Highest Paid Cities for UX and UI Designers in 2021
UX design jobs are in high demand right now. It’s been proven that companies that invest more into UX design have greater financial growth. As technology becomes a constant in our everyday lives, companies need to figure out how to give customers the most human experience possible online. Here’s a list of the best cities for UX designers in 2021.
San Francisco, CA
It’s not surprising that the Bay Area is a great place for someone in the tech industry to live. Silicon Valley is best known for its endless number of start-ups and culture of innovation and big ideas. Home to prestigious design companies like IDEO, San Francisco has become a hub for UX designers. The starting salary in San Francisco is $160,420, making it one of the highest paid cities for UX designers. However, it is also one of the most expensive places to live, with the monthly cost of living for the average person being a steep $4,000.
Seattle, WA
Behind San Francisco, Seattle is the second largest tech hub on the west coast. Huge tech companies like IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon were all founded in the area, making it a slightly more affordable alternative to San Francisco. Seattle also has lots of UX design communities. UX Seattle is a great resource to keep up with any design events or workshops going on and Meetup also offers lots of events like Ladies that UX. Seattle is a great place for people who love city life but also want access to beautiful parks and scenic hikes. The starting salary for a UX designer here is $96,230.
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3. Boston, MA
Home to some of the most prestigious higher education institutions like Harvard and MIT, Boston is a great place for designers to live. Boston is also known for its robotics, so excellent UI design skills will be put to good use here. Local groups like UX Boston, UXPA, and Boston CHI make it easy for UX designers to network. Boston is a great place for people who love sports, seafood, and US history. The average salary for a UX designer here is $105,000. However, large local companies like Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and LinkedIn offer up to $150,000 per year.
4. New York, NY
The big apple has a big demand for designers in finance, marketing, and advertising. Although New York isn’t as tech-oriented as cities like San Francisco and Seattle, technology is becoming more and more relevant for businesses to keep up with competition. As a result, there are lots of digital agencies with headquarters in New York. There are lots of conferences and local events like Smashing Conference and 99u. One average, a UX designer’s salary in New York is $104,000, and rent is similar to San Francisco. However, New York has so much to offer and is filled with an abundance of culture, diversity, and creativity. The city has inspiration around every corner that could help you grow your design career.
5. Austin, TX
Austin has become a hub for start-ups because it’s home to both entrepreneurs and creatives. It’s a great place for UX designers because companies like Dell, IBM, Google, and Oracle have locations there. Unlike places like New York and San Francisco, Austin is a much more affordable place to live. There are many design communities there like AIGA Austin, Enterprise UX Austin, and IDF Austin. The average UX designer salary in Austin is $103,000. Although it’s not as high as the average salary for a designer in Silicon Valley, the cost of living in Austin is much more affordable, making it an attractive place to live.
Another thing to keep in mind is that working remotely might start to become the norm, even after the pandemic ends! Although most businesses plan on creating a hybrid schedule where employees will come into the office a few times a week, UX design can be done totally remote! Remote jobs give you the advantage of not having to worry about moving or long commutes.
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