To help you navigate your next salary negotiation, here’s your complete, up-to-date UX designer salary guide.
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.
(Remember that CareerFoundry offers a free UX design short course, an excellent way to get started!)
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 2024.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- UX designer salary overview
- Salaries for other UX-related roles
- Average UX designer salary by country
- UX designer salaries by company
- How to negotiate your first UX salary
- Outlook and takeaways
- FAQ
Ready to learn all about UX designer salaries around the globe? Let’s get started.
1. The UX designer salary overview
- The average UX design salary: $94,747
Entering 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 steadily increased since the UX industry’s birth. Research by McKinsey shows that design-led companies have higher revenue and better performance overall. As this becomes more recognized, the average UX designer salary rises to meet it.
As of late January 2024, the average UX design salary in the U.S. is $94,747, according to Glassdoor.
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., as reported by Glassdoor.
- UX Design Intern: $72,713
- Junior UX Designer: $93,300
- Middleweight UX Designer: $94,505
- Senior UX Designer: $154,452
- Senior UX Design Manager: $227,504
When compared to the average national annual salary of $53,490 per year, becoming a UX designer is even more desirable.
2. Salaries for other UX-related roles
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, all averages are as reported by Glassdoor.
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: $84,787
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: $91,279
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: $117,378
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 strategists: $110,329
3. Average UX designer salary by country
United States
Average Salary: $94,351
The estimated total pay for a UX Designer is approximately $94,351 per year in the United States, according to Glassdoor.
The U.S. 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.
- San Francisco, CA: $124,412
- New York, NY: $111,937
- Seattle, WA: $135,663
- Los Angeles, CA: $112,323
- Chicago, IL: $115,300
- Denver, CO: $99,460
- Minneapolis, MN: $107,364
- Atlanta, GA: $103,186
- Boston, NY: $92,672
- Dallas, TX: $107,558
- Portland, OR: $96,043
For more detailed breakdowns of what UX designers earn in industry hotspots, read our full guides on the UX designer salary in New York and the UX designer salary in California.
Canada
Average salary: US$61,998
Local currency: CA$84,416
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$56,967
Local currency:€53,082
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$65,956
Local currency:£53,356
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$41,233
Local currency: A$61,968
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$55,448
Local currency: NZ$91,500
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$47,809
Local currency: €44,567
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$35,655
Local currency: R698,328
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: $135,927
Local currency: ¥960,000
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.
4. UX designer salaries by company
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$144,000-234,000
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$162,000-257,000
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$142,000-233,000
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$129,000-222,000
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$138,000-224,000
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.
Epic Games
US$119,000-191,000
This American gaming developer and publisher is one of the biggest contributors to the development, publishing, and marketing of games worldwide; meaning you’ll always be at the forefront of cutting-edge game UX design. Epic employees cite its perks, like health insurance and long parental leave, as some of their favorite things about working at the company.
US$155,000-255,000
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.
IBM
US$119,000-210,000
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.
5. 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, Adzuna 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.
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?
- How Alice made a career transition to UX design in a new country
- 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?
7. FAQ
1. Do UX designers get paid well?
UX design was ranked as the sixth highest-paying entry-level job, according to a 2019 Glassdoor study, and is included on 2022’s highest-paying entry-level job lists from CareerKarma and CareerBuilder. So, not only is the demand for UX designers high, but the salaries are also quite competitive.
2. Is UX design a good career?
As more companies have realized the impact good UX design can have, the role has been given due credit to reflect its importance.
With Glassdoor adding it to their list of the best 50 jobs to have in 2022 and UX designers reporting general satisfaction on platforms like Glassdoor and Career Explorer, it is considered a good career.
3. What is your salary as a UX designer?
The average UX design salary in the United States is approximately $94,614 according to Glassdoor.
Like most careers, the UX designer salary can vary depending on your experience level, the company you work for, and where you’re working.
As with any profession, as your experience and skills grow your salary expectations should reflect that.
4. Is UX design in high demand?
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 enter industries like education, fashion, film, and even social and cultural wellness projects, the need for quality UX designers is forecasted to increase.