That the UX Design is an incredible job, we already know! But how much is possible win with that profession? This is a frequently asked question by those who are migrating to UX.

Working with something that we like is extremely important, because that is how we will be able to carry out various projects that identify with our personality and with our dreams.

However, the financial issue is also quite important. Because it helps us to maintain a certain quality of life, so to speak.

The ideal world is in balance between the two things. Do what you like and get paid well for it.

Stay with us in this article because we unravel everything you need to know about how much you can earn with UX Design!

UX Design is a growing market

Those who consume our content here have read many articles talking about the growth of the UX Design market.

We like to hit that key because this information influences several issues in the UX Design profession, including its remuneration.

Therefore, It is important to pay attention to this growth and how we can take advantage of this period.

But if you still don't know about the growth of the UX market, here's a little more information!

The UX Design Boom

The UX Design market is growing.

According to a study carried out by NN/g, the projection is that in 2050 there will be around 100 million professionals working in the area.

We're just in Start of this ascension curve, but that doesn't mean we should rest.

Even with the pandemic and health crisis of 2020, the UX Design market has not stopped growing.

This is because in this time of isolation and quarantine, companies had to adapt their products and services to the digital world. To do this, they had to hire UX and Product Designers to carry out these transformations.

The fact that we are at the beginning of this progression means that job opportunities do not require years of experience in the area, as labor is scarce. In addition, the rapid need with which companies need UX Design makes salaries quite competitive.

And that's what we're interested in today: How much can a UX Designer earn?

Reading Tip: The UX Design “Boom”

How much can you earn working with UX Design?

The wage and income issue is quite an issue. sensitive because there are several variables that influence it.

That way, it's always interesting to look for research that Cross information such as position, location, experience period, etc.

With that in mind, for this article, we used research conducted by UX Overview.

Panorama UX Research - 2019 Edition

The UX Panorama is a survey conducted annually to better understand the UX market in Brazil. In the year 2019, the 5th edition of the research, consisting of more than 1000 answers.

The most common salary amounts in UX Design, according to research, vary between R$4,000.00 and R$7,000.00.

But when we open up the scope of the range a bit, we can say that most UX Design professionals in Brazil are earning between R$2,000.00 and R$11,000.00.

When focusing only on the data from the last edition, we found:

In the graph above, we observed that the most common wage amount is around R$5,000.00.

However, as already said, it is difficult to conclude anything concrete based on that information alone. There are, without a doubt, other issues that influence these valuess.

The first of these is form of hiring.

How do the forms of hiring in UX Design interfere with your earnings?

The 3 main forms of hiring in UX Design are: CLT, PJ and Freelancer.

These forms have different types of wage/earnings.

According to Panorama UX, the most common form of contracting, among the 3 mentioned above, is CLT.

The forms PJ and Freelancer took second and third place, respectively.

It is important to analyze this issue of hiring CLT because it is a Interesting move to remove UX Design from “anonymity”. This means that companies are investing in permanent professionals in their teams - remember the growth of the market?

In addition, The CLT model brings more safety to professionals. And, in most cases, salaries are accompanied by various benefits. Therefore, its nominal value - of the salary - tends to be slightly lower than the PJ form, as we see in the next block.

However, this difference is offset by the included paid holidays and other benefits, which are currently becoming increasingly varied and attractive, such as: scholarships for courses, conferences, private pensions, etc.

Wages by form of hiring PJ vs CLT

Hires like PJ have a higher salary range than hires like CLT, being between R$5,000.00 and R$9,000.00. The highest salary of a PJ, according to research, is R$15,000.00.

The Labor Code, on the other hand, has a salary of between R$3,000.00 and R$7,500.00, with the highest salary reaching up to R$12,500.00, according to Panorama UX.

Localization influences gains in UX Design

In addition to the form of hiring, another issue that greatly influences the earning amounts in UX Design is siting.

Since UX Design is still a “new” profession in Brazil and is still on the rise, it is natural that The largest cities have the highest demand for UX Designers.

As seen in the graphic above, São Paulo is the city with the highest salary in UX Design, being able to reach R$15,000.00.

On the other hand, the state of Paraná, according to the study, is the place with the lowest salaries for UX Design, with the highest observed around R$7,500.00.

Of course, because of the large number and different profiles of cities in Brazil, it is necessary to take into account the cost of living in each location. There are more expensive cities to live in just as there are cheaper cities to live in.

In this way, many professionals end up migrating from the city to larger centers, due to the greater number of opportunities and, consequently, higher salaries.

Reading Tip: Remote Work - What Are the Perspectives During and Post-Pandemic?

UX Design positions also influence salary amounts

The issue of the different salary amounts per position seems more obvious. because the higher your position, the more responsibilities and, as a consequence, a higher salary.

The UX Panorama divided the UX positions into:

• Manager, Director or C-Level;
• Coordinator;
• Senior;
• Plenary;
• Junior;
• Trainee.

So, as is to be expected, the highest salaries are in the highest positions or with more responsibilities.

For the most beginning positions, Junior and Full, salaries are between R$2,500.00 and R$5,500.00, with a maximum of around R$9,000.00.

Additionally, it is possible to observe a intersection between salaries, especially at the Senior, Coordinator and Manager, Director or C-Level levels.

Maybe this intersection is a consequence of the lack of a well-defined description of the responsibilities of each position, especially coordination and management.

In addition, generally, the wage gap between a manager and director is quite high. The survey placed these two positions in a single block, so it would not be surprising that the lowest salaries indicated correspond to those of managers.

Experience time is also important

Experience time also influences compensation values in UX Design.

It is interesting to note that already in the first 5 years of experience, the highest salary indicated was R$12,500.00.

In addition, there is a good perspective for those considering migrating to UX Design. Wages with less than 1 year of experience can reach almost R$5,000.00 With, with the maximum mentioned in the study around R$7,500.00.

Therefore, it is important to emphasize that it is incredible to be able to get an opportunity with less than 1 year and yet it pays reasonably well that way!

Reading Tip: Check out the interviewees of the MID students and learn the stories of those who migrated to UX Design

What is the compensation of freelancers?

Although Panorama UX identifies the Freelancer hiring method, She's only 4% of the total number of those surveyed.

Even so, it is important to stress that Freelancing is a very common modality that must also be taken into account.

Therefore, if you want to start working as a Freelancer in UX Design, It can be based on the information above, according to Panorama UX studies.

Evaluate your time and experience and what position you are equivalent to and compare with the study graphs. It may not be the ideal way to price, but at first, it can provide you with the necessary guidance.

It is necessary to see to believe

Panorama UX organizes the data and information of more than 1000 people and is a serious and recognized research. Nevertheless, it's always interesting to see these numbers in practice, with our own eyes.

Navigating the site Glassdoor — formerly Love Mondays — we were able to observe some vacancies and their respective salaries.

These are just a few examples in a quick search.

In addition, every day in our student community of MID, vacancies are posted at the most diverse locations and levels (Junior, Full, Senior). Even the students themselves end up recommending each other to the companies that work and that have open opportunities.

But what about outside Brazil? What are the values?

Panorama UX is a survey conducted with professionals who work in Brazilian market, which is still new, compared to the world market.

That way, the question remains: and outside of Brazil? How much can I earn with UX Design?

There is a site called UX Designer Salaries which Compiles compensation information for professionals around the world.

UX Designer Salaries is a site that allows you to submit your salary, how many years of experience you have, and it converts the amounts to dollars. There is already some information from 2020, for example.

Below is a graph of salaries by country, taking into account the countries with the most data collected.

Remember that the values are relative to Annual salary.

We can see that the USA has an annual salary well above the global average and that the Brazil is still well below this same average.

Thus, we can conclude that still there is room for Brazil to grow in the category. But for now, opportunities in other countries may pay better.

And contrary to what you might think, it is indeed possible to operate in the international market with UX Designer. Here are some examples of our students who work in different countries:

• Daniel Hildebrandt: Do you live in Canada and acts as Product Designer at BMO;
• Rodrigo Medeiros: moved to Portugal and acts as Product Designer at OutSystems;
• Israel Mosque: was hired as UX/UI Designer in a company of Portugal. And today she works in Vienna on mySugr;
• Inis Leahy: lives in Dublin and acts as UX Designer on Udemy;

Reading Tip: 7 Tips for Becoming an International Designer

What should be taken into consideration, anyway?

The surveys give us a lot of information and a very interesting view about the salaries and possible compensation amounts in the UX Design market.

Despite this, it is always important to keep in mind that Search values don't represent a rule. There are several variables and each case is a case.

The main point we want to make in this article is that The market is heated and that opportunities exist, including good salaries for those who are migrating.

Companies are understanding the importance of UX Design in business and are willing to invest in early-career professionals. Therefore, Don't miss that window.

In addition, it is important that you keep in mind that there are issues that you do not have as much control, such as Experience time. That question literally only comes with time. So, Have patience.

Make a short career plan and prospect, even if for the short term, where you want to go and how much you expect to receive for the work. Keeping these questions in mind helps when considering a proposal or opportunity.

And if you want, you can also search for international opportunities.

We're here to help you!

We at Aela know that market issues, salary and opportunities often create a bit of anxiety and that's why we try to provide you with the best content!

And if you want to go further in your career in UX Design, find out about our MID Bootcamp. As a student, one of the main advantages is being in contact with several experienced professionals who can assist you with various issues, including about compensation and salary.