Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
UX designer
UX designers research how people use a product, sketch and prototype screens, test them, and hand designs to developers. Tools are Figma and similar, plus research and writing.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a UX designer makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$104,000
$50.00 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $73,290
- 75th percentile
- $158,820
- 90th percentile
- $201,550
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 45%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +6.0%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 8,300
- BLS projections
Read this before you plan on it
How people get in without a degree
The Google UX Design Professional Certificate ends with three portfolio projects, and that portfolio is what gets interviews. Volunteer or freelance redesigns for small businesses and nonprofits add real-world work to it.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.
The next step
Google UX Design Professional Certificate
- Typical cost
- $49 per month on Coursera, typically $150 to $300 total
- Time to complete
- About 6 months at 10 hours a week
Where to start Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a UX designer?
Not always. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education, but 45% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). Employers that hire without one look for the credential and the work described on this page.
How much does a UX designer make?
The median pay was $104,000 a year ($50.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $73,290 and $158,820, and the top 10 percent earned more than $201,550.
How long does it take to become a UX designer?
About 6 months at 10 hours a week. The typical cost is $49 per month on Coursera, typically $150 to $300 total.
Is UX designer work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 6.0% from 2025 to 2035 with about 8,300 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 15-1255.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile