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Job outlook for lead user experience designers in the United States
Lead user experience designer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected lead user experience designer job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 6,800 new jobs for lead user experience designers are projected over the next decade.
Lead user experience designer salaries have increased 12% for lead user experience designers in the last 5 years.
There are over 5,968 lead user experience designers currently employed in the United States.
There are 53,712 active lead user experience designer job openings in the US.
The average lead user experience designer salary is $115,214.
Are lead user experience designer jobs in demand?
Lead user experience designer job and salary trends over time
Lead user experience designer jobs over time
Lead user experience designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,968 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,886 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 6,279 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,069 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,956 | 0.00% |
Average lead user experience designer salary over time
Lead user experience designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $115,214 | $55.39 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $112,472 | $54.07 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $108,717 | $52.27 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $105,112 | $50.53 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $102,825 | $49.43 | +1.6% |
Lead user experience designer jobs by state
Most common states for lead user experience designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 267 | 38% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 340 | 25% |
| 3 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 718 | 23% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 149 | 20% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 188 | 18% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,132 | 17% |
| 7 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 298 | 17% |
| 8 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 479 | 16% |
| 9 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 298 | 16% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 137 | 16% |
| 11 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,760 | 15% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 976 | 13% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 387 | 13% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 800 | 12% |
| 15 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 356 | 12% |
| 16 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 259 | 12% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 462 | 11% |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 387 | 10% |
| 19 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,506 | 9% |
| 20 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 752 | 9% |
Most common cities for lead user experience designers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juneau | 2 | 6% | $108,906 |
| 2 | Dover | 2 | 5% | $94,550 |
| 3 | Hartford | 5 | 4% | $108,423 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 8 | 2% | $84,559 |
| 5 | Tallahassee | 3 | 2% | $93,708 |
| 6 | Boston | 8 | 1% | $122,498 |
| 7 | Washington | 7 | 1% | $126,211 |
| 8 | Indianapolis | 6 | 1% | $80,114 |
| 9 | Sacramento | 5 | 1% | $145,663 |
| 10 | Des Moines | 3 | 1% | $89,281 |
| 11 | Baton Rouge | 2 | 1% | $83,558 |
| 12 | Chicago | 8 | 0% | $99,676 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 7 | 0% | $112,593 |
| 14 | San Francisco | 4 | 0% | $146,891 |
| 15 | Baltimore | 3 | 0% | $106,324 |
| 16 | Denver | 3 | 0% | $103,916 |
| 17 | Jacksonville | 3 | 0% | $92,570 |
| 18 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $91,544 |
Lead User Experience Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of lead user experience designer experts
Arcadia University
Memphis College of Art
Boise State University
Pennsylvania College of Technology
University of Akron
Kean University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Merrimack College
San Francisco State University
Columbia University in the City of New York
Louisiana Tech University
New York Institute of Technology
Texas Christian University
Foothill College
University Of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Northern Iowa
Highline College
Bowling Green State University
Bradley University
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
Tiffany Prater: As we emerge from the pandemic, it's crucial to hone your communication skills, particularly in areas such as presenting your design ideas, collaborating with team members, and effectively communicating with clients. This will not only build your confidence but also help you communicate your thought processes and informed design solutions, be open to correction and criticism, and gather experience while working with senior graphic designers, creative directors, and clients.
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tiffany Prater: Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. This quote by Kirill Korshikov rings true for new designers, who must know the latest trends and tools to be uniquely creative, improve their skills, and land a better design job. Knowledge and inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere in our daily lives.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Tiffany Prater: There are several ways to maximize your salary potential. If you have the time to pick up a few night classes on top of your job, take courses in either Art Direction, Copywriting, Photography, UX/UI design, Social, or Strategic planning. If you'd like to take a break from the private sector, getting a Master of Fine Arts degree is even better as it can lead to higher design jobs and teaching positions.
