User experience design is an intriguing career. UX/UI professionals get to flex their creative muscles and solve problems that help real people, and they get the thrill of engaging with pioneering technology. Best of all, UX designers are paid quite well for the websites and mobile apps they create.
A great salary, creative opportunities, and meaningful work? A UX profession sounds too good to be true! But it’s not some career fantasy— for the right person, UX can be an accessible and lucrative career.
In this installment of the Guac, we’ll explore why UX designers are paid so well. Grab your chips and let’s dig in!
How Much Do UX Designers Make?
The average base salary for UX designers is a healthy $74,500. However, starting salaries vary widely based on the company, location, and details of the role. Many designers with experience make six figures annually within just a few years of work.
Here is a breakdown of typical UX design salaries by experience level:
- Entry Level: $63,000/year
- Junior Level: $72,000/year
- Mid-Level: $84,000/year
- Senior Level: $96,000-$99,000/year
- Average Base Salary: $74,500/year
Remember that these figures are averages. At Avocademy, we’ve had new graduates land roles with salaries well over $100k a year. Be prepared to see a range of starting salaries during your UX job search.
Why Are UX Designers Paid So Much?
First and foremost, UX designers are paid well because they bring value to a company. In fact, every dollar a company invests in improving user experience brings $100 in return. UX designers drive this excellent return on investment by making products more user-friendly. Wherever there is a product, there is a user experience that could use improvement, and a UX designer with a specialized skill set to help that product succeed.
UX designers are also paid well because the supply of UX talent does not match the demand. Currently, there are thousands of open UX roles and not enough experienced UX/UI designers to fill them. Because companies create new digital products every day, there is an ongoing demand for UX designers that keeps salaries high.
Part of this supply-demand mismatch stems from an overall lack of formal talent pipelines that bring new UX designers into the job market. To date, there is no specific college degree for UX designers. Instead, many hold peripheral degrees like Human-Computer Interaction or attend UX bootcamps like Avocademy to learn the skills they need. As with any career, UX design takes time to learn, and companies need new designers fast.
Become a UX Designer with Avocademy
The great thing about UX design is that anyone can transition to this field. No matter your professional background, you can learn the skills you need to start earning a UX designer salary in less than a year.
If you’d like to learn more, schedule a free mentorship call with our mentors at Avocademy. We’ll chat with you about UX design opportunities and help you launch a career you love.
