Why should you hire a UI Designer?
You can have a product developed without having a UI Designer, but for it to launch to the public, a designer must take a look at it. So if you are new and need to look for a UI Designer, then keep reading as we will dig deeper into the rates of a UI Designer and the differences in the costs involved.
First, let us brush over what a UI Designer is. A UI Designer designs the look and feel of the app in question. They make sure when the user interacts with the app; they are very comfortable with the looks and feel of the design. To put it simply, UI is what you use to interact with a product.
UI design focuses on the user’s visual experience. It determines how a user interacts with an interface, whether an app, a video game or a website. The job of a UI Designer is to design all the screens through which a user will move. At the same time, a UI designer works with human behavior in mind.
For instance, when you use an app and can navigate smoothly without effort, the design was created very well with the user in mind. The app still does its job proficiently.
How much does a UI Designer cost? What are their rates, and how do they vary?
The first thing you notice when looking for “designer average salary” is that the numbers can vary greatly. So, what makes it so different?
Experience
For UI designers, working experience often replaces years of education. It takes 3 to 5 years of working experience for a designer to reach the middle level. It takes five-plus years to get to a salary above average. Seniors with 6-10 years of experience are the ones who run the highest range of wages, over $100,000.
Specialization
Inside UI/UX design, some roles require different skills. Salaries from UI Design tend to be lower than UX Design, as many companies have one person that does both UI Design and UX Design.
Location
Where you work is one of the key factors influencing the salaries. In San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Chicago, where headquarters of the biggest tech companies are located, UI/UX designers are paid more than in places where the IT sector is not among the leading ones.
The average salaries can be 40% different between the states. Looking at the bigger picture, it appears clear that a designer from another continent would cost you even less than a designer from Wisconsin.
There is not yet a single trustable database with designer salaries from all over the world. We can only go by a few sites like Glassdoor, where Glassdoor collects data from individuals across 107 countries.
If you outsource design abroad, it is not as easy as it seems. If you employ people overseas, you have meetings with a 6-10 hour difference or even 11-17 hours difference (Asia).
Headhunting for employees in other countries is a whole new quest. Please do some research and history on your designer before you hire them.
If you outsource design abroad, it is not as easy as it seems: if you employ people overseas, you have meetings with 6-10 hours difference, or even 11-17 hours difference (Asia).
Headhunting for employees in other countries is a whole new quest. Please do your research and history on your designer before you hire them.
Form of collaboration
In-house designers, freelancers, and agencies will have different costs. There is no way of estimating the cost of agency services unless you ask for a quote personally. The image below illustrates what a UI Designer might cost depending on their role, In-house, Freelancer, or Agency.
Typically, designers on the agency side would be paid less, but as a product owner working with an agency, you would pay extra for their operational costs.
How to get the best design talent for less
I would not recommend saving money on design. Successful companies heavily invest in design, but there are ways of getting great talent to work on your project without breaking the bank.
So, in general, UI Designers can vary significantly in pay rates depending on their experience and location. When hiring overseas, research before deciding because time change will play a significant role in communication.