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
Christian Patchell: There is a ton of opportunity and burgeoning markets opening up every day. We discuss this in my classes. The landscape of the arts changes at a faster pace than ever, but change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. With each new evolution there comes new opportunities. For example, many of my students find themselves interested in UX/UI. This is an area with a lot of opportunity for a new Designer but only if there is a passion for the Market. Even though this is a field first identified in the early 90s, I’d say that in the last decade or so it really has hit the Design World hard. This doesn’t mean that designing for print has to take a back seat. Print is more popular than ever in terms of designing and creating objects (books, packaging, etc.) that many of us refer to as art objects, interactive objects, or objects of influence. Telling a good story through the design of an object is pushing Graphic Design into wonderful areas and is really starting to connect with audiences on entirely new levels. Don’t let the articles listing the “Top 10 Majors at Universities” or the “25 Most Popular Jobs” fool you, Art and Design are more relevant and more important than ever before.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Christian Patchell: Oddly, what most people like and dislike are the same thing. Designers many times stand at a starting point, the line where technology and art merge into something beautiful and engaging. We are early adopters, curious where the digital and traditional merge into something new or different. Making something “new” and “different” over and over again can be a difficult climb. But if you are someone with a wealth of ideas and likes to solve problems creatively, the challenge of Graphic Design may be right for you. The other side of that coin is technology. A Graphic Designer needs to stay current on emerging technologies while maintaining an eye on trends and changes in the culture. While in school it is quite easy to stay up to date on programs that are the industry standards (Adobe Publishing Suite, Figma, etc.) it can be more difficult to do this once you have graduated. As a teaching professional I try to keep my skill set current on an annual basis (sometimes shorter) so I can be of service to my students and relevant in my field. As a Graphic Designer if you do your job right, no one may really see it. However, if you do it wrong in even the slightest way, everyone might see it. At the end of the day though there is nothing quite like seeing your design out in the wild. Whether part of a team or as an individual, a Graphic Designer is given an opportunity to share their work, their art, with an extremely large audience and instigate change while creating something personal and telling a good story. That feeling of accomplishment, for me at least, outweighs any cons there might be in this creative field.
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
Lucas Charles: As graphic design graduates embark on their careers, nurturing curiosity, continuous upskilling, networking, and collaboration are pivotal. Embracing curiosity sparks innovation, while ongoing learning ensures relevance in a fast-paced industry. Building connections fosters opportunities, and collaboration cultivates dynamic work environments.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Lucas Charles: In the ever-changing field of graphic design, adaptability, digital fluency, and understanding user experience are becoming more crucial. Embracing new and emerging technologies, prioritizing empathy, and fostering a mindset of lifelong learning are paramount for success.
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
Kristin Snopkowski: Within a degree in Anthropology, there are a wide variety of career opportunities. This can be both a benefit and a challenge - it allows you to pursue many different careers and if you find you don't like one particular job, there are a lot of other areas of employment that you would be qualified for, but at the same time, it makes it harder to decide which employment opportunities to pursue. Further, the onus is on you to explain how your anthropology degree prepares you for a particular job, given that many people do not know or understand the skills gained with a degree in anthropology.
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kristin Snopkowski: We know that the world is becoming more data driven, so developing skills in quantitative and qualitative methods will likely give you an advantage when it comes to applying for jobs. Anthropologists have always been good at qualitative methodologies and combining it with quantitative methods makes you a particularly attractive applicant. The recent AI revolution also means that key skills like critical thinking, oral and written communication, and teamwork are going to be some of the most important skills that cannot be replaced by an AI bot.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Kristin Snopkowski: There are some areas of anthropology that have better monetary compensation than others. The field of User Experience is a particularly high paying area for anthropology majors, which utilizes qualitative methods to help companies develop products and services that better respond to human needs. Within archaeology, many students opt to pursue a master's degree to maximize their compensation and gain advancement opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
Kathryn Anderson: Some of the day-to-day duties of a graphic designer entail some basic skills such as the following: listen attentively; engage in and interpret research (visual, text-driven, data-based, etc.); problem-solve; process and critique creative ideas; use technology in an ethical and appropriate manner; prepare digital and other work/files for printing and/or the web; and revamp concepts as per the client’s wishes.
