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The differences between lead designers and user experience designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a lead designer and a user experience designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $91,159 average annual salary of a user experience designer.
The top three skills for a lead designer include sketch, user experience and architecture. The most important skills for a user experience designer are sketch, UI, and user research.
| Lead Designer | User Experience Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,001 | $91,159 |
| Hourly rate | $52.89 | $43.83 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,423 | 52,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
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.
Lead designers and user experience designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Designer | User Experience Designer | |
| Average salary | $110,001 | $91,159 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $154,000 | Between $65,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | BitGo |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a lead designer and a user experience designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Designer | User Experience Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead designers' and user experience designers' demographics:
| Lead Designer | User Experience Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |