UX Designer Salary: Pay, Job Description, & Steps for Becoming One
Welcome to the Creative Careers Series. In this series, we discuss creative positions, pay, skillsets, and how you can land a job. Today we’re discussing UX Design: the salary, job description, and more.
You’ll often find that the professionals in your life went to college for something completely different. The marketing managers you know may have started in journalism; the developers you meet may be fine arts majors or philosophy lovers.
Even I studied film and English with the expectation of writing screenplays, not ads. Now, as a copywriter though, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
But as we grow, we tend to bounce around. The passions we have as kids evolve, and what we wanted to do at eighteen may not seem as exciting years later.
As I read through Reddit thread after Reddit thread about UX designers, I found that many of their paths are the same (in that they’re all different). Some UX designers began in art, music, or even HR.
So, if you’re interested in becoming a UX designer, hopefully this post can serve as a map for your next steps and inspiration for your next career move.
What is a UX designer?
A UX designer, or user-experience designer, is someone who creates websites and online journeys with the customer in mind (or the prospective customer).
A UX designer needs to understand more than just design best practices; they also need to understand logic, psychology, and how people interact with technology.
Example of quality UX design for mobile and desktop
Source: Behance
Wireframing and basic coding are also important elements of quality user-experience, meaning UX designers require a number of important skills.
How much can I expect with a UX designer salary?
Okay, so how much does a UX designer make each year? Well, that of course depends on a number of things, like location and experience.
Luckily, many companies now allow employees to work from home, which could get you higher pay, even if you live in a less urban location. Here’s a general idea of what you can expect on average:
Average UX designer salary:
According to Glassdoor, the average UX designer salary in the United States, including all industries and years of experience, is ~$97,000 - $98,000/year. (This includes benefits.)
Beginner UX designer salary:
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for UX designers with 0-1 years of experience, including all industries, is $81,647/year. (This includes benefits.)
Senior UX designer salary:
According to Glassdoor, the average Senior UX designer salary in the United States, including all industries and years of experience, is $142,689/year (including benefits).
UX designer skills:
Wondering what you’d need to create user journeys effectively? Below we’ve listed the UX designer skills and programs that could put you above the competition.
A/B testing
Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD etc.)
Axure
Figma
Invision
Prototyping
Sketch
Usability testing
User-centered design
User interface design
UXPin
Web design
Wireframing
UX designer job description example: what you can expect when you’re job searching
Most companies will require a few key abilities when hiring UX designers. In addition to the skills listed above, you’ll need to be able to do the following:
Turn concepts into tangible experiences, like wireframes, mockups, sitemaps, and prototypes
Understand the user journey as well as key demographics
Communicate with a variety of teams and stakeholders
Build user-friendly experiences based on data that works, both for the customer and the business
Use analytics to design for prospects and customers
Brainstorm research-based solutions to technical problems
Tell stories and build narratives with customer-focused design
Understand web design and engineering basics
Initiate user tests and learn from them
How to become a UX designer
Unlike more prescriptive career paths, UX designers often start out in a variety of ways. This means you can transition into this career, even if you don’t currently work in design. Here are some ways to become a UX designer:
Take classes
Go to Meetups
Talk to current UX designers
Practice
Take classes
When it comes to UX classes, there are a number of different kinds. You can take classes in-person or fully online through free videos, paid bootcamps, and e-learning services, like Coursera or Udemy.
Here’s a list of UX classes you can check out:
UX Design Playlist from AJ&Smart
Free on YouTube
Covers other free resources
Educates you on necessary tools
Classes start at $14.99 for new students
Various classes to choose from
7-day free trial
$39/month after the free trial
Official Google Certificate offered
Price ranges from $11/month- $200/month
Various classes available
Paid members do not have to pay for certificates
Springboard UX /UI Design Bootcamp
Price ranges from $81/month - $11,900 total tuition
Financing available
Payback after you find a job available
General Assembly UX Design Bootcamp
Price ranges from $250/month - $16,450 total tuition
Financing available
Payback after you find a job available
Go to Meetups
Meetups can be a perfect opportunity to network with experienced professionals in your preferred field. Find local UX design events or tech-related gatherings, and start learning about opportunities in your community.
Talk to current UX designers
Meetups aren’t the only place to connect with UX designers. In fact, you can do your research and networking from home. The r/UXDesign and r/userexperience threads on Reddit are great resources for connecting with professionals online and learning from their experiences.
If you already work at a tech company, consider talking to your fellow designers and tell them about your interests. Peer mentorship could be the first step in your transition to UX design, especially since professionals with career mentors feel more fulfilled and appreciated at work.
Practice
What’s the best thing you can do to become a UX designer? Design! Start practicing now and create a portfolio you can continue improving. You’ll learn organically, and you can showcase your skills.
A portfolio not only gives you a website to share with hiring managers, but you can also use it for feedback. Send your site to designers you trust for helpful critiques.
Conclusion
If you’re passionate about user-experience design (or you’re just interested in making a UX designer salary), you can definitely transition into this career. Start developing hard and soft skills that make you valuable, so you can stay ahead of the competition.
Additionally, you can get educated by surrounding yourself with the right classes and the right people. Finally, just start designing, because you can only get better from here.
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