According to CNNMoney/PayScale’s top 100 careers with big growth, great pay and satisfying work (i.e. 100 Best Jobs in America), UX design ranked #14 with top pay hitting $138K and a growth rate of 18%.”
User Experience (UX) Design is one of the fastest growing fields. If you think about the growth in smartphone and tablet sales, it’s not surprising that the field of UX is experiencing double digit growth. Every interaction you have with your device has in some way been influenced by a UX designer. Smartphone sales alone grew from 122 Million in 2012 to 190.5 million units in 2015. On the other hand, from 2012 to 2015, UX climbed up from #43 to #14 as the top 100 best jobs in America. With advances in virtual reality and the internet of things, the demand for UX Designers is only going to increase.
There hasn’t been a better time to become a UX Designer. The average starting salary for a UX Designer in the United States is $68K. The career path is quite interesting. In big companies such as Facebook, Google & Amazon etc., the role of a UX Designer breaks down into specific positions such as UX Researcher, Information Architect, Content Strategist etc. Within small to medium sized companies, the roles are more all-inclusive, meaning a UX Designer is responsible for the entire design cycle from User Research to Usability Testing. Typically, new entrants in the field start off with smaller companies to gain experience in all parts of the UX Design process. After a few years of experience, the role becomes more focused based on strengths and likes/dislikes.
As mentioned in our previous blog post, there is no formal education required to become a UX Designer. While it is helpful to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, it is not a requirement. There are tons of free online resources where you can get started. We’ve put together a list of top 5 free resources to help you get started. You can also check out UX Mastery’s list of must-read UX books.
If you’re interested in launching your career in UX Design in a fast-paced, structured classroom environment, check out our full-time UX Design course starting in October. At the end of the program, you will have the opportunity to participate in hiring week where we provide career support and connect you with our network of hiring partners.