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kathryn Anderson: A Graphic Designer’s work-life is rather sedentary and repetitive. However, any astute employer will encourage a bit of exercise and play throughout the course of the day to keep their team focused and happy. Other downsides might be: fast deadlines or short turn-arounds, insufficient communication from a client, and mandatory overtime hours. Mostly, the benefits out-weight the negatives. In today’s virtual world, more designers can and do work remotely or in hybrid environments—which is a plus for those who have child-care or other familial responsibilities.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Kathryn Anderson: With the advent of AI, graphic designers must be valued for their technical and critical thinking skills. Graphic Designers of today provide more than just what the client wants or envisions, but rather a uniquely hyper-focused solution that can stand the test of time because of the insightful research and intense amount of processing and editing that is embedded in the design.
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
David Flynn: Everything that you see has been touched by a designer. The field is expanding with technology, but basic communication design principals remain paramount. It doesn’t matter if it’s a newspaper ad or a social post, you must have a professional that knows how to communicate a message, move the viewer's eye, and make the point. Designers work in every company and in every industry, worldwide.
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Flynn: They like that it can be very lucrative, so rewarding when you see your work in the world, nothing like it really. Downside is that “creativity on demand” is difficult to sustain and you have to purpose to take care of your creative soul.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
David Flynn: We spend our day creating items that need to communicate a message clearly and quickly to a person or public. Information, directions, product benefits, packaging, events, advertising, anything and everything is designed to inform.
What general advice would you give to a Lead User Experience Designer?
Dr. Denise Anderson: When mentoring students in developing their final portfolios and preparing them for professional practice I ask them “What makes you stand out above the line” or simply put, what separates you from all the other designers looking for a job. This could be prestigious internships, knowing motion or 3D rendering skills and then I tell them to promote their strengths. For example, my student Myesha Bennett spent four years in the Navy to pay for college. What she learned along the way shaped her as the designer she is today and these lessons made her stand above the line.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Denise Anderson: Similar to question 1, leverage what you have done prior to entering the field. It takes my students 6-8 weeks to complete their resumes and personal because the image and content needs to be authentic. Perception is a lot in our field and I train students to feel confident about themselves. Portfolios get students an interview but they need to communicate their value to get hired.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Allen Garcie MFA: On the technical side, software is always evolving so skills related to this are always important. However, I think keeping up with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be most important for designers over the next 3 to 5 years. This is an area that's already changing the design field as companies like Adobe and others continue to integrate AI into their software. On the other hand, being a designer isn't all about developing technology-related skills though. I also think developing non-technical skills like creativity, collaboration, and adaptability are extremely important for any designer.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Nancy Wynn: There are many different ways to intersect the creative field of graphic design or Design. You can enter utilizing production skills centered on working with an Art Director-you produce their designs with various handwork and software platforms. If you enter as a junior graphic designer-you collaborate with an Art Director and brainstorm concepts / designs for projects. You may intersect working in the service industry where you help customers produce their designs. Day-to-day tasks can be specific if you work at a very large company, or more comprehensive if you work at a smaller agency. They can range from meetings with Art Directors or marketing people; collaboration with fellow designers or other team members based on the project components; brainstorming, research, and ideation for projects; learning new technology by producing designs and client presentations; meetings with focus groups or testing of projects; and finally debrief sessions on projects results.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Saskia Van Kampen: This question is impossible for me to answer as what one likes or dislikes about graphic design will be very individual.
Pilar Newton
Program Director of Electronic Design and Multimedia programColumbia University in the City of New York
Fine And Studio Arts
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Pilar Newton: Look into what industry you are interested in pursuing and research what the salary range is for positions that you are interested in especially entry level.
Research what studios are looking for. Even if a studio is not hiring reach out to them to set up informational interviews with studios that you are interested in. Often studio art directors will generously spend time on the phone, zoom or even an in person meeting to talk to you and tell you what the studio is looking for in potential artists that work for them.
Keep sharp! Keep practicing and staying on time of the latest versions of software and keep building your skills.
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jake Dugard: Code. Designers will need to know how to code... just kidding. I would be remiss if I did not mention Artificial Intelligence. I think there is a lot of value in becoming highly specialized, but I think AI will empower anyone to become an "expert" in everything. So where I won't advocate for specific tools, I think it'll be crucial for designers to be able to collaborate with AI and people.
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Michael Hosenfeld: The ability to actually execute an idea to become a successful product including various digital media formats is highly valued. Design is as much inspired by technology, as it depends on it.
