What is the average salary for a UX researcher in the United States? We will discuss the average salary for an entry-level, lead, mid, and senior UX researcher in any state, including NYC. In this piece, we will also give you a detailed, up-to-date breakdown of the UX researcher salary outlook. We’ll then examine how the UX researcher salary differs according to experience, company, and country.
What is a User Experience Researcher?
A user experience researcher is constantly on the lookout for user needs and goals. They are the sympathetic, organized, critical thinker whose daily activities revolve around the first step of the design thinking process: empathizing. This isn’t to suggest that UX researchers’ job is completely apart from the rest of the process, but it does have the most humanizing effect on it.
What Does a UX Researcher Do?
UX researchers are in charge of identifying user needs through research, usability testing, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. Their work may also include research findings analysis, user testing, and research findings presentation to a variety of audiences. In smaller companies without a professional UX researcher, UX designers frequently do research duties.
A UX researcher’s most common roles include:
- Planning and conducting user research using qualitative and quantitative methods
- Collaborating with designers, other researchers, product managers, and engineers to formulate roadmaps
- Generating insights based on the research findings
- Ensuring a user-centric approach at all levels of product development and across the team
UX Researcher Salary Outlook
According to Glassdoor, the typical salary for a UX researcher in the United States is roughly $90,000 per year. Payscale reports an annual salary of $77,000, whereas Indeed reports an annual salary of roughly $83,000.
Salary outlook varies from roughly $52,000 to more than $120,000 based on various significant aspects such as location, experience, industry, and firm size. Furthermore, because of the increased demand for skilled UX researchers, expertise, experience, and qualifications are essential variables in establishing the ultimate salary.
There has never been a better moment to consider a career in UX research, with increased demand for the profession pushing organizations to establish competitive salary offerings in order to secure talented applicants.
UX Researcher Salary by Experience
The salary of a UX researcher varies greatly based on their degree of expertise, with a senior or lead earning far more than a junior or entry-level.
The following table breaks down the average salary for a UX researcher based on experience, covering entry-level, junior, mid-level, senior, and lead positions:
#1. Entry-level UX Researcher salary in the USA
Entry-level UX Researchers are people who are just getting started in the design sector and have no professional experience. They could be recent college grads or folks who have opted to change occupations. If this description of an entry-level UX researcher fits you and you work in the United States, you can expect to earn an annual salary of $50,000.
#2. Junior UX Researcher salary in the USA
Junior UX Researchers often have 1 to 3 years of industry experience. They are still learning the industry, but they are already capable of working in a team situation and producing highly valuable work. A junior UX Researcher typically earns around $72,000 per year in the United States.
#3. Mid-level UX Researcher make the USA
Mid-level UX Researchers have worked in the area for a number of years (typically 3 to 8) and have developed significant experience. They are experts in their field and generate higher-quality work than rookie UX Researchers. If you fit this description of a mid-level UX researcher and work in the United States, you can expect to earn an annual salary of $105,000.
#4. Senior/Lead UX Researcher Salary in the USA
Senior or lead UX Researchers often have 8+ years of expertise in their industry. They are skilled at what they do and frequently create the highest-quality job in the least amount of time. A senior or lead UX Researcher typically earns a salary of around $124,000 per year in the United States.
UX Researcher Salary by Company
A UX researcher’s salary in the United States can vary depending on the size of the organization for which they work. As a general rule, the bigger the salary, the larger the company.
Here is a breakdown of the average UX researcher salary based on company size in the U.S:
- Small companies (1-50 employees): The average annual salary for a UX researcher in a small business is roughly $70,000. This might range from $45,000 to more than $102,000.
- Midsized companies (51-1,000 employees): The average annual salary for a UX researcher in a midsized business is around $85,000. The total range of these wages is from $57,000 to more than $121,000.
- Large companies (1,000 to 5,000 employees): A significant company’s UX researcher salary should be around $94,000 per year. Again, depending on competing circumstances, this might range from $67,000 to more than $138,000 USD.
- Very large companies (5,000+ employees): A UX researcher salary in a large firm should be around $105,000 per year. Depending on the industry, expertise, and other factors, this might range from roughly $74,000 to more than $157,000.
UX Researcher State-by-State Salary
Here is a sample of what you could earn in several large and medium-sized cities in the United States (base salary + additional compensation on Glassdoor, May 2023).
| City | Average total pay |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $129,392 |
| New York, NY | $111,643 |
| Seattle, WA | $138,063 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $110,333 |
| Austin, TX | $101,889 |
| Washington, DC | $87,026 |
| Madison, WI | $96,373 |
| Des Moines, IA | $97,267 |
| Saint Louis, MO | $98,141 |
| Chicago, IL | $113,419 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $96,180 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $98,545 |
What Influences a Salary?
Salaries for UX researchers might vary greatly based on experience, geography, and additional compensation on top of your standard salary.
#1. Experience and titles
Salary increases are typically linked to your amount of experience, and thus your title. An associate UX researcher, for example, earns less than a mid- or senior-level UX researcher (the term “associate” denotes an early-career position). The more experience you get, the more probable it is that you will be trusted with duties, paving the way for promotions and salary rises.
