Studies how people use apps, websites and devices through interviews, usability tests and surveys, then guides design decisions with what they learn. BLS does not publish separate figures for web and digital interface designers; it counts them within web designer (SOC 15-1255), whose median pay is $104,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-1255
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
UX Researcher in four numbers
- Median pay
- $104,000a year, or $50.00/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $54KTop 10% $202K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.0%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 8,300132,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025132.7K
- Projected 2035140.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 132.7K Projected 2035 140.8K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: User Experience Researcher, User Researcher, Design Researcher, Usability Researcher, Product Researcher.
Pay
How much do Web and Digital Interface Designers make?
Every ux researcher in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$104,000
Middle half earn $73,290 to $158,820
- 10th
- $53,750
- 25th
- $73,290
- 75th
- $158,820
- 90th
- $201,550
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $53,750 |
| 25th | $73,290 |
| Median | $104,000 |
| 75th | $158,820 |
| 90th | $201,550 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $104,000
- Median hourly wage
- $50.00/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $117,490
- People employed
- 113,330
Versus all US occupations
At $104,000, Web and Digital Interface Designers earn 104% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $53,020 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 11% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $201,550 or more while the bottom 10% earn $53,750, a gap of 3.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 77% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $136,110, and still leads at $122,932 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Web and Digital Interface Designers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $136,110 | $122,932 | 27,090 |
| 2Washington | $130,480 | $121,929 | 11,580 |
| 3New York | $120,990 | $112,110 | 16,560 |
| 4Massachusetts | $113,540 | $107,359 | 2,740 |
| 5New Hampshire | $111,150 | $106,706 | 430 |
| 6District of Columbia | $107,650 | $97,952 | 480 |
| 7Rhode Island | $105,990 | $103,627 | 240 |
| 8Pennsylvania | $104,160 | $106,752 | 2,820 |
| 9Georgia | $103,810 | $107,806 | 2,800 |
| 10Texas | $102,650 | $105,763 | 5,910 |
Job outlook
Is UX Researcher a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | +6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Web and Digital Interface Designers to change 6.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 8,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 8,300 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 132,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an UX Researcher
UX researchers come from psychology, human-computer interaction, anthropology, sociology, information science and design. A bachelor's degree is the baseline, and many hold a master's in HCI or a social science, where they learn research design and interviewing. Programs like Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute are well-known training grounds.
Portfolios of case studies are how candidates are judged: each one explains the research question, the method chosen, what was found and what changed as a result. Professional groups such as the User Experience Professionals Association offer events and mentoring. Career changers often start with usability testing or research operations roles.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does an UX Researcher do?
UX researchers find out what people actually need and where products confuse them. They plan studies, recruit participants, and run methods such as one-on-one interviews, moderated usability tests, diary studies, field visits and surveys. Watching someone struggle to complete a checkout or misunderstand a settings screen often reveals more than any internal debate.
After a study, researchers synthesize what they saw into findings, personas, journey maps and specific recommendations, then present them to designers, product managers and engineers. Over time they build a body of knowledge about a company's customers. Some specialize in quantitative research using analytics and large surveys; others focus on accessibility or research with specific groups such as clinicians or children.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan research studies around open product questions
- Recruit and screen research participants
- Run interviews and moderated usability tests
- Design and analyze user surveys
- Synthesize observations into findings and recommendations
- Create personas and customer journey maps
- Present research to design and product teams
- Maintain a shared library of past research
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
UX researchers work at technology companies, banks, healthcare organizations, government digital services and design agencies. Much of the job is at a desk or on video calls with participants, with occasional travel for field studies in homes, stores or workplaces. Hybrid and remote arrangements are common. Hours are regular, with deadlines tied to product planning cycles.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Active Listening3.4
- Active Learning3.4
- Writing3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Active Listening | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Programming3.3
- Operations Analysis3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Service Orientation2.9
- Systems Evaluation2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Programming | 3.3 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an UX Researcher?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IAS) built on O*NET's Web Designer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | UX Researcher |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Investigative5.2
- Artistic4.8
- Conventional4.4
- Enterprising3.1
- Social3.0
- Realistic2.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to UX Researcher
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with web and digital interface designers highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- UX Researcher$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| UX Researcher | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists UX Researcher appears on
Questions
UX Researcher: frequently asked questions
How much do Web and Digital Interface Designers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for web and digital interface designers. It counts them within web designer, whose median pay is $104,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $73,290 and $158,820, and the top 10% earn $201,550 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an UX Researcher?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Web and Digital Interface Designers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is UX Researcher a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 8,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an UX Researcher do?
UX researchers find out what people actually need and where products confuse them. A typical task: plan research studies around open product questions. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Web and Digital Interface Designers the most?
The highest state medians for Web and Digital Interface Designers are California ($136,110), Washington ($130,480), New York ($120,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an UX Researcher?
O*NET scores Web and Digital Interface Designers highest on the Investigative, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, INTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.