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UI/UX Designer Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do UI/UX Designers expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for UI/UX Designers in a startup is 77k per year, with a range from 35k to 170k. The salary range for UI/UX Designers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
77.2k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average UI/UX Designer salary is $77,208, which is 31.6% lower than the average startup salary of $112,833. UI/UX Designer salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$140,542/yr
Range $125k - $170k
Average
$77,208/yr
Range $65k - $90k
Below Average
$47,333/yr
Range $35k - $65k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a UI/UX Designer can get in San Francisco Bay Area, that is $152,000. This pay is 96.9% higher than the average UI/UX Designer salary in startups, which is $77,208. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: San Francisco Bay Area (avg $152,000 per year), Chicago (avg $115,000 per year), Boston (avg $100,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Chicago
$115k
Boston
$100k
Denver
$100k
Los Angeles
$95k
Austin
$92k
New York
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View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a UI/UX Designer can get in Messaging, that is $187,000. This pay is 28.0% higher than the average UI/UX Designer salary, which is $146,050. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Messaging (avg $187,000 per year), Financial Services (avg $170,000 per year), Apps (avg $165,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a UI/UX Designer can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $70,000. This pay is 9.3% lower than the average UI/UX Designer salary, which is $77,208. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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Tech Hubs for UI/UX Designer
Industries for UI/UX Designer
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