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What is a director of user experience and how to become one
A director of user experience is someone responsible for overseeing the design and functionality of a product or service to ensure a positive user experience. They lead UX teams, conduct user research and testing, and collaborate with others to create intuitive and engaging interfaces. The director of user experience also establishes best practices and standards for the organization. They must have excellent communication skills, as they must be able to articulate design decisions to non-designers.
Avg. Salary $133,732
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%
Asian 8.15%
Black or African American 3.04%
Hispanic or Latino 8.67%
Unknown 5.32%
White 74.58%
Genderfemale 30.32%
male 69.68%
Age - 38American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 38Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a director of user experience?
Pros
Opportunity to lead and shape the user experience strategy of a company
Ability to work on high-profile, impactful projects
Chance to collaborate with cross-functional teams
Competitive salary and benefits
High demand for UX expertise in the job market
Cons
Balancing competing priorities and stakeholder needs
Occasional need to make difficult decisions that may not align with everyone's vision
Need to constantly stay up-to-date on emerging technologies and design trends
Requires long hours or being on-call outside of normal business hours
Pressure to consistently deliver successful UX outcomes
Director of user experience career paths
Key steps to become a director of user experience
Explore director of user experience education requirements
Start to develop specific director of user experience skills
Skills Percentages User Experience 9.12% Sketch 8.06% Human Centered Design 6.76% UI 6.33% User Research 5.25% Complete relevant director of user experience training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of user experience learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of user experience based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of user experience resumes.Research director of user experience duties and responsibilities
- Manage front-end developers as UI design is implemented; rework and refine usability throughout product development.
- Design and develop custom WordPress themes for clients using PHP, MySQL, HTML, and CSS.
- Use HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript knowledge to fine tune layout, functionality, micro-interactions and development.
- Supervise social media campaigns to grow Facebook fan base.
Get director of user experience experience
Generally, it takes 8-10 years to become a director of user experience. The most common roles before becoming a director of user experience include creative director, art director team lead and user experience manager.Prepare your director of user experience resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of user experience resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of user experience resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable director of user experience resume templates
Build a professional director of user experience resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of user experience resume.
Apply for director of user experience jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a director of user experience job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first director of user experience job
Are you a director of user experience?
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Average director of user experience salary
The average director of user experience salary in the United States is $133,732 per year or $64 per hour. Director of user experience salaries range between $88,000 and $201,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
