User Experience Designer I Salary in the United States

How much does a User Experience Designer I make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a User Experience Designer I in the United States is $77,945 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $37.

However, a User Experience Designer I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,653
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,006 to $87,214
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $64,688

Key Factors That Influence User Experience Designer I Salaries

A User Experience Designer I'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 User Experience Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a User Experience Designer I'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $77,263
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $88,899
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $114,316
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $138,340
  • Expert (over 8 years): $157,601
Levels Salary
User Expe... Level User Experience Designer I$77,263
UI Design... Level User Experience Designer I$88,899
UI Design... Level User Experience Designer I$114,316
UI Design... Level User Experience Designer I$138,340
UI Design... Level User Experience Designer I$157,601

How Do User Experience Designer I Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract User Experience Designer Is. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $86,300.
  • California: $85,973.
  • Massachusetts: $84,827.

Top Paying Cities for User Experience Designer Is

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: $98,312
  • San Francisco: $97,235
  • Oakland: $95,186

What Skills Can Increase a User Experience Designer I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Collaboration (Mentioned in 4.75% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
  • User Interface (Mentioned in 2.86% Job Postings): The user interface (UI) is the point of human-computer interaction and communication in a device. This can include display screens, keyboards, a mouse and the appearance of a desktop.
  • CSS (Mentioned in 2.24% Job Postings): Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML or XML. CSS is a cornerstone technology of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and JavaScript.
Skills Demand Percentage
Collaboration 4.75%
User Interface 2.86%
CSS 2.24%

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 User Experience Designer I's salary.

  • Influencing: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Storytelling: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Python: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Influencing $83,401
7%
Storytelling $82,621
6%
Python $82,621
6%

User Experience Designer I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For User Experience Designer I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, User Experience Designer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view User Experience Designer I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a User Experience Designer I

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services$97,431$47.025%
Biotechnology$93,534$45.020%
Energy & Utilities$89,637$43.015%
Chemicals$85,739$41.010%
Healthcare$85,739$41.010%

User Experience Designer I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a User Experience Designer I'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
$71,006
Average $77,945/year
$87,214
$5,917
Average $6,495/month
$7,268
$1,365
Average $1,499/week
$1,677
$34
Average $37/hour
$42
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $87,214 $7,268 $1,677 $42
Average $77,945 $6,495 $1,499 $37
25th Percentile $71,006 $5,917 $1,365 $34

Most common benefits for User Experience Designer I

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

Common company salaries for User Experience Designer I

Here are companies hiring for User Experience Designer I and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about User Experience Designer I

1. What industry pays the highest salary for User Experience Designer I?

The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for User Experience Designer I roles, with salaries approximately 25% 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.)

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