How to hire a user experience manager

How to hire a user experience manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step user experience manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a user experience manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new user experience manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a user experience manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the user experience manager you need to hire. Certain user experience manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A user experience manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, user experience managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of user experience managers.

   Type of User Experience Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   User Experience Manager	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$33-91
   Partner	A business partner is responsible for providing strategies and recommendations on how the business will operate, increasing its revenues while sharing profits. Business partners must have extensive knowledge of how the current market industry works to identify the best decisions for the business... Show more	$14-87
   Marketing Director	Marketing directors are responsible for the overall branding and marketing direction of the company. They are in charge of identifying goals and strategies related to marketing... Show more	$32-92

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • User Experience
   • Sketch
   • User Research
   • UI
   • Customer Service
   • Wireframes
   • Healthcare
   • Project Management
   • Product Management
   • Visual Design
   • Interaction Design
   • Design Solutions
   • Prototyping
   • Product Design

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Apply AngularJS to achieve front-end MVC.
   • Lead the planning, brainstorming, and execution of the Hayneedle brand launch.
   • Authore specifications and A/B test plans, design, optimize and manage features to release.
   • Create custom web application (from UI to back office admin) for OperaDC, which enable it to manage events.
   • Lead all UX endeavors including usability testing, wireframing, and prototyping for all projects.
   • Work primarily in Photoshop and Visio.

   More user experience manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your user experience manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A user experience manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a user experience manager in Colorado may be lower than in California, and an entry-level user experience manager usually earns less than a senior-level user experience manager. Additionally, a user experience manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average user experience manager salary

   $115,443yearly

   $55.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level user experience manager salary

   $69,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average user experience manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$152,366	$73
   2	Washington	$137,580	$66
   3	Virginia	$120,729	$58
   4	Massachusetts	$120,363	$58
   5	New York	$119,165	$57
   6	Connecticut	$116,313	$56
   7	Pennsylvania	$115,734	$56
   8	Arizona	$106,936	$51
   9	Michigan	$101,297	$49
   10	Ohio	$101,266	$49
   11	Arkansas	$100,129	$48
   12	District of Columbia	$98,616	$47
   13	Utah	$96,966	$47
   14	Illinois	$96,813	$47
   15	Texas	$93,620	$45
   16	Missouri	$92,323	$44
   17	North Carolina	$92,225	$44
   18	Georgia	$92,195	$44
   19	Minnesota	$88,201	$42
   20	Indiana	$84,211	$40

   Average user experience manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$186,596	$89.71	436
   2	Apple	$183,560	$88.25	53
   3	PayPal	$182,620	$87.80	20
   4	eBay	$176,354	$84.79	15
   5	Google	$173,136	$83.24	333
   6	Netflix	$172,692	$83.03	51
   7	DoorDash	$166,183	$79.90	72
   8	Millennium Physician Group	$165,246	$79.45
   9	Airtable	$160,968	$77.39	3
   10	The Walt Disney Company	$158,555	$76.23	57
   11	VMware	$156,375	$75.18
   12	Walgreens	$156,211	$75.10	3
   13	DocuSign	$154,466	$74.26	15
   14	Microsoft	$153,587	$73.84	152
   15	PlayStation	$152,300	$73.22	5
   16	The Hatcher Group	$151,762	$72.96	1
   17	Qualtrics	$150,471	$72.34	5
   18	Bed Bath & Beyond	$145,733	$70.06
   19	Citi	$144,457	$69.45	6
   20	Stripe	$143,425	$68.95	31

4. Writing a user experience manager job description

   A good user experience manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a user experience manager job description:

   User experience manager job description example

   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   Collaborate with stakeholders from across the company to assist with the design and implementation of engagement strategies that will create and maintain a culture that inspires our Team members to do great work.Execute the annual engagement survey ensuring that the data we receive contributes to the improvement of our culture and engagement.Work closely with leaders from around the organization to interpret their engagement survey results.Partner with the Manager of Leader and Talent Development to assist leaders from around the organization with understanding their engagement survey results and developing strategies that will help their engagement opportunities.Create and lead the implementation of World's onboarding strategy to promote and sustain engagement with all new World Team Members that will reduce turnover in our newly hired and promoted Team Members.Identify, develop and implement rewards and recognition programs that promote our culture, mission and values.Partner with marketing and other teams to develop communication initiatives that drive engagement.Work with Director to lead the efforts of the company's Culture of Caring program which includes community engagement, volunteering and teambuilding - all to promote engagement of team members across the company.Using engagement survey and turnover data, assist with the development strategies of strategic communications and other initiatives that will reduce turnover and improve engagement.
   
   Qualifications:
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required:
   Ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external partners.Strong written and verbal communication skills.Ability to partner effectively with others and manage complex projects to achieve desired results.Above average written, verbal, and presentation skills.Must be willing to travel up to 25% of the time.
   
   Education and/or Experience:
   Bachelor's degree in Communications, Human Resources Organizational Development or equivalent experience.Experience partnering with Human Resource Business Partners and others to help identify and implement talent and organizational development programs.Demonstrated experience with developing and training leadership development courses.Experience in financial services a plus.Experience leading others a plus.
   
   Physical Demands:
   Must be able to constantly remain in a stationary position.The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.Occasionally may require light lifting up to 25 pounds.
   
   Work Environment:
   Office environment.Travel up to 25% of the time is required.
   
   This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; and nothing in this herein restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
   
   It is the policy of World Acceptance Corporation to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, World Acceptance Corporation will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right user experience manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with user experience managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit user experience managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your user experience manager job on Zippia to find and attract quality user experience manager candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit user experience managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new user experience manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the user experience manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new user experience manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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