#2. Location
It’s no secret that some cities are more expensive than others to live in. Companies located in expensive areas can give a salary that represents the disparity in order to compensate for the increased cost of living and attract top talent.
#3. Benefits, perks, and bonuses
In the United States, your salary is usually accompanied by a benefits package and other advantages. Health insurance, paid vacation days, stock options, parental leave, even gym reimbursements, transit subsidies, and the ability to work from home are examples of benefits. When you are offered a job, bear this in mind.
A lower-than-desirable salary can sometimes be countered by a benefits package that saves you money on your commute or perks that allow you to live the lifestyle you want. If you’ve tried and failed to negotiate a higher salary, you might be able to negotiate an enhanced benefits package.
Some businesses may also offer incentives at various times throughout the year. Individual, team or company-wide performance might be used to determine these. Though it’s difficult to forecast in advance, you might ask a recruiting manager if giving out incentives is customary for the organization.
Skills to Increase UX Researcher Salaries
UX researchers must have high emotional intelligence, knowledge of user psychology, and exceptional communication skills to interact with users and stakeholders, in addition to hard skills (conducting user interviews and focus groups, running surveys and contextual inquiries, analyzing statistics, and so on).
- Project management, design thinking, and facilitation of workshops are examples of leadership skills. Team management skills may also be necessary, depending on your degree of seniority.
- Teamwork and communication abilities, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, creativity, openness to feedback, and good time management are all required. Empathy is especially crucial when dealing with teammates and users.
- The ability to perform quantitative research and numerically analyze your findings, resulting in quantitative research products.
- The capacity to perform qualitative research and usability testing, as well as conceptually evaluate your findings and produce qualitative research products.
- Basic knowledge of high and low-quality prototyping and wireframing can help you communicate and test your ideas and experiments.
- Understanding HTML and CSS might be beneficial when prototyping.
How to Increase Your Salary
Are you looking for a way to increase your salary? Here are a few options to think about.
#1. Expand your skills
UX researchers can examine the viability of a product in a variety of methods. Extending the tools you know how to utilize can help your organization gain a better understanding of its customers and goods. A/B testing, card sorting, tree sorting, creating user personas, conducting user interviews, and analytics research are just a few of the tools available to a UX researcher. If you notice any holes in your company’s present research methodologies, talk to your management about spearheading an attempt to fix them.
#2. Ask for a raise
Though it can be frightening, asking your manager for a raise is frequently the simplest method to enhance your salary. When contacting your supervisor, discuss previous performance reports and present facts on how your work has helped your firm. You should also have a salary target in mind and be willing to negotiate.
#3. Go back to school
Hiring managers for UX researchers generally seek applicants with at least a bachelor’s degree, but often prefer those with master’s degrees, if not PhDs. Earning a master’s degree in human-computer interaction, psychology, behavioral science, or a similar social science can help you advance in your career. After all, higher levels of education are associated with higher levels of income.
Do UX Researchers Get Paid Well?
They do, indeed. UX Researchers in the United States earn an average of $86,000 per year, with salaries ranging from $52,000 to $163,000.
Is UX Research in High Demand?
UX design is still one of the most in-demand industries, and it will be for the foreseeable future. As a result, one of the many entry-level UX research jobs is the best place to start.
How Much Does Google Pay UX Researchers?
A UX Researcher at Google can expect to earn $187,334 per year. This figure indicates the median, which is the midpoint of the salary ranges calculated by our proprietary Total Pay Estimate algorithm and based on data from our users. The annual basic salary is anticipated to be $120,427.
Is UX Research a Stressful Job?
UX/UI design is one of the happiest professions, but it may also be stressful owing to a lack of company awareness of UX, impostor syndrome, long hours and tight deadlines, tough problem-solving, and ongoing learning.
Is It Hard To Break Into UX Research?
It may be challenging to go right into UX research, so try starting in a different role first. There may be opportunities to advance in the future, or to learn from the organization’s UX researchers.
How Do I Become a UX Researcher With No Experience?
To Get a UX Job with No Professional UX Experience, you need to follow these steps:
- Take at least one UX course.
- Shape your existing experience.
- Fill in the Gaps.
- Gain UX experience.
- Finish your UX Portfolio and Apply.
How Much Does Amazon Pay UX Researchers?
The annual salary for an Amazon.com User Experience Researcher in the United States is around $137,690, which is 10% higher than the national average.
Conclusion
UX research is a well-paying profession that can provide financial security. The average salary for a UX researcher in the United States is $103,143, which is more than the average salary for a UX or UI designer. You can delve further into a specific UX research subject and, as your skills develop, advance to the position of senior UX researcher or UX team lead.
Related Articles
- UX ENGINEER: Duties, Salary, and How to Become One
- USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER: Definition, Duties, How to Become it, Salary & Certification
- WRITING PORTFOLIO: Ultimate Guide to What to Include.
- UX DESIGNER: Job Description, Skills, Courses, and Salary
- User Experience Research: Meaning, Method, Certificate, and How to Become One,
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