upper level job

UX Research Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a UX Research Manager make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a UX Research Manager in the United States is $157,794 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $76.

However, a UX Research Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $179,336
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $144,397 to $169,070
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $132,200

Key Factors That Influence UX Research Manager Salaries

A UX Research Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects UX Research Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a UX Research Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • User Experience Digital Designer IV (7+ years): $143,212
  • User Experience Digital Designer V (7-10 years): $157,989
  • UX Research Manager (10+ years): $157,804
  • User Experience Digital Design Senior Manager (10+ years): $178,959
  • User Experience Digital Design Director (10+ years): $208,871
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
User Experience Digital Designer IV7+ years$143,212
User Experience Digital Designer V7-10 years$157,989
UX Research Manager10+ years$157,804
User Experience Digital Design Senior Manager10+ years$178,959
User Experience Digital Design Director10+ years$208,871

Top Paying Cities for UX Research Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $199,029
  • San Francisco: $196,849
  • Oakland: $192,701

What Skills Can Increase a UX Research Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Insight (Mentioned in 6.6% Job Postings): Insight is the understanding cause and effect based on the identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario.
  • Design Thinking (Mentioned in 3.74% Job Postings): Developing software solutions to understand and target customer needs in a repetitive process.
  • Scrum (Mentioned in 1.87% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.
Skills Demand Percentage
Insight 6.6%
Design Thinking 3.74%
Scrum 1.87%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a UX Research Manager's salary.

  • Microservices: Can increase your salary by up to 31%.
  • Technical Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Team Operations: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Microservices $206,710
31%
Technical Skills $170,418
8%
Team Operations $168,840
7%

UX Research Manager Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

UX Research Manager salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $176,341. While startup companies pay approximate $149,167.

UX Research Manager Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $149,167
Growth Stage 51~500 $157,759
Established 501~5000 $170,280
Enterprise 5000+ $176,341

UX Research Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For UX Research Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, UX Research Manager positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view UX Research Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a UX Research Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$189,353$91.020%
Financial Services$189,353$91.020%
Software & Networking$189,353$91.020%
Energy & Utilities$181,463$87.015%
Internet$181,463$87.015%

UX Research Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a UX Research Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$144,397
Average $157,794/year
$169,070
$12,033
Average $13,150/month
$14,089
$2,777
Average $3,035/week
$3,251
$69
Average $76/hour
$81
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $169,070 $14,089 $3,251 $81
Average $157,794 $13,150 $3,035 $76
25th Percentile $144,397 $12,033 $2,777 $69

UX Research Manager Salary Growth & Career Path

For a UX Research Manager, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the User Experience Digital Design Senior Manager role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $179,000 - a projected growth of 13% over your current level.

Most common benefits for UX Research Manager

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for UX Research Manager

Here are companies hiring for UX Research Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next UX Research Manager Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current UX Research Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about UX Research Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for UX Research Manager?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for UX Research Manager roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst
lower level job