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Job outlook for user interface designers in the United States
User interface designer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected user interface designer job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 6,800 new jobs for user interface designers are projected over the next decade.
User interface designer salaries have increased 12% for user interface designers in the last 5 years.
There are over 7,290 user interface designers currently employed in the United States.
There are 51,375 active user interface designer job openings in the US.
The average user interface designer salary is $92,247.
Are user interface designer jobs in demand?
User interface designer job and salary trends over time
User interface designer jobs over time
User interface designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,290 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 7,197 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,714 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,575 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,538 | 0.00% |
Average user interface designer salary over time
User interface designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $92,247 | $44.35 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $90,052 | $43.29 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $87,045 | $41.85 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $84,159 | $40.46 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $82,328 | $39.58 | +1.6% |
User interface designer jobs by state
Most common states for user interface designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 283 | 41% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,025 | 14% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 858 | 13% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 534 | 13% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 895 | 11% |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 118 | 11% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 136 | 10% |
| 8 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,703 | 9% |
| 9 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 889 | 9% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 485 | 9% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 269 | 9% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 56 | 9% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,534 | 8% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 484 | 8% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 424 | 8% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 903 | 7% |
| 17 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 699 | 7% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 377 | 7% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 243 | 7% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 68 | 7% |
Most common cities for user interface designers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clearwater | 1 | 1% | $72,677 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | 1 | 1% | $120,062 |
| 3 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $104,411 |
User Interface Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of user interface designer experts
Arcadia University
Memphis College of Art
Boise State University
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Kean University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Arkansas State University
The Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg
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
Ferris State University
University Of Nevada, Las Vegas
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Highline College
What general advice would you give to a User Interface 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 general advice would you give to a User Interface 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 User Interface 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 User Interface 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 User Interface 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 User Interface 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 User Interface 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 User Interface 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 will help User Interface 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 User Interface Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Allen Garcie MFA: One way that a new graduate can maximize their earning potential is by gaining professional experience as soon as possible. Freelance work is a great way to do this! Another way is for a new graduate to work towards earning a field-specific professional certificate (For example, both the American Institute for Graphic Arts [AIGA] and the American Marketing Association [AMA] offer these.), a software-related certification (Adobe and Autodesk offer these.), or an advanced degree (Such as an MA or MFA.). While gaining employment in the design field is primarily related to your portfolio and related experience, additional credentials can still make you more competitive.
What will help User Interface Designers increase their earning potential?
Jason Bronner: With an increasing number of tools including Artificial Intelligence, interpersonal skills will grow in importance for designers. Connecting with the client is already integral and will remain so.
What will help User Interface Designers increase their earning potential?
Nikki Arnell MFA: People like that being a graphic designer allows them to be creative for a living, with regular pay and benefits. However, the constant revisions and critiques on creative work can be challenging, and designers must learn to balance their artistic vision with client feedback and project objectives.
Eric Benson
Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design and Design for Responsible InnovationThe Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg
Graphic Communications
What general advice would you give to a User Interface Designer?
Eric Benson: You have to work your way up to maximize your potential. However, to begin, take a look at the salary guides for the cities you want to live in, so you have an idea of the possibilities. The more technology and skills you know/have, the more money could come your way.
What User Interface Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Eric Benson: Take advantage of your network you created and already exists at your University/college. Your friends and faculty know people, so ask them for help connecting with others in your area of graphic design interest. In addition, be humble, but confident in yourself. Be nice to everyone and open to new conversations and opportunities you weren't planning on.
What will help User Interface Designers increase their earning potential?
Eric Benson: As I'm answering this now, I'd have to acknowledge that AI tools will become more prevalent in graphic design. We should explore them in order to take ownership of them, so we don't lose our relevancy. In addition, sustainability within the field will continue to grow and be increasingly more important to have a knowledgebase in.
What will help User Interface 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 User Interface Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nancy Wynn: Design is everywhere. Design is interdisciplinary. There are a variety of ways to find your fit in the profession, but the need is ever great and growing. More people understand the power of good design and marketing. As you consider the possibilities, you need to think about what other fields, or disciplines, are you interested in, i.e. sports, fashion, healthcare, finance, non-profits, the Arts, education, built environment, etc. Once you consider other possible connections, you focus your attention, since everything has to be designed.
