UI/UX Designer Salary and Job Description

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designers play a key role in creating websites and other digital products that hold the attention of users and drive business success. As demand for intuitive, engaging interfaces grows, organizations across industries are seeking skilled UI and UX designers who can combine high-end aesthetics with easy-to-understand functionality.

Learn about the distinctions between UI design and UX design, what UI and UX designers do, and UI/UX designer salary data to make an informed decision about pursuing a degree in the field.

UI vs. UX Design: What’s the Difference?

Although UI design and UX design are often combined to create a single term, each focuses on different aspects of digital product development.

UI Design

User interface design is the art of crafting the visual elements of a product’s interface. UI designers select the color palette, typography, iconography, and layout of the interface to ensure that every button, menu, and form is cohesive and aligns with the brand’s identity. Their goal is to make the interface both aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate.

UX Design

User experience design concentrates on how visitors engage with a site, app, or product to make it as user-friendly as possible. UX designers map out user journeys, create wireframes and prototypes, and conduct usability tests to understand and improve how people interact with a product. Their work ensures users can find what they need, that interactions are intuitive, and that frustrations are resolved.

Key Differences

There are three main differences to consider when comparing UI design and UX design.

• Scope: UI design focuses specifically on the interface’s visual and interactive elements; UX design covers the entire experience, from first contact to final interaction.
• Tools and deliverables: UI designers produce high-fidelity mockups, style guides, and design systems; UX designers use flowcharts, personas, and prototypes.
• Collaboration: UI design visually brings the interface’s structure to life; UX design defines that structure and its flow.

What Do UI and UX Designers Do?

UI and UX designers bridge the gap between users and technology, ensuring that digital products are both engaging and easy to use. They work in settings that range from large corporations to small startups and include technology companies, digital agencies, and in-house teams at organizations of all types. Many UI and UX designers also serve as external consultants on freelance projects.

These designers often report to a design lead or art director and may oversee junior designers and interns. Collaboration is central to these roles, as designers partner with product managers to set feature priorities, developers to ensure designs can be built, and art directors to maintain brand consistency.

Typical duties of UI and UX designers include:

• Conducting user research through interviews, surveys, and analytics reviews
• Creating user personas and mapping customer journeys
• Designing wireframes and interactive prototypes to test workflows
• Developing visual designs and style guides that reflect a brand’s identity
• Collaborating with art directors to align visual language and design standards
• Performing usability testing sessions and iterating on feedback
• Working with developers to implement designs and resolve interface issues
• Maintaining design systems and component libraries for consistency

UI/UX Designer Salary

Analyzing UI/UX designer salary figures can help aspiring and current professionals gauge their market value and negotiate offers.

UI designers had a median annual salary of around $76,000 as of August 2025, with those in the top 10% earning more than $111,000, according to Payscale data. The median annual salary for UX designers was around $82,000, also according to Payscale, with those in the top 10% earning more than $116,000.

Those with skills in both UI and UX may be able to command higher salaries. Freelancers and consultants may have an advantage when it comes to salary because they set their own rates.

When evaluating UI/UX designer salary statistics, an individual’s education, experience, region, and employer all play a factor, as does job demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that web developer and digital designer jobs, including UI/UX designer jobs, will increase by 7% between 2024 and 2034, indicating long-term job stability.

Earn a Degree to Gain UI and UX Design Skills

UI and UX design live at the intersection of art, consumer psychology, and technology. The best way to enter the field is by investing in the right educational foundation. Tseng College at California State University, Northridge, offers a fully online Master of Arts in Design and Innovation program designed for career-oriented learners that can be completed in as little as seven months.

Coursework in the program covers topics such as design strategy and systems, design experiences and interactions, and design leadership and impact, and a collaborative graduate project lets students apply their classroom learning to create real-world solutions.

Find out how CSUN can support your career as a UI/UX designer.