There are many different career paths within the UI UX design field—but which should you pursue? In this post, we weigh up whether or not UI UX is a good career (spoiler: it is!) and explore 10 of the most popular UI UX designer jobs.
One of the reasons UI UX design is such an exciting field is the sheer variety of job titles and opportunities it offers. This can also make it one of the most complicated, confusing job markets to navigate.
If you’re an entry-level designer, you’ll want to know what kinds of jobs are available to you as you progress in your career. If you’re already an established designer, you’re perhaps looking to specialise—or simply keep up with how the job market is evolving.
Either way, our UI UX career guide should come in handy. Keep reading to discover the most popular UI UX designer jobs you should consider in 2026 (and their salaries).
Contents:
- Is UI UX design a good career path?
- The top 10 UI UX designer jobs in 2026 (and their salaries)
- Where to look for UI UX designer jobs
- What next? How to chart a successful career in UI UX design
1. Is UI UX design a good career path?
If you want an interesting, secure, and well-paid job in the tech industry, then yes—UI UX design is a good career path.
UX design (or user experience design) is all about finding out what kind of product or service a particular user group needs, and then designing it in a way that’s accessible, logical, and easy for the end user. UI design (or user interface design) focuses on how digital product interfaces look and function when the user interacts with them. You can learn more about what UI and UX design are (and the differences between them) in this guide.
Now let’s outline why UI UX design is a good career path right now.
Demand for UI UX design skills will continue to grow as digital transformation accelerates
Job demand and security are important factors to consider before starting a new career—especially with the rise of AI. We’re used to seeing UI and UX named as in-demand jobs, but does this still hold true in the current labour market?
As of 2026, digital design is set to become non-negotiable and critical to all projects. As per Deloitte, 85 percent of organizations increased their investment in AI for digital design in 2025, and 91 percent plan to increase it again in 2026.
All’s well for UI and UX designers in 2026. But what about the future?
While it’s clear that technology is transforming the future of work, designers need not fear being replaced by ChatGPT (or similar) any time soon. In fact, as digital transformation accelerates, UI and UX designers will be integral to bridging the gap between humans and technology, ensuring that it’s usable and accessible.
60% of business leaders see digital transformation as their most critical growth driver, as per PwC. By 2026, the world will collectively spend $3.4 trillion on digital transformation.
Essentially, businesses are putting serious money behind digital transformation—which will ultimately maintain, if not increase, the need for UI and UX designers. This is a secure career choice both now and for the future.
Pursuing a holistic course that covers fundamentals and provides enough exposure to build a portfolio can also give a leg-up to those looking to establish themselves in the field. If that sounds like you, check out the whole suite of AND Academy’s Online UI UX Design Courses here.
UI and UX design roles offer above-average salaries
As with many roles in tech, UI and UX design tend to be well-paid. In the United States, for example, the average yearly salary for a UX designer with 1-2 years of experience is $88,125 (Indeed)—compared to the national average salary of $53,490. The average user interface designer salary (across all experience levels) is $95,026 per year (Indeed).
The average yearly salary for a UX designer in India is around ₹8,00,000 while the average salary for a UI designer is around ₹7,00,000. That’s well above the national average salary of ₹3,87,500 per year.
For more salary data, turn to our UI UX designer salary guide.
UI UX design is an interesting career path
Besides job security and above-average salaries, UI UX design has lots to offer in terms of job satisfaction. It’s one of those rare careers which intersects business, technology, creativity, and human users. As such, it offers great variety—a key ingredient for long-term job satisfaction.
There are dozens of different pathways within the field; whether you want to focus on strategy, develop your research and analysis skills, or play to your artistic talents, there’s no shortage of opportunities to do so.
If that all sounds appealing, continue reading to learn more about some of the most popular UI UX design jobs.
2. The top 10 UI UX designer jobs (and their skills and salaries)
In this section, we’ll explore some common job titles within the UI UX design field, outlining the key skills required for each. We’ll also share the average salary for each role. Here are the job titles we’ll focus on:
- UX designer
- UI designer
- UI UX designer (hybrid role)
- Product designer
- UX researcher
- UX writer
- Interaction designer
- UX analyst
- Information architect
- UX strategist
UX designer
What does a UX designer do?
UX designers plan, design, and oversee every aspect of the interaction between a human user and a product. Their main goal is to ensure that the product they’re designing (usually an app or a website) helps their target user in some way. For example: a UX designer working for a medical company might design an app which enables patients to keep track of their appointments, log their symptoms, and view their treatment plans.
This is one of the most broad and varied roles under the UI UX umbrella. It encompasses everything from strategy, user research and data analysis to design, testing, and stakeholder management. Note that UX designers are focused on product usability—they don’t get involved in aesthetics.
What skills do you need to be a UX designer?
This varied role requires a diverse skill set. Some of the most important UX designer skills include:
- Research and analysis
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Knowledge of accessible design
- Information architecture
- Communication and collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Empathy
What is the average UX designer salary?
In the United States, the average yearly salary for a UX designer with 1-2 years of experience is $88,125 (Indeed). In India, the average UX designer salary across all experience levels is ₹8,00,000 per year (Glassdoor).
UI designer
What does a UI designer do?
UI designers are user interface designers, which means they design the ‘surface’ layer of apps and websites—in other words, everything the user actually sees and interacts with. This is a creative design role concerning a product’s visual properties such as colours, typography, imagery, spacing, and animation.
Just like UX designers, UI designers have the goal of creating a great experience for the end user. They use their visual design skills to ensure that the website or app is easy to navigate, and that it’s accessible (for example, ensuring that text is legible with ample spacing and contrast). UI designers are also responsible for defining and upholding a consistent visual brand.
What skills do you need to be a UI designer?
UI designers must be creative with a strong aesthetic flair. At the same time, they need to be tech-savvy enough to design for websites and apps while always keeping the end user in mind. Important UI designer skills include:
- Creativity and visual design skills
- Understanding of UI principles such as colour theory, typography, and spacing
- Prototyping
- Interaction design and animation
- Understanding of technology and the ability to design for different devices
- Knowledge of accessible design
What is the average UI designer salary?
In the United States, the average user interface designer salary (across all experience levels) is $95,026 per year (Indeed). In India, the average UI designer salary (across all experience levels) is ₹7,00,000 (talent.com).
UI UX designer (hybrid role)
What does a UI UX designer do?
So far, we’ve explored UX designer and UI designer as two separate jobs. However, it’s not uncommon for designers to take on a hybrid UI UX role.
UI UX designers cover all bases. They’re involved in everything from user research, defining personas, and planning the product’s information architecture, right through to high-fidelity prototyping and visual design. This is a great pathway for those who enjoy the research and problem-solving aspect of UX but also love getting hands-on with creative design work.
What skills do you need to be a UI UX designer?
Unsurprisingly, UI UX designers need to be equally skilled in both UX-related (research, analytics, strategy, etc.) and UI-related tasks (typography, colour schemes, icon design, animation, etc.). As such, the most important UI UX designer skills include:
- Research and analysis
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Information architecture
- Visual design (icons, typography, colour, etc.)
- Interaction design and animation
- Accessible design
- Communication and collaboration
- Project and stakeholder management
For more information, refer to this guide: 15 Must-Have UI UX Design Skills & How To Develop Them
What is the average UI UX designer salary?
In the United States, the average yearly salary for a UI UX designer is $80,105 across all experience levels (Glassdoor). In India, the average UI UX designer salary is ₹7,31,250 per year (talent.com).
Product designer
What does a product designer do?
Product designers are responsible for the end-to-end process of designing a product. They factor in target user needs and business goals to design usable, problem-solving products, usually in the digital space.
There is much debate in the industry around whether or not there’s a difference between product designers and UX designers. Some argue that UX designers are more focused on the design of new products while product designers spend their time updating and improving products post-launch. Others maintain that product designer is just another name for a UX designer.
In essence, the job titles do tend to be used interchangeably—and, if you compare their tasks and responsibilities, you’ll see that they’re not so different at all. Just like UX designers, product designers conduct user research, create wireframes and prototypes, and oversee user testing.
What skills do you need to be a product designer?
The product designer skill set is very similar to that of a UX designer. The top skills you’ll need to be a product designer include:
- Research and analysis
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Information architecture
- Communication and collaboration
- Empathy
An understanding of business objectives
What is the average product designer salary?
In the United States, the average salary for a product designer is $122,431 across all experience levels (Indeed). In India, the average product designer salary is ₹1,200,000 per year (talent.com).
UX researcher
What does a UX researcher do?
UX researcher is a specialist role which focuses on one critical aspect of the product design process: user research.
User research is the foundation of good design—and the starting point for any successful design project. UX researchers use different research methods (both qualitative and quantitative) to learn as much as they can about the target users and what they require from the product. They are responsible for defining research goals, conducting research, analysing the data gathered, and sharing their findings with key stakeholders (such as UX designers and product managers).
What skills do you need to be a UX researcher?
To succeed as a UX researcher, you’ll need to demonstrate the following:
- Knowledge of different research methods (both qualitative and quantitative)
- The ability to work with data
- Strong analytical skills
- Empathy and curiosity
- Communication and presentation skills
- Collaboration and teamwork
- An understanding of the product design process
What is the average UX researcher salary?
In the United States, the average UX researcher salary is $119,064 across all experience levels (Indeed). The average UX researcher salary in India is ₹9,00,000 per year (Glassdoor).
UX writer
What does a UX writer do?
Like UX researcher, this is another specialist role which zooms in on one specific aspect of the UX design process.
A UX writer is in charge of all the copy, content, and messaging which features as part of a product interface. They’re like messaging designers, choosing which words will be most helpful in guiding the user from point A to B.
UX writing includes things like menu labels, CTA (call-to-action) button copy (for example: “Sign up here” or “Submit your form”), pop-up messaging (for example: “You’re about to cancel your subscription. Are you sure?” or “Thanks! Your request has been submitted.”) and page headers. They collaborate closely with UX and UI designers, and may also be involved in product and content strategy.
What skills do you need to be a UX writer?
The most important skill for a UX writer is the ability to write microcopy—that is, concise, user-focused copy which facilitates the user experience. Here are the top UX writer skills at a glance:
- MS team
- An understanding of UI and UX design
- User research and analysis
- UX writing—writing the microcopy which features throughout a product interface
- An understanding of content strategy
- Communication
- Strong collaboration
What is the average UX writer salary?
In the United States, the average salary for a UX writer is $75,095 across all experience levels (Glassdoor). In India, the average salary for a UX writer is ₹8,60,000 per year (Glassdoor).
Interaction designer
What does an interaction designer do?
Interaction design (IxD) is one aspect of the entire user experience, focusing on how the user interacts with the product. Interaction designers consider the end user’s goal (for example: “I want to use the Flipkart mobile app to order a pair of shoes”) to design all the elements and interactions they will need to complete that goal.
This might sound familiar…so is interaction design yet another fancy name for UX design? Not quite. While there is major overlap, we can distinguish between the roles as follows: interaction designers focus solely on the moment of interaction between user and product, while UX designers are focused on the entire experience—including, but not limited to, those interactions.
The Interaction Design Foundation provides an in-depth explanation of interaction design here.
What skills do you need to be an interaction designer?
Interaction designers require similar skills to those of a UX designer. The most important skills for an interaction designer are:
- Deep knowledge of interaction design principles
- Understanding of the UX design process
- Research and analysis
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Collaboration and communication
What is the average interaction designer salary?
In the United States, the average salary for an interaction designer is $110,441 across all experience levels (Glassdoor). The average salary for an interaction designer in India is ₹9,91,122 per year (Glassdoor).
UX analyst
What does a UX analyst do?
A user experience (UX) analyst (sometimes called a usability analyst) is the most data-driven member of the UI UX team. They conduct in-depth user research to understand user goals, and analyse the usability of the product on an ongoing basis to ensure it’s meeting those user goals. Based on their findings, the UX analyst provides recommendations for how the product (and its usability) can be improved.
What skills do you need to be a UX analyst?
To specialise as a UX analyst, you’ll need the following:
- Strong research and analysis skills
- An affinity with data
- An understanding of the most important user and usability metrics
- Communication skills (especially important for sharing research insights)
- Deep understanding of UX and UI design principles
What is the average UX analyst salary?
In the United States, the average salary for a UX analyst is $137,143 across all experience levels (Indeed). In India, the average salary for a UX analyst is ₹6,55,327 per year (Glassdoor).
Information architect
What does an information architect do?
Information architecture (IA) relates to how content is organised and labelled. It’s an integral part of UI UX design as it ensures that information is structured logically across the product—crucial for helping the user to find what they’re looking for. It’s like going into a supermarket where all the products are grouped logically (cold items in the fridge, bread all in one aisle, tinned products stacked together) and labelled clearly. You’re able to whizz round and easily locate what you need!
Information architects conduct research to understand how users expect certain information to be grouped and organised (here they will typically use a card sorting exercise), group and label all the content that should feature in the product, and create sitemaps to depict the overall ‘architecture’ of the information. They may also run tests to evaluate and improve the IA of an existing product.