What will help User Interface 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.
What User Interface Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Saskia Van Kampen: Graphic design is an exciting career choice because of the variety of opportunities that are available. There is in-house design jobs where you work for an organization and do their design work-these opportunities range from non-profits, small to mid-size companies or huge corporations. You could work for a design studio where there are multiple clients with varied needs. There are jobs in print-focused design ranging from publication design to packaging design and marketing work such as branding and identity design. There are opportunities to work digitally on websites and app development. User experience and user interface design is a very popular field for students at SF State because of our tech-central location and this is expanding into Virtual and augmented reality. Wayfinding design is another avenue design students can explore where design is integrated into environments to help users navigate through spaces. There is also the option of working as a freelance designer, but this is more challenging to do straight out of school.
Pilar Newton
Program Director of Electronic Design and Multimedia programColumbia University in the City of New York
Fine And Studio Arts
What general advice would you give to a User Interface Designer?
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 top of the latest versions of software and keep building your skills.
What will help User Interface Designers increase their earning potential?
Pilar Newton: In the constantly evolving design field, one must have faith in their skills and stay true to themselves. It is crucial to be unique and original because the world needs originality. With AI's growing presence in the design, animation, video, and other fields, it is essential to keep up with technological advancements. However, creative abilities will take you further and make you stand out more than just mastering software.
What User Interface 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 User Interface 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 general advice would you give to a User Interface Designer?
Jan Ballard: Entry-level design students can leverage industry data like AIGA to start their careers with competitive salaries for effective job searching. Our alumni network provides valuable insights into market trends from high-profile employers.
What User Interface 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 general advice would you give to a User Interface Designer?
Carolyn Brown: If you are looking to be hired by a creative agency or a creative department in a large company, invest your time in preparing a strong portfolio that aligns with the kind of projects you want to work on, and apply to agencies that do those kinds of projects. If you want to start your own business, or freelance for a variety of clients, preparing a portfolio that shows the range of projects you are capable of delivering.
What User Interface Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Carolyn Brown: A great way to maximize your salary potential is to start with an internship with a large tech company and be impressive enough to get invited to become an employee. However, that might compromise other aspects of your life, in my opinion it is better to balance your quality of life with your salary potential than to maximize your salary potential.
What will help User Interface 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.
What type of skills will young User Interface Designers need?
Patrick Klarecki: Recent projections from the Printing United Alliance show business owners are optimistic about 2021 and see their needs returning to "Pre-COVID" levels by the end of 2021 or early 2022. The workforce in our industry continues to age, technology continues to evolve, and young minds' needs will prevail.
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 User Interface 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.
Mary Miller
InstructorOklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Graphic Design Faculty
What skills stand out on User Interface Designer resumes?
Mary Miller: Employers generally want to hire graphic designers who show conceptual, problem-solving ability and have solid skills in the basics: design, typography, use of color...but candidates who have motion graphics and video editing, photography/videography, and illustration skill will rise to the top of the list. It's expected that a designer will know multiple Adobe Creative Cloud programs like InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, but they must also know After Effects, Premiere, XD, and Acrobat Pro, among others. Designers who can design for 3D objects like packaging and environmental graphics bring extra skill to the table as well.
What soft skills should all User Interface Designers possess?
Mary Miller: Graphic designers are crucial to a business' success because they identify the brand's core values and personality and create the visual language that expresses those values and personality. So graphic designers must have strong research skills and be able to analyze and interpret them to know how to design ads and designs that will resonate with the target audience. Designers must be empathetic to understand what the target audience values and wants. Graphic designers must collaborate with their creative team and clients to develop strategies, so they must have excellent communication and teamwork skills. Excellent writing skills are a huge part of the necessary communication skills. Salesmanship and the ability to articulate the design rationale are requirements also. If a designer cannot articulate their concept to their art director or creative director first, they won't get the chance to present it to the client. Speaking and presentation skills are a part of a designer's career as well. When presenting to a client, they have to create the atmosphere for the client and reveal the solution in a way that explains, educates, and convinces the client that the solution will work. Campaigns are monitored, and the data is analyzed for effectiveness, tested, and tweaked. Graphic design is not about decorating pages but is much more cerebral...it is strategic art.
