salaries within the companies you are applying for, in the city the position is located in, and for how many years of experience you have.
Glassdoor, PayScale, and UX Designer Salaries are some easy search engine tools you can use to find information about UX designer pay rates.
Develop your skillset
You don’t have to have a background in tech or design to make it in UX! You can be coming from graphic design, marketing, dance, or teaching and successfully start a career in UX.
It’s just a matter of knowing your transferable skills, and building your technical skills.
If you still feel like you’re finding your sea legs in the world of UX, look into a certification course or bootcamp that will give you the skills (and the portfolio!) you need. Our guide to the best UX certification programs is a great place to start.
The best UX design programs will help you develop a professional-grade portfolio and help you on your job search.
If you’d like to dip your toes in the water before you make the investment of money and time that a good program can require, check out a free UX design short course or start reading as many UX-related books as you can get your hands on.
(UX design blogs are another good place to learn and find guides on how to carry out various UX processes.)
Consider your auxiliary skills
Auxiliary skills are the other qualities and attributes you bring to the table besides your UX design expertise. These are often skills that enhance or go hand-in-hand with your design knowledge.
UX designers that have some base knowledge in coding, analytics, team building, or psychology and research can often negotiate higher salaries as these assets make them a more well-rounded and attractive candidate for the job. So look for opportunities to cultivate a more diverse skillset.
Consider upskilling with a specialization in UI design, voice user interface design, or even frontend development.
Ask around
If you have the opportunity, ask other designers in the field for a rough estimate of what sort of salary to expect. It may feel strange to ask your colleagues about salaries and pay rates, but you may be surprised at how quickly they’ll be to offer some guidance.
Friends, recent classmates, and former teachers or mentors are also great people to ask when gauging what sort of compensation you can plan to receive.
As more specializations emerge in the field, there’s a greater variety of roles and varying salary expectations for each of them.
We’ve already had an in-depth look at UX designer salaries, so here’s our shortlist of additional roles you might be interested in as you develop specialist knowledge.
Unless otherwise noted, the averages are as reported by Payscale.
UX/UI designer salaries
It’s very often the case that companies hiring UX designers expect them to have at least some UI skills. We want to emphasize here that UX and UI are two distinct roles, and that the focus and skillset required by both truly warrant that!
But you can set yourself apart in the industry, and possibly earn a higher salary, by developing equal expertise in both fields.
Average U.S. salary for UX/UI designers: $91,950
UX writer salaries
Many UX designers end up writing microcopy anyway, so if you’ve got a way with words, to begin with, why not get paid for that specialized knowledge? UX writers follow a similar process as UX designers, but their focus is on creating a seamless experience with the written content that appears throughout the user journey.
Median U.S. salary for UX writers: $110,000 (according to UX Writing Hub’s annual salary report)
UX researcher salaries
If you’re passionate about user research, and you can see yourself focusing most of your work energy on those first couple of stages of the UX design process, you might consider becoming a UX researcher.
Average U.S. salary for UX researchers: $108,500
UX strategist salaries
Finally, if you’ve got good business sense and the ability to connect well with stakeholders of all sorts, you could consider a career as a UX strategist. This role will place you at the intersection of business and design, with a salary to show it.
Average U.S. salary for UX researchers: $92,000
6. Outlook and takeaways
There is a steady and increasing demand for UX designers, and the ever-expanding and competitive global market means a greater need to produce fresh and enjoyable products.
Furthermore, as the UX design field continues to make its way into industries like education, fashion, film, and even social and cultural wellness projects, the need for quality UX designers has been forecasted to increase. What’s more, there’s a great deal of variety in the role itself, as what a UX designer does changes depending on the type of company they work in.
Learn more about the future of UX design and keep exploring where a career in UX could take you with these guides:
- What does a UX designer actually do?
- Top UX design trends to follow this year
- When and how to ask for a raise (a guide for designers)
- Am I too old to start a career in UX design?
Average Salary for Jobs with UI/UX User Interface/Experience Design Skills
The average salary for jobs that require the skills of UI/UX User Interface/Experience Design is $137,083 based on United States National Average.
