If you are a creative person, a problem solver, an empathetic listener, or a combination of all three, a career in user experience might be a perfect entry point for your pivot into the tech industry.
If you are thinking about it, then, yes, working in tech can happen through more familiar tech roles like front-end development or visual design, but User Experience offers a chance to work on people-first projects while still reaping all the benefits of tech’s high starting pay and flexible schedules. That is why it is important to this higher UX designer article.
What is UX Design
UX is a tech field that involves researching groups of people who use digital products, like websites and apps, and improving their product experience, for example, the way the product’s features make the user feel, how easy the product is to use, and how appealing users find it overall, among many others.
In order to give you a better sense of what working in UX is actually like, we will break down some of the most common UX roles, what these UX job titles mean, what each job title involves, and what kind of UX salary you can expect from each position.
Higher UX Designer Jobs
In this section, we will cover some of the jobs for a higher UX designer that is leading the market demand right now.
UX Consultant
A UX consultant works with clients to create simple-to-use, straightforward user experiences for websites and software applications for computers and mobile devices. As a UX consultant, your responsibilities are to meet with clients and determine their needs, then envision and design a product that is visually appealing, intuitive, and functional. Job duties include brainstorming and wireframing, creating prototypes, product testing, and developing multiple versions to achieve the desired user experience goals. Your work involves every aspect of the finished product, from the layout and content to the user interface and interactive elements.
The Salary range is: $62,500-$123,500 per year
UI UX Engineer
The majority of UI/UX Engineer salaries currently range between $80,000 and $117,500 annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless of skill level, location, and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. The UI/UX Engineer job market in the United States is currently quite active, with many companies hiring.
The Salary range is: $80,000-$117,500 per year
Digital Solution Architect
The majority of Digital Solution Architects' salaries across the United States currently range between $121,500 (25th percentile) and $156,000 (75th percentile) annually. Despite some advancement opportunities, this moderate range of salaries suggests the pay in this role will be consistent regardless of skill level, location, and years of experience. The Digital Solution Architect job market in the United States is very active, with many companies hiring.
The Salary range is: $121,500-$156,000 per year
Information Architect
An information architect creates visually appealing and user-friendly presentations of text information and images, often in a digital format. As an information architect, your job duties are to use HTML, CSS, and graphic design software to construct websites, web pages, and infographics that provide a positive experience for end users. The qualifications for a career as an information architect experience in writing, graphic design, or web design, and formal training in at least one of those fields. You can earn certifications or complete an associate's or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field to acquire the necessary skills.
The Salary range is: $100,500-$151,500 per year
UX Specialist
A UX specialist is a professional whose job duties are to research and streamline technology products to deliver the best possible user experience. You accomplish this by releasing multiple versions of the product and streamlining it each time in response to market studies and customer polls. You focus on improving the design of the app or website by putting it through rigorous testing and briefing the design team on how the product should feel to the end user. You also promote the usability of projects by working with a UI specialist.
Information Specialist
An information specialist manages files and analyzes data on behalf of a company. In addition to data analysis, job duties include securely storing files, accessing the information on behalf of the company or its clients, providing reports on the data, and training new team members. Career qualifications often include a degree, experience with spreadsheets and data analysis software, and communication skills.
Experience Designer
The majority of Experience Designers' salaries across the United States currently range between $69,000 (25th percentile) and $125,000 (75th percentile) annually. This large range of salary potential suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay depending on skill level, location, and years of experience.
The Salary range is: $69,000-$125,000 per year
UX Engineer
The job duties of a UX engineer involve working to design the user experience for websites, software, interactive devices, and a variety of other computer products. In this career, your duties include using computer code and design strategies to build the customer-facing portion of a website or other interactive system. Your responsibilities include working to identify the needs of users and then trying to implement a design strategy that meets those needs. You may also test your user interface and modify it to meet the needs of users or the technical specifications of your employer or client.
The Salary range is: $87,500-$124,000 per year
Conclusion
If you aspire to be a higher UX designer, you should aspire to follow these guidelines and get into learning one or many of these particular types of jobs in the field.