What hard/technical skills are most important for User Interface Designers?
Mary Miller: The hard/technical skills needed daily for graphic designers are primarily software-based, but they also have to understand the technical aspects of print production, broadcast, websites, and social media. They have to search for technical information, learn as they go, and create the design and marketing pieces for their clients as technology changes, constantly evolving. A designer will need to understand and use the software that business uses too, such as Excel. Some designers specialize in data visual infographics, where they take statistical data and design it in a format that can be more easily understood because it's in a visual format.
What skills will help User Interface Designers earn the most?
Mary Miller: The skills that will help you earn the most money throughout your career as a graphic designer are people skills and business skills. It's expected that you must have the design skills to be a long-time creative employee, but to rise to the top of the field, you have to be savvy with people and business decisions. If a designer works in the industry for several years and starts their own studio, they obviously need business knowledge to run and grow their business. Many designers who follow this career path move out of the creative work and concentrate on client relations and acquisition, managing their employees, and running their business. The owners of agencies and studios can earn large, six or seven-figure incomes. The designer who doesn't want to own their own business but would rather be a creative director and/or VP in a large agency will need great people skills. They will be responsible for developing their creative teams and managing people. As VPs and creative directors, they will have more administrative responsibility for the agency, but they don't have the full responsibility an owner does. These positions earn six-figure incomes.
In these creative positions, the portfolio is the most important thing to get the job. It's not as important to have advanced degrees as it might be for accountants, engineers, or other fields. Even job postings that say they require bachelor's degrees will enthusiastically hire someone with a portfolio that showcases the right skill set, regardless of their education. The creative department ultimately decides who they want to hire, not the HR folks who typically can't assess a creative portfolio, so degree requirements are generally not as important. HR people will screen resumes for certain words, which is not necessarily the most effective way to hire creative people. The portfolio is the best way to determine the candidate's ability. The post-pandemic economy has forced companies to change some of their hiring practices. There are so many open jobs that companies realize that they can't use some of the tired strategies they used before the pandemic. They are less concerned about degree requirements now as more Americans are questioning the expense of 4-year degrees and fewer people are willing to go into deep debt to buy one.
More Americans realize the value of industry-focused, technical degrees in higher education and seek less expensive ways to ensure career success. (ABC News did a recent series on this subject. It was broadcast on KRMG radio a couple of weeks ago. The series was all pandemic recovery, "how have we changed" type of reporting.) Associate of Applied Science degrees can fill the void for many. People are doing their homework and looking for programs with great track records and successful alumni that prove it. OSUIT's graphic design program has been around since 1946 when the school was started and has lots of examples of graduates who hold associate's of applied science graphic design degrees, and nothing more, who are successful agency and studio owners, VPs of Creative, Marketing Directors, Design Directors, Executive Creative Directors, Creative Directors, Associate Creative Directors, Sr. Art Directors, etc.
What skills will help User Interface Designers earn the most?
Diana Boyd: -Originality/Creativity
-UX/UI design
-Branding
-Marketing and Advertising
-Illustration
What skills stand out on User Interface Designer resumes?
Diana Boyd: -Originality/Creativity
-Illustration (digital and hand-drawn)
-Branding
-UX/UI design
-Marketing/Advertising
What soft skills should all User Interface Designers possess?
Diana Boyd: -Collaboration/Teamwork
-Interpersonal
-Reliability
-Ethical behavior
-Self-starter
What hard/technical skills are most important for User Interface Designers?
Diana Boyd: -Adobe Illustrator - Vector drawing skills
-Adobe Photoshop - Working with raster images
-Adobe InDesign - Layout skills
-Adobe Animate - Animation
-Adobe XD - UX/UI prototyping
-Wordpress/Adobe Portfolio/Adobe Dreamweaver - web design/development
-Microsoft Word /PowerPoint