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The differences between user experience designers and user interface 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 user experience designer and a user interface designer. Additionally, a user interface designer has an average salary of $92,247, which is higher than the $91,159 average annual salary of a user experience designer.
The top three skills for a user experience designer include sketch, UI and user research. The most important skills for a user interface designer are invision, interactive prototypes, and UI.
| User Experience Designer | User Interface Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,159 | $92,247 |
| Hourly rate | $43.83 | $44.35 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,582 | 51,375 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A user interface designer specializes in designing and developing the interface of websites and web applications, aiming to optimize the user experience. Among their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify and understand their needs and preferences, conceptualizing plans and storyboards, creating web and visual elements, and performing research and analysis to determine the best practices. A user interface designer typically works with a team of designers and developers, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
User experience designers and user interface designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| User Experience Designer | User Interface Designer | |
| Average salary | $91,159 | $92,247 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $127,000 | Between $64,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | BitGo | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a user experience designer and a user interface designer in terms of educational background:
| User Experience Designer | User Interface Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | 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 user experience designers' and user interface designers' demographics:
| User Experience Designer | User Interface Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% | Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8% |
| 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% |