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How To Become A UX Designer: Education, Salary and Job Growth
User Experience (UX) design is a fast-growing field focused on creating intuitive and engaging experiences for users of digital products.
As technology evolves, businesses are prioritising well-designed interfaces to ensure smooth and satisfying interactions with websites, apps, and software.
If you are considering a career as a UX designer, this guide will provide you with essential insights on how to get started, the skills required, and the potential for growth in this exciting and rewarding field.
UX Design job outlook
The UX design industry is driven by the demand for user-centric digital products across various sectors, including tech, e-commerce, healthcare, and finance.
The User Experience (UX) design industry in the UK has experienced fluctuations in job availability and sector representation. In July 2024, job vacancies in the UK rose by 1.1% to 862,043, with creative and design roles increasing by 1.6%*.
According to a report by the UX Design Institute, skilled UX designers continue to be in high demand, with many hiring managers prioritising top-quality candidates**.
What is a UX Designer?
A UX designer focuses on improving how users interact with digital products, ensuring smooth, intuitive, and enjoyable experiences. As technology becomes essential for tasks in our personal and professional lives, UX design ensures digital products are functional, user-friendly, and accessible.
The role involves three key stages: research, design, and validation. Designers conduct user research to understand needs and pain points, create wireframes and prototypes to plan the product, and validate the design by gathering feedback for improvements.
Tasks include mapping customer journeys and collaborating with developers to implement designs. UX designers may work in various roles, such as information architect, UI designer, or UX researcher, and can work in agencies, freelance, or in-house at companies. They often collaborate with other digital professionals like designers and product managers.
UX designer salaries
The average base salary of a UX designer in February 2025 was around £47,882 per year, according to figures from Glassdoor.
UX designer salaries vary depending on factors like location and industry.
In London – home to over 40,000 tech companies, including Amazon and Google –UX salaries are typically above average due to strong demand and competitive pay.
Below is a list of average salaries in some of the highest-paying cities for UX designers.
|
city |
Junior: 1-3 years |
Mid: 3-5 years |
Senior 5-7 years |
|
London |
£29,000-£39,000 |
£37,000-£55,000 |
£51,000-£91,000 |
|
Manchester |
£31,000-£39,000 |
£32,000-£48,500 |
£40,500-£75,000 |
|
Edinburgh |
£32,000-£37,000 |
£34,000-£48,000 |
£46,000-£71,000 |
(Source: UX Design Institute, August 2