What skills do you need to be an information architect?
The most important skills for an information architect are:
- Understanding of UX design principles
- Knowledge of human behaviour and concepts such as mental models and cognitive load
- Deep understanding of information architecture principles
- Ability to conduct and analyse research
- Effective communication
What is the average information architect salary?
In the United States, the average salary for an information architect is $134,949 per year across all experience levels (Indeed). The average salary for an information architect in India is ₹29,14,387 per year (Glassdoor). Note that this is a rather high estimate based on a small data sample of just 21 salaries. The reported average salary for the title ‘UX architect’ is probably more realistic at ₹1,723,270 per year (Payscale). A reminder to be cautious when interpreting average salary data!
UX strategist
What does a UX strategist do?
Not all UI UX roles will see you getting hands-on with design deliverables. There’s also scope to occupy a strategic role if that’s where your strengths and interests lie.
A UX strategist ensures that the work being done by the design team is aligned with the goals of the business. UX designers also bridge the gap between end user needs and business goals, but UX strategists take it up a notch. They conduct market and competitor research to establish where the product fits into the current market, conduct both business and user research to understand the goals and needs of each, and develop a roadmap (i.e. a strategic direction) to guide the development and evolution of the product.
What skills do you need to be a UX strategist?
As the title suggests, this is a highly strategic role. To excel as a UX strategist, you will need:
- Strong communication skills
- Research and analysis skills
- Strategic and critical thinking
- Effective problem-solving
- Project management skills
- An understanding of UX design and business
What is the average UX strategist salary?
In the United States, the average yearly salary for a UX strategist is $115,192 across all experience levels (salary.com). In India, there is a lack of sufficient data to report an average UX strategist salary. Glassdoor reports just one salary: ₹40,22,545, which may not be a realistic representation of your own earning potential in the role.
3. Where to look for UI UX designer jobs
Excited about your first—or next—UI UX design role? Here are the best job boards for your search:
- UI UX Jobs Board —your go-to website for UX-only jobs.
- Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent) —best for startup jobs.
- Dribbble—one of the biggest networking platforms for digital designers. Use Dribbble to share your work and find design roles.
- AIGA Design Jobs—the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) is the oldest and largest professional membership organisation for design. Use their job board to find internships, paid opportunities, and pro bono gigs.
- We Work Remotely—this is the largest remote work community in the world; your number one destination for remote jobs.
- Growmotely—for 100% remote jobs in a range of industries.
- LinkedIn—ideal for networking, personal branding, and finding jobs.
- Indeed—your portal for up-to-date salary data and jobs all around the world.
- UX Jobs Board—a 7,000+ community of UX professionals, and one of the best UX-focused job boards.
4. What next? How to chart a successful career in UI UX design
As digital transformation accelerates, UX and UI skills are more in demand than ever. At the same time, the design field is maturing and specialist roles are becoming the norm. As a UI UX designer, you have the opportunity to forge a unique career path which speaks to your interests, skills, and strengths.
Already established as a UI UX designer and considering your next steps?
Perhaps one of the roles on our list piqued your interest. If that’s the case, you’ll want to start honing those specialist skills. Look for opportunities in your current job to branch out; for example, if you’re interested in a strategic role, you might ask to sit in on some strategy meetings. If you’re a UX designer looking to move into a hybrid role, consider upskilling with a UI design course .
If you’re a newcomer, the most important first step is to learn the fundamentals of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. This will form the basis for most roles in the industry—including those we’ve outlined in this post. Start with our step-by-step guide to learning UI UX design (complete with learning objectives and helpful resources). From there, formalise your learning with a professional UI UX Design Course—this will provide the structure and support you need to master both essential theory and practical industry skills.
It is also recommended to go through design portfolios to understand how UI UX manifests in real-world application. You can take a look at AND learner Shrikant Subramaniam’s UI UX Project for inspiration and reference. When you’re ready, we’ve put together a comparison of the best UI UX Design courses here.
Here are some additional resources that may be useful in your learning efforts:
- Watch this session by Shiva Viswanathan, Design Head of Ogilvy Pennywise, and Naman Singh, Product Experience Designer at RED.
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Pursue our UI UX Design courses – all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts, and some even offer a Job Guarantee.
- Take advantage of our scholarship and funding options to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
In case you think you need further assistance, here are some of our resources you can consider:
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
