| Quick Facts: User Interface & User Experience Designer | |
|---|---|
| $111,316 per year $53.42 per hour | |
| Bachelor’s degree | |
| None | |
| None | |
| 128,600 | |
| 8% (Faster than average) | |
| 10,300 | |
What UI & UX Designers Do
User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Designers are responsible for crafting seamless, user-friendly digital experiences across websites, mobile apps, and software platforms. While UI designers focus on the look and feel—color schemes, typography, buttons, and layout—UX designers ensure those visuals are rooted in usability and research. Together, they create intuitive and accessible interactions that solve user problems and support business goals.
UI/UX Designers often collaborate with product managers, developers, and marketing teams to design experiences that not only look great but also perform efficiently. They rely on tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch to prototype interfaces and conduct user testing to validate design decisions.
Duties
UI/UX Designers typically do the following:
Meet with clients, stakeholders, or product teams to define user needs and project goals
Create wireframes, visual designs, prototypes, and user flows
Conduct user research, usability testing, and A/B testing to refine designs
Develop style guides and design systems to ensure brand consistency
Collaborate with developers to translate designs into working interfaces
Use analytics and feedback to improve design functionality
Ensure accessibility compliance (e.g., WCAG standards)
UI/UX Designers can be found across many sectors—technology companies, creative agencies, healthcare systems, fintech, and education. They may work in-house as part of a product or marketing team, or independently as consultants or freelancers.
As the demand for digital experiences grows, so does the need for skilled UI/UX professionals. Many designers work full time, with project deadlines or client schedules sometimes requiring additional hours.
Pay
As of May 2024, the median annual wage for UI & UX Designers was $111,316, with most professionals earning between $71,533 and $173,223 depending on experience, location, and industry. The bottom 10% earned less than $47,840, while the top 10% exceeded $192,180 (Indeed).
For comparison, web developers earned a median annual wage of $90,930 in the same period, with top earners making over $162,870 (BLS).
In May 2024, the median annual wages for UI & UX designers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Finance and insurance | $121,710 |
| Computer systems design and related services | 98,610 |
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 74,510 |
| Retail trade | 69,280 |
In May 2024, the median annual wages for web developers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Computer systems design and related services | $90,600 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 83,720 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 82,080 |
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 76,270 |
Most user interface and user experience designers work full time.