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UX Researcher Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
UX researchers make around $88,000 to $134,000 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
June 4, 2021
Article
Learn more about the skills and certifications you need for a career in UX/UI, graphic design, virtual reality, the metaverse, and more.
Explore popular design and product courses
Skills you'll gain: Storyboarding, Wireframing, UI/UX Research, Responsive Web Design, User Experience Design, Design Thinking, User Research, Information Architecture, Figma (Design Software), Usability Testing, User Story, Web Design, Design Reviews, Usability, Presentations, Design Research, Ideation, User Centered Design, Mockups, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
California Institute of the Arts
Skills you'll gain: Typography, Design Elements And Principles, Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Logo Design, Digital Design, Color Theory, Adobe InDesign, Brand Strategy, Style Guides, Branding, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Creative Design, Design, Visual Design, Adobe Photoshop, Design Strategies, Design Reviews, Design Research, Storytelling
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Adobe
Skills you'll gain: Adobe Illustrator, Color Theory, Typography, Graphic and Visual Design, Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Design, Adobe Creative Cloud, Design Elements And Principles, Creative Design, Logo Design, Digital Design, Creativity
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Design and product cover a wide variety of skills and careers, from user experience (UX) design to product design to virtual reality and the metaverse. With so many options and opportunities available, it can be tricky to know where to start. On Coursera, you'll find expert resources to support your goals, whether you're just starting out or are ready to take the next step in your career. Explore design and product topics, including:
A UX designer usually focuses on a portion of the design process, making sure a product is optimally designed for user experience. A product designer might focus on the entirety of the process, including ensuring a product fits a company’s business needs. UX designers might also work more heavily in the initial design stage of the product, while product designers often work to improve existing products.
A product designer often works with UX designers and is generally expected to have a good understanding of UX principles. Plus, sometimes the two titles are used interchangeably, which can lead to understandable confusion.
Learn more in the article "Product Designer vs. UX Designer: The Difference Explained."
It can be easy to confuse a digital designer with a graphic designer, but there are differences. The key distinguishing feature is digital design's interactivity. A digital designer employs movement, animation, audio, video, and other interactive elements for digital formats such as websites and apps. A graphic designer's output is more likely to be static and intended for a format like print.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)*, web development and digital design roles are projected to grow much faster than average. A 16 percent growth rate is estimated for these jobs between 2022 and 2032. The median pay in the US as of 2022 was $80,730 per year, according to the BLS.
*US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Outlook Handbook: Web Developers and Digital Designers, www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm." Accessed January 26, 2024.