Base Salary
Core compensation
$58,198
$215,969
$137,083
UI Designer/Developer V
Alternate Job Titles: User Experience Designer/Developer V
Designs web pages and develops web-based technical solutions that engage users and meet business requirements.
Handles projects from conceptualization through delivery. Develops and applies creative designs, ensuring that content meets brand standards and targets the intended audience. Uses knowledge of front-end platforms, frameworks, and languages to deliver high-quality site and application des…
View job details
UI/Usability Design Director
Alternate Job Titles: Human Factors/UI Design Director | User Experience Digital Design Director
Directs a department of UI designers who apply user-centered design principles to improve the workflow, expand the functionality, and enhance the visual appeal of websites and mobile apps. Oversees the development of the overall design philosophy for improving the workflow, functionality, and visual appeal of the organization’s online presence. Establishes new projects and initiatives, ensures req…
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UI/Usability Design Manager
Alternate Job Titles: Human Factors/UI Design Manager | User Experience Digital Design Manager | Web UI Design Manager
Manages a team of designers that apply user-centered design principles to improve the workflow, expand the functionality, and enhance the visual appeal of websites and mobile apps.
Oversees the gathering of requirements from users and stakeholders and guides development of the overall information architecture. Leads the creation of new features based on the results from user research and usability…
View job details
UI/Usability Design Senior Manager
Alternate Job Titles: Human Factors/UI Design Senior Manager | User Experience Digital Design Senior Manager | Web UI Design Director
Manages a department of designers that apply user-centered design principles to improve the workflow, expand the functionality, and enhance the visual appeal of websites and mobile apps. Manages the gathering of requirements from users and stakeholders and guides development of the overall information architecture. Works with directors and management to allocate resources appropriately to new prod…
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UI/Usability Designer I
Alternate Job Titles: Human Factors/UI Designer I | User Experience Digital Designer I | Web UI Designer I
Applies user-centered design principles to improve the workflow, expand the functionality, and enhance the visual appeal of websites and mobile apps.
Gathers requirements from users and stakeholders, defines information architecture, creates sample user personas, and documents user workflow. Designs wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. Applies the results from user research and usability testing t…
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Related Salary.com Content
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COUNTRIES |
Every employed person on the world should know this website. It is translated into 35 languages. The average salary for a User Interface Designer / Russia is 1,712,613 RUB per year. The most typical income is 2,207,976 RUB . All data is based on salary surveys 3 . The wages of men and women are different. Men receive an average salary of 1,712,673 RUB . Women receive a salary of n/a . According to the level of education, the highest salaries are received by people with a secondary school salary of 2,303,456 RUB . Second highest level of education – Master’s degree with salary 2,178,138 RUB . Different experience also affects earnings. People with 1-2 years of experience receive a salary of 2,303,456 RUB .
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Employees with 8-12 years of experience receive 1,420,265 RUB . 
33%
899 USD
User interface designer | Moscow
- House
- Russia
- Moscow
- Design creation
- User interface designer
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SALARY SURVEYS
1 |
UPDATED December 2022 About salary data? |
CALCULATE THE OPTIMAL SALARY! |
| AVERAGE SALARY / YEAR | MOST TYPICAL EARNINGS / YEAR |
Tax Net (after taxes) |
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$36,476 USD |
$37,009 USD |
Every employed person on the world should know this website.
You can help a lot if you add your survey and tell others about the site.
It is translated into 35 languages.
The average salary for User Interface Designer / Moscow is 2,176,169 RUB per year. The most typical income is 2,207,976 RUB . All data is based on salary surveys 1 . The wages of men and women are different. Men receive an average salary of 2,178,138 RUB . Women receive a salary of n/a .
In terms of education level, the highest salaries are received by people with a Master’s degree with a salary of 2,178,138 RUB . The second highest level of education is n/a with a salary of n/a .
Different experience also affects earnings. People with 8-12 years of experience receive a salary of 2,178,138 RUB .