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UX / UI Designer

$104,000
median / year
$53,750 – $201,550
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Research how people use apps and websites, then design layouts and flows that feel clear.

You may also see this posted as: Web Architect, Web Design Specialist, Web Designer, Webmaster, Technology Applications Engineer.

Where you work

Tech firms, agencies, and in-house design teams

The hours

Full-time, mostly regular

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Collaborate with management or users to develop e-commerce strategies and to integrate these strategies with Web sites.
  • Collaborate with web development professionals, such as front-end or back-end developers, to complete the full scope of Web development projects.
  • Communicate with network personnel or Web site hosting agencies to address hardware or software issues affecting Web sites.
  • Conduct user research to determine design requirements and analyze user feedback to improve design quality.
  • Confer with management or development teams to prioritize needs, resolve conflicts, develop content criteria, or choose solutions.

Good fit if you like…

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailInnovationAdaptabilityIntellectual Curiosity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Adobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopAdobe XDAtlassian JIRACascading style sheets CSS

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$104,000
per year
Hourly median
$50.00
per hour
What most earn
$53,750–$201,550
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~9,100
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+7%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
113,330
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 10.1% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree + portfolio.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

User researchWireframingDesign toolsPrototyping

The honest take

Blends design and psychology to make software easier to use, and a strong portfolio matters as much as a degree.

Standard Occupational Classification 15-1255. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.