Is a UX Design Career Lucrative? Let These Salaries Help You Decide

User Experience (UX) designers are responsible for turning a product or service into an accessible, valuable, and enjoyable experience for the users interacting with them. As a result, UX design is critical for a brand’s success as it has the potential to attract the target audience, retain them, and build brand loyalty. Given the essentiality of UX in establishing long-term relationships with their customers, companies across industries are seeking professionals who can help them design a convergent, end-to-end customer experience, making UX designer a most sought-after career. The high demand for UX also reflects in the UX designer salary packages, as you will learn in this guide. It will also give you a comprehensive overview of the UX designer career, roles, and responsibilities.

Is UX Designer Still a Good Career?

UX designing is a coveted career, providing excellent opportunities across all industries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates the demand for web developers and digital designers to grow by 23% between 2021 and 2031, making it one of the fastest-growing professions. 

According to Glassdoor, UX designing is one of the top 50 jobs in the U.S. in 2022, with a job satisfaction score of 4 out of 5. Additionally, the average annual UX designer salary is $121,404 in the U.S., as per Glassdoor. Do note that given the diverse career opportunities in UX designing, the salary levels vary on the basis of factors such as experience, industry, qualification, specialization, and geographic location.

Roles and Responsibilities of a UX Designer

• Understanding the client’s product specifications and brand goals  
• Planning and conducting user research
• Conducting competitor analysis
• Testing usability and gathering qualitative feedback 
• Developing wireframes, screen flows, and sitemaps 
• Creating user personas, storyboards, and usage scenarios  
• Creating product prototypes for testing functionality and issues 
• Presenting the design to the client 

Entry-level UX Designer Salary

Entry-level UX designers typically start their careers as generalists and work with mid- and senior-level designers to design products or services. A UX designer salary can be lucrative from the start. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for an entry-level user experience designer in the U.S. is $105,804. 

UX Designer Salary by Industry

The salary of UX designers depends on the role and requirements of the industry. As a UX designer, you can work for various industries, including IT, finance, media, education, healthcare, retail, government, advertising, entertainment, business, non-profit organization, and emerging technologies. 

UX Designer Salary by Experience

With sufficient experience, a UX designer can move to senior roles and enjoy far higher salary levels. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary in the U.S. for the position of senior UX designer and senior UX designer are $122,602 and $135,381, respectively. 

UX Designer Salary by Qualification

UX designer salary packages can vary widely depending on the knowledge and skills. Mastering the following skills can set you apart from the competition and make you eligible for lucrative job opportunities.

Hard Skills 

• Wireframing
• Prototyping 
• User interface design 
• UX writing 
• User testing 
• User research 
• Visual communication 
• Project management 

Soft Skills 

• Communication
• Critical thinking 
• Collaboration 
• Creativity
• Empathy 

To meet the increasing demand of businesses, UX designers should constantly learn and hone their skills. Online courses taught by experts can help you become a highly qualified UX designer. If you are looking to upskill in this area, check out product strategy, design, and innovation courses offered by Emeritus.  

UX Designer Salary by Specialization

Here is how the average annual UX designer salary differs based on specialization, according to Glassdoor.  

Best-Paying Countries for UX Designers

Geographical location plays a vital role in determining compensation as it depends on the demand for work and the cost of living. Here are the average annual UX designer salary levels across different countries, according to Glassdoor.

Highest Paying Cities for UX Designers in the United States

Here are some of the highest-paying cities in the United States for UX designers, according to Indeed:  

Top Companies Hiring a UX Designer

Here is an overview of UX designer salary levels across top companies, according to Indeed.  

Learning, the Emeritus Way

UX designers play a significant role in long-term success and that reflects in the UX designer salary packages. But to avail of the lucrative opportunities, they must keep up with industry trends and technological advancements. If you want to progress in your career and get a competitive edge in this market, explore the product strategy, design, and innovation courses offered by Emeritus to upskill yourself.  

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