Jan Ballard
Senior InstructorTexas Christian University
Design And Applied Arts
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jan Ballard: In our BFA program, graduates must fulfill an internship requirement and participate in professional development events and conferences, such as Dialexa EDU, National Student Show, and Circles. Students should also thoughtfully follow industry influencers on social channels to stay informed of current market trends.
Carolyn Brown
ProfessorFoothill College
Graphic Communications
What will help Lead User Experience Designers increase their earning potential?
Carolyn Brown: AI will continue to grow in importance in the next 3-5 years. AI is useful in many ways. Right now, AI is mostly used for writing which is great for brainstorming and writing the messaging that graphic designers create the visuals for. AI is becoming an important tool for generating images, videos, animations, 3D, and AR/VR content. The most important skill is the ability to learn new skills and/or adapt your current skills to new technologies.
Dak Kopec Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Coordinator, BA Interior Architecture and Design and Master of Design ProgramUniversity Of Nevada, Las Vegas
School of Architecture
What Lead User Experience Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dak Kopec Ph.D.: 1. have a great portfolio demonstrating your design skills’ diversity of design abilities. I.e., show you how you can create designs that are historic, contemporary, and cutting-edge. 2. Demonstrate your ability to think critically and apply information. While AI will soon be able to take over the graphical representation of the design, it is unlikely that it will be able to use critical thinking and deductive reasoning. 3. Use your interview to show your employer you have skills they don’t have in the office and those skills will get them clients. I would research their projects and website, identify a weakness, and then demonstrate in your portfolio that I have the skills to help address existing weaknesses. Once an employer sees that what you bring to the table has value, you’ll be in a better negotiation position.
Elizabeth Sutton
Department Head, Professor of Art HistoryUniversity of Northern Iowa
Department of Art
What skills stand out on Lead User Experience Designer resumes?
Elizabeth Sutton: What really stands out is the quality of the student's portfolios and that they have client-based real-world experience.
What soft skills should all Lead User Experience Designers possess?
Elizabeth Sutton: There are many--the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively is absolutely necessary. The ability to ask for feedback and be able to take that feedback and incorporate it into a process is very important. Of course, meeting deadlines is also very important.
What skills will help Lead User Experience Designers earn the most?
Diana Boyd: -Originality/Creativity
-UX/UI design
-Branding
-Marketing and Advertising
-Illustration
What skills stand out on Lead User Experience Designer resumes?
Diana Boyd: -Originality/Creativity
-Illustration (digital and hand-drawn)
-Branding
-UX/UI design
-Marketing/Advertising
What soft skills should all Lead User Experience Designers possess?
Diana Boyd: -Collaboration/Teamwork
-Interpersonal
-Reliability
-Ethical behavior
-Self-starter
Jenn Stucker
Associate Professor, Chair of The Graphic Design DivisionBowling Green State University
School of Art
What hard/technical skills are most important for Lead User Experience Designers?
Jenn Stucker: Technical skills in the Adobe Creative Cloud are necessary as it is the industry standard. Additionally, good designers should know the basics of HTML and CSS and work in digital collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Miro, and Figma.
Heather Ford
User Experience Design Program Head, Artist and DesignerBradley University
Interactive Media Department
What skills stand out on Lead User Experience Designer resumes?
Heather Ford: There are many do's and don'ts to resumes. However, gone are the days of making an ornate graphical resume for a UX job. I also inform students that they don't have to put everything and cram it into one page. Sometimes students have a lot of experience, and they want to share that on their resume. Students need to have an overview that summarizes their skills, education, and knowledge and then provide an additional CV that details their expertise or leads the employer to their website with that information.
What soft skills should all Lead User Experience Designers possess?
Heather Ford: Empathy, communication, adaptability, passion, and open-mindedness are essential. A successful designer understands the goals of their users and makes sure their needs are being met for the project. Students need to realize that working solely as the only designer on the project is rare, so communication is also essential. Learning tools such as Slack while in college will help with this endeavor. The industry evolves, so making sure you are open-minded and adaptable is key.
What skills will help Lead User Experience Designers earn the most?
Heather Ford: Learning to work on a team and experience in the workplace will help you transition and support more opportunities after graduation in the field.