UI UX

UX Researcher Salary: What You Can Expect

Written by John Terra
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Updated on October 25, 2023

Companies that create software, applications, and websites want to ensure that their products are well-received by the general public. The best way to accomplish this goal is to discover what people consider a good user experience. And the best way to find out this information is to hire researchers.

This article details what the average UX researcher’s salary looks like. After we touch upon what a UX researcher does, we’ll present UX salary data broken down by factors such as location, employer and industry, experience, and more. We’ll round out the information with a discussion of potential extra benefits and perks, then talk about how you can boost your UX researcher salary by taking an online UI UX program.

So, what’s a UX researcher?

What is a UX Researcher?

First, let’s define UX. UX stands for User Experience. UX covers how the user interacts with and experiences a given product, service, or system. This information includes the user’s opinion of the product’s utility, efficiency, and ease of use.

In short, the User experience deals with every aspect of the end-user’s interaction with the company, including its services and products. So yes, UX goes beyond a single service or product but actually expands to include the company itself.

However, the best way to gather that customer understanding is to research it, which brings us to the UX researcher.

A UX researcher is a professional who systematically studies users who are a product’s primary target, collecting and analyzing the data that will be useful for the design process. Companies can only create products or offer services that people want and expect to survive; UX researchers help increase the odds by discovering what customers like and seeing that it’s incorporated into the offering.

So, we see that certifed UX/UI design researchers are valuable assets that any company needs to get inside the heads of potential customers and figure out what will give them good experiences, which consequently will lead to better sales and improved customer loyalty. How much is that kind of occupation worth to a business? Let’s find out.

Also Read: UX/UI Designer Salary: What Can You Expect in 2023?

What’s the Average UX Researcher Salary in the United States?

Before breaking down our salary figures based on varying factors, let’s talk about the actual average UX salary for IT professionals in the United States. You would think there would be just one number, but that’s not true. Each job-finding website has its own sources and reporting methods, so let’s list examples of an average annual UX researcher salary as the most popular job sites have reported them.

Glassdoor: $115,664
Indeed: $124,034
PayScale: $90,653
Salary.com: $84,803
Zippia: $99,849
ZipRecruiter: $119,911

UX Researcher Salary Breakdown

As we explore UX researcher salaries, remember that these averages are subject to change quickly. Also, unpredictable variables such as local demand, the economy, and more can affect many of these figures.

UX Researcher Salary Based on Experience

Here is a breakdown of annual UX researcher salaries based on experience level, according to the Glassdoor.com website.

Entry level (0-1 Years): $83,239
1-3 Years: $96,335
4-6 Years: $107,462
7-9 Years: $115,899
10-14 Years: $127,653
15+ Years: $137,184

UX Researcher Salary Based on U.S. Cities and States

UX researcher salaries in the United States can vary depending on your location. Here’s a list of the ten best-paying American cities for UX researchers, according to the ZipRecruiter.com job website.

Berkeley, CA: $148,710
Renton, WA: $147,139
Santa Monica, CA: $146,143
Merced, CA: $145,806
Boston, MA: $143,920
Daly City, CA: $143,781
San Mateo, CA: $142,997
Scottsbluff, NE: $141,390
Irvine, CA: $139,232
Tacoma, WA: $139,153

And here’s a breakdown of the twelve best-paying states in the United States. Note that the figures don’t jibe precisely with the city figures above. This discrepancy is a perfect example of how numbers can vary depending on where in the state you work.

Washington: $130,496
New York: $125,099
Maryland: $120,719
California: $120,449
Virginia: $120,351
Colorado: $120,313
Delaware: $119,123
Massachusetts: $115,441
South Carolina: $115,433
Michigan: $114,946
Nevada: $114,876
Oklahoma: $114,344

Also Read: The UX/UI Design Process: Everything You Need to Know

UX Researcher Salary Based on Country

If you want to expand your range and leave the familiar borders of the United States, consider one of the following destinations. Here is a sample list of annual UX researcher salaries by nation, as compiled by Userinterviews.com, rendered in U.S. dollars. Note that the emphasis is not on the highest-paying nations but on sampling some popular destinations.

Australia: $80,349
Brazil: $26,619
Canada: $82,500
Czech Republic: $51,140
France: $60,096
Germany: $69,041
India: $10,430
Japan: $52,000 per year
Netherlands: $65,150
Poland: $36,334
Singapore: $49,000
Spain: $46,250
United Kingdom: $71,374

UX Researcher Salary Based on Company

Here’s a list of the 20 top-paying companies for UX researchers, as reported by Glassdoor.com.

Meta: $212,887
Google: $199,514
Microsoft: $166,239
IBM: $139,689
UserTesting: $153,674
AnswerLab: $114,175
Amazon: $189,626
Bold Insight: $87,208
JPMorgan Chase & Co: $139,930
Capital One: $134,269
Meta: $17,187
Adobe: $160,972
Twitter: $179,389
eBay: $173,699
State Farm: $92,678
MathWorks: $167,750
SAP: $162,253
U.S. Bank: $111,635
Salesforce: $162,897
User Research International: $94,925

UX Researcher Salary Based on Industry

Each industry compensates UX researchers differently, as we can see in this salary data from Glassdoor.com.

Information Technology: $160,866 per year; 16% higher than other industries.
Financial Services: $138,195 per year; 2% higher than other industries.
Manufacturing: $114,919 per year; 17% Lower than other industries.
Real Estate: $114,508 per year; 18% Lower than other industries.
Media & Communication: $111,502 per year; 21% Lower than other industries.

UX Researcher Based on Job Roles

Here is a sample of the five best-paying UX researcher jobs based on specific roles, as reported by ZipRecruiter.

Director User Research: $189,921
UX Design Director: $165,804
Lead UX Researcher: $158,621
UX Team Lead: $143,616
UX Strategist: $136,412

Also Read: AI ML Engineer Salary – What You Can Expect

Potential UX Researcher Benefits and Perks

According to the Indeed.com job website, UX researchers can potentially gain valuable benefits and perks such as:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Continuing education credits
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Parental leave
Vision insurance

How Does a UX Researcher Career Compare to Similar Careers?

Here is a small sample of careers like UX researchers and what they earn per year, as reported by Glassdoor.com:

Human Factors Researcher: $85,937
Product Researcher: $59,996
UX Writer: $74,547
UX Designer: $94,260
UI Designer: $98,758
UX Engineer: $126,341

How Can You Increase Your UX Researcher Salary?

We have already mentioned how UX researcher salaries can vary based on local economic conditions, location, experience level, job title, and the hiring company. But if you’re already comfortably situated in a UX researcher position and want to boost your earning power, how can you do it?

For starters, there’s the obvious way: accumulate experience. Stay in a position long enough, and you start absorbing essential skills. But that’s a passive strategy. If you genuinely want to boost your UX researcher salary, you must distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack.

First, you can ensure that you get to work on high-profile design projects. Increased visibility means management has you on their radar, which could lead to better assignments, promotions, and corresponding pay increases.

The second way is to continue your education by taking online courses or bootcamps and earning certification. The more skills you have, the more valuable you are to your organization. And if you want an excellent example of a skill-boosting resource, see below.

Learn More About UI/UX Design

This UX/UI design bootcamp runs for an intense 20 weeks and provides you with live online classes, Capstone Projects, Dribbble Portfolio creation, instruction in the top design tools, networking sessions with top design experts, and more.

The UX/UI bootcamp will help you sharpen your current UX/UI skills or help you if you decide to switch careers and enter the world of UX design.