Working closely with traditional UX designers, the UX researcher plays a crucial role in the development of successful user experience design.
The results from UX research are considered invaluable in providing light bulb moments for new concepts, prototyping, and design solutions.
With the industry expected to grow to $1083.0M by 2027, the demand for UX researchers is higher than ever.
But what can you expect from the UX researcher salary?
In this piece, we’ll give you a detailed, up-to-date breakdown of the UX researcher salary outlook. We’ll also examine how the UX researcher salary differs according to experience, company, and country.
Use this clickable menu below to jump ahead to a certain section:
- UX researcher salary outlook
- UX researcher salary by experience
- UX researcher salary by company
- UX researcher salary internationally
- Closing thoughts
1. UX researcher salary outlook
The average salary for a UX researcher in the U.S. is around $117,641 per year, according to Glassdoor.
Payscale reports an average salary of $91,991 per year, while Indeed reports an average salary of around $99,459 per year.
The salary outlook varies depending on several important factors, such as location, experience, industry, and company size, ranging from around $52,000 to over $150,000.
Additionally, the increasing demand for proficient UX researchers means that skill, experience, and qualifications are important factors in determining the final salary.
With the increasing demand for the role leading companies to set competitive salary offerings in order to secure promising candidates, there’s never been a better time to consider a career in UX research.
2. UX researcher salary by experience
The UX researcher salary varies significantly depending on their experience level, with a senior’s salary rising considerably higher than a junior’s.
Here is a breakdown of the average salary for UX researchers based on experience, according to Payscale:
- Entry-level (0-2 years of experience): The average salary for an entry-level UX researcher is around $60,000 per year. However, salaries can range from approximately $43,000 to over $87,000, depending on location and other factors.
- Mid-career (2-5 years of experience): The average salary for a mid-career UX researcher is somewhere in the region of $90,000 per year. This will range from approximately $57,000 to over $108,000.
- Experienced (5-10 years of experience): The average senior UX researcher salary is $96,000 per year. This ranges from approximately $70,000 to over $132,000.
- Late career (10+ years of experience): The average late-career senior UX researcher salary is around $106,000 per year. This can range from $77,000 to over $160,000.
3. UX researcher salary by company
The salary of a UX researcher in the U.S. can vary depending on the size of the company they work for. As a rule of thumb, the larger the company, the higher the salary.
Here is a breakdown of the average UX researcher salary based on company size in the U.S., according to Payscale:
- Small companies (1-50 employees): The average salary for a UX researcher in a small company is around $70,000 per year. This can range from around $45,000 to over $102,000.
- Midsized companies (51-1,000 employees): The average salary for a UX researcher in a midsized company is about $85,000 per year. The full range of these salaries reaches from $57,000 to over $121,000.
- Large companies (1,001-5,000 employees): A UX researcher salary at a large company should be around $94,000 per year. Again, this could vary from $67,000 to over $138,000, depending on competing factors.
- Very large companies (5,000 plus employees): The UX researcher salary in a very large firm should be around $105,000 per year. This can range from around $74,000 to over $157,000, depending on the industry, experience, and so forth.
4. UX researcher salary internationally
The UX researcher salary varies significantly by country and region. As one would expect, more developed countries with flourishing tech hubs fetch higher UX researcher salaries than up-and-coming areas.
The U.S., for instance, is known for its significant innovations in the UX sector. Silicon Valley alone is home to industry-leading UX employers, such as Alphabet and Apple. This competition drives up UX researcher salary figures.
Here is a breakdown of the average annual salary for UX researchers in some major international markets, according to data from Glassdoor:
- United States: $90,000
- United Kingdom: £42,000 ($58,000 USD)
- Canada: C$72,000 ($58,000 USD)
- Australia: A$95,000 ($72,000 USD)
- Germany: €53,000 ($63,000 USD)
- France: €40,000 ($48,000 USD)
- Spain: €26,000 ($31,000 USD)
- Italy: €32,000 ($38,000 USD)
- Japan: ¥5,800,000 ($52,000 USD)
- Singapore: S$66,000 ($49,000 USD)
Of course, exchange rates can fluctuate over time, affecting the relative value of salaries in different currencies.
5. Closing thoughts
The UX researcher role represents an integral, niche part of the UX machine. A qualification tends to be required for entry level UX researcher roles, but the salaries can be lucrative.
Alongside UX design, the market outlook for UX research is positive and is expected to continue growing rapidly.
With the salary average of $90,000 and demand for the role increasing, if you’re interested in becoming a UX researcher, the future looks bright!
To begin your career in UX, try CareerFoundry’s free UX research short course, or speak directly with a UX design program advisor to see if it’s the best options for you.
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