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Lead user experience designer salary
Average lead user experience designer salary
$115,214
Understanding Lead User Experience Designer Salaries
The average salary for a Lead User Experience Designer is $115,214 annually, reflecting the high demand for skilled professionals in this field. Salaries can fluctuate based on experience, with entry-level positions starting lower and seasoned designers commanding higher pay. Geographic location also plays a significant role; designers in states like California and New York often earn more than their counterparts in other regions.
Salary by Experience Level
Experience influences pay significantly. Junior designers might earn around $80,000, while those with five to ten years can see salaries exceeding $120,000. Senior professionals with over ten years of experience can command even higher salaries, often exceeding $150,000.
Job Opportunities and Locations
To maximize earning potential, consider relocating to major tech hubs. Cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Seattle offer some of the highest salaries for this role. Additionally, companies in sectors like technology, finance, and healthcare are known for offering competitive pay and benefits.
For aspiring Lead User Experience Designers, understanding the salary landscape is essential for making informed career decisions. Whether you're just starting or looking to advance your career, exploring these factors can position you for success in this lucrative field.
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Where can a Lead User Experience Designer earn more?
Lead user experience designer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level lead user experience designer | $72,000 | $34.61 |
| Mid-level lead user experience designer | $101,000 | $48.52 |
| Senior-level lead user experience designer | $157,000 | $75.64 |
Average lead user experience designer salary by state
The average lead user experience designer salary in California, Washington, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead user experience designer salary states are Kentucky, Indiana, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead user experience designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $132,286 | $63.60 |
| 2 | California | $137,077 | $65.90 |
| 3 | Nevada | $113,164 | $54.41 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $126,181 | $60.66 |
| 5 | New York | $123,072 | $59.17 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $122,368 | $58.83 |
| 7 | Alaska | $107,829 | $51.84 |
| 8 | Oregon | $111,378 | $53.55 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $111,861 | $53.78 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $102,181 | $49.13 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $99,066 | $47.63 |
| 12 | Arizona | $112,174 | $53.93 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $115,389 | $55.48 |
| 14 | Texas | $103,458 | $49.74 |
| 15 | Montana | $97,972 | $47.10 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $107,970 | $51.91 |
| 17 | Colorado | $104,038 | $50.02 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $103,835 | $49.92 |
| 19 | Illinois | $99,418 | $47.80 |
| 20 | Maryland | $105,963 | $50.94 |
| 21 | Virginia | $101,384 | $48.74 |
| 22 | Ohio | $90,250 | $43.39 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $97,536 | $46.89 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $93,486 | $44.95 |
| 25 | Vermont | $96,786 | $46.53 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $94,651 | $45.51 |
| 27 | Michigan | $91,181 | $43.84 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $94,804 | $45.58 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $94,157 | $45.27 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $84,598 | $40.67 |
| 31 | Utah | $83,592 | $40.19 |
| 32 | Missouri | $94,330 | $45.35 |
| 33 | Delaware | $94,723 | $45.54 |
| 34 | Maine | $90,310 | $43.42 |
| 35 | Iowa | $89,705 | $43.13 |
| 36 | Idaho | $81,483 | $39.17 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $82,735 | $39.78 |
| 38 | Florida | $91,597 | $44.04 |
| 39 | Kansas | $81,569 | $39.22 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $88,682 | $42.64 |
| 41 | Georgia | $84,598 | $40.67 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $96,239 | $46.27 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $87,090 | $41.87 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $84,363 | $40.56 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $77,410 | $37.22 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $67,140 | $32.28 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $80,955 | $38.92 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $83,364 | $40.08 |
| 49 | Indiana | $80,411 | $38.66 |
| 50 | Alabama | $72,032 | $34.63 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $79,024 | $37.99 |
Highest paying cities for lead user experience designers
The highest-paying cities for lead user experience designers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $146,891 | $70.62 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $133,219 | $64.05 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $126,211 | $60.68 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $123,163 | $59.21 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $122,498 | $58.89 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $112,593 | $54.13 |
| 7 | Providence, RI | $111,917 | $53.81 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $111,249 | $53.49 |
| 9 | Hartford, CT | $108,423 | $52.13 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $106,324 | $51.12 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $103,942 | $49.97 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $103,916 | $49.96 |
| 13 | Arlington, VA | $103,244 | $49.64 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $99,731 | $47.95 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $99,676 | $47.92 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $98,824 | $47.51 |
| 17 | Minneapolis, MN | $94,859 | $45.61 |
| 18 | Milwaukee, WI | $94,745 | $45.55 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $94,374 | $45.37 |
| 20 | Jacksonville, FL | $92,570 | $44.50 |
Lead user experience designer salary details
A lead user experience designer's salary ranges from $83,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $158,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead user experience designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $158,000 | $13,167 | $76 |
| 75th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| Average | $115,214 | $9,601 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 10th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
Highest paying lead user experience designer jobs
The highest paying types of lead user experience designers are head designer, lead designer, and senior designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Artist | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | 8,752 |
| Design Internship | $45,791 | $3,816 | $22.01 | 97,018 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
| Graphic Designer Internship | $35,800 | $2,983 | $17.21 | 93,292 |
| Web Designer | $63,842 | $5,320 | $30.69 | 50,899 |
Top companies hiring lead user experience designers now:
Which companies pay lead user experience designers the most?
Lead user experience designer salaries at Airbnb and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead user experience designer salary at companies like Apple and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airbnb | $187,604 | $90.19 |
| 2 | Meta | $179,420 | $86.26 |
| 3 | Apple | $164,486 | $79.08 |
| 4 | $164,390 | $79.03 | |
| 5 | VMware | $152,527 | $73.33 |
| 6 | ProSites | $152,393 | $73.27 |
| 7 | Microsoft | $151,910 | $73.03 |
| 8 | DocuSign | $145,193 | $69.80 |
| 9 | Evernote | $143,807 | $69.14 |
| 10 | SmartThings | $143,112 | $68.80 |
| 11 | Amazon | $140,048 | $67.33 |
| 12 | GoDaddy | $138,716 | $66.69 |
| 13 | Marcus & Millichap | $138,407 | $66.54 |
| 14 | Walmart | $137,346 | $66.03 |
| 15 | Citi | $137,152 | $65.94 |
| 16 | Magic Leap | $136,849 | $65.79 |
| 17 | $135,729 | $65.25 | |
| 18 | Fresh Consulting | $134,923 | $64.87 |
| 19 | Glassdoor | $134,753 | $64.79 |
| 20 | Exxon Mobil | $134,043 | $64.44 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead User Experience Designer salary by industry
The average lead user experience designer salary varies across industries:
- The average lead user experience designer salary in the manufacturing industry is $121,975, the highest of any industry.
- The average lead user experience designer salary in the finance industry is $121,418.
- Lead user experience designers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $94,121, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for lead user experience designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $121,975 | $58.64 |
| 2 | Internet | $121,418 | $58.37 |
| 3 | Start-up | $121,297 | $58.32 |
| 4 | Technology | $101,513 | $48.80 |
| 5 | Professional | $94,121 | $45.25 |
High paying lead user experience designer jobs
Lead user experience designer salary trends
The average lead user experience designer salary has risen by $20,224 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead user experience designer earned $94,990 annually, but today, they earn $115,214 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for lead user experience designers over the last decade.
Compare lead user experience designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead user experience designer salary over time
Compare lead user experience designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead user experience designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $115,000 | $55.39 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $112,000 | $54.07 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $109,000 | $52.27 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $105,000 | $50.53 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $103,000 | $49.43 | +1.6% |
Recently added lead user experience designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZP Group | Lead UX Designer | McLean, VA | 06/29/2025 | $140,000 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Lead UX Designer | Jacksonville, FL | 06/10/2025 | $110,611 |
| Industrial Light & Magic | Lead User Experience Designer-Espn Sports | Glendale, CA | 05/27/2025 | $142,600 |
| The Walt Disney Company | Lead UX Designer | Glendale, CA | 05/24/2025 | $145,400 |
| ZP Group | Lead UX Designer | McLean, VA | 05/22/2025 | $140,000 |
| Kunai | Lead UX Designer | New York, NY | 05/16/2025 | $140,000 |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | Lead UX Designer | Chicago, IL | 05/03/2025 | $111,500 |
| Industrial Light & Magic | Lead User Experience Designer-Espn Sports | Glendale, CA | 04/29/2025 | $142,600 |
| Billingplatform | Lead UX Designer | Denver, CO | 04/29/2025 | $130,000 |
| Quality Engineer In Costa Mesa, California | Lead User Experience Designer | Boulder, CO | 04/28/2025 | $134,000 |
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