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The differences between human factors engineers and user experience designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a human factors engineer, becoming a user experience designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a human factors engineer has an average salary of $96,427, which is higher than the $91,159 average annual salary of a user experience designer.
The top three skills for a human factors engineer include user research, human centered design and user experience. The most important skills for a user experience designer are sketch, UI, and user research.
| Human Factors Engineer | User Experience Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,427 | $91,159 |
| Hourly rate | $46.36 | $43.83 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 57,075 | 52,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A human factors engineer is responsible for designing system technologies that would help people perform their duties efficiently and accurately. These engineers conduct an in-depth investigation of the human's needs and conceptualize in applying these theories to create technology solutions that adhere to the business requirements and budget limitations. They also perform data and statistical analysis through interviews and surveys to determine the best interface and feasibility. A human factors engineer runs diagnostic tests to ensure the stability and usability of the product with safe optimization and quality.
A User Experience (UX) designer is an individual who measures and optimizes applications to improve the experience of end-users. His/Her or her duties and responsibilities include considering a design's human-computer interaction element, defining interaction models, and working with creative directors and designers. The key skills for UX designers include strong mathematical and problem-solving skills and excellent information technology and programming skills. Having a bachelor's degree in a design or computing-related subject is an advantage to qualify for the UX designer position.
Human factors engineers and user experience designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Factors Engineer | User Experience Designer | |
| Average salary | $96,427 | $91,159 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $124,000 | Between $65,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | BitGo | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a human factors engineer and a user experience designer in terms of educational background:
| Human Factors Engineer | User Experience Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human factors engineers' and user experience designers' demographics:
| Human Factors Engineer | User Experience Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.5% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 13% |