UX design is a well-paid profession. In this article, you’ll find out not only what sort of money you can make as a UX designer in several places around the world – you’ll also learn what drives UX salaries up and down.
We’ve analysed UX designer salary data from all over the world, using leading professional job and salary sources like Payscale and Glassdoor.
Average UX Designer salaries – At a glance
| Ireland | UK | USA | |
| Junior: 1-3 years | €27,500 – €52,500 | £24,000-£40,000 | $61,000 – $103,500 |
| Mid: 3-5 years | €36,500 – €62,000 | £36,000 – £68,000 | $69,500 – $124,500 |
| Senior: 5-7 years | €52,500 – €70,500 | £54,000 – £83,500 | $76,000 – $139,000 |
How much you make in UX design depends on a variety of factors. These include everything from where you work and what you do, right through to how much experience you have and who you work for. Here are a few key factors that influence a UX designer’s salary.
What affects a UX designer’s salary?
1. Demand
As the tech job market rebounds, opportunities for career switchers are on the rise, and UX and design is fast emerging as an in-demand professional field. As per UX Design Institute’s State of UX Hiring Report 2024, 68% of those responsible for hiring expect demand for UX skills at their company/organisation to increase over the next 1-2 years.
Ronan Costello, Director of Experience Design at Analog Devices, elaborates:
Demand remains strong for UX skill sets, and with the emergence of new technologies like GenAI, this demand is set to continue. UX design and research will continue to play a central role as our physical and virtual worlds become increasingly intertwined.
UX designers have never been in greater demand. More electronic devices, more screens, more connectivity all means there are now more interfaces and online experiences to design for. Also, as more traditional businesses like healthcare, manufacturing and retail undergo digital transformation, user experience in the digital space is becoming a critical part of the customer journey.
As per their Future of Jobs, 2023 report, World Economic Forum forecasts that businesses will prioritise design and UX skills as top tech skills (besides AI and big data) between 2023 and 2027.
In their Best Jobs of 2023 report, Indeed ranks product designer 10th on their list of 20 in-demand jobs, reporting 39% growth in job share in the year 2023 versus 2020. At the same time, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts that jobs for UX designers will grow 16% between 2022 and 2032 — much faster than the industry average.
2. Experience
Even for people starting in the industry, UX has a better starting salary than many other sectors. Glassdoor reports that the average salary for a junior UX designer in the UK is £29,517. In the US, the average salary for a junior UX designer is $99,331
Payscale research on Ireland noted that the average starting salary for UX designers is higher than entry-level positions in traditional professions like accountants, and very similar to engineering.
In Ireland, the average starting salary of €34,168 for UX designers (as reported by Payscale) is higher than entry-level positions in traditional professions like accountanting, engineering, and banking.
Staying in Ireland, Payscale also shows that for UX designers with 1-3 years of experience, the average salary is €38,371. In addition, a mid-career UX designer earns an average salary of €48,177, and experienced UX designers s can earn upwards of €58,958.
3. Location
Big cities pay better and that is no surprise. According to Payscale, in the UK, London comes out on top, reporting 18% more than the national average for UX designers. Across the Atlantic, UX designers in San Francisco earn around 36% more than the national average. Higher-than-average salaries are also more likely in Seattle (17% more),New York (10% more), and Houston, TX (5%).
Research is still emerging on how remote working impacts pay. In their 2023 State of Tech Salaries report, Hired found that remote workers in tech earned more than on-site workers.
In more specific UX terms, Builtin tells us that in the US, the average salary for a remote UX designer is $120,177, which is higher than the average $93,080 they quote for UX designer salaries in the country as a whole.
4. Employer
The tech and creative industries are where many UX designers work. And when it comes to paying their UX people, it’s worth noting how much they offer and who comes top of the list.
In the US, Payscale reports that salaries are highest at Apple Computer, Inc. where the average pay is $132,257. Cisco Systems Inc and Amazon also offer high salaries for their UX designers of around $118,000 each. At the lower end of the scale, Capital One Financial Corp pays around $76,596 while UX designers at United Airlines typically earn about $80,000 per annum.
However, as more businesses expand their presence online, there’s an increased opportunity for UX designers to command competitive salaries outside of the traditional tech sector too. To learn more about what sectors are seeing an increased demand for UX professionals, you can read this article and for tips on how to land a job in UX, explore the State of UX Hiring Report 2024.
5. Key takeaways
Overall, UX design offers a rewarding career with growing opportunities and good salaries. It’s a field that not just allows you to solve real world problems for people and help simplify their digital journeys — with the right set of skills and qualifications, it pays well too. The salaries are dependant on experience, location and the employer but with an expanding market, this is a promising career.
Serious about a career in UX?
The Professional Diploma in UX Design by the UX Design Institute is a university-backed course that’s designed to get you job-ready. Learn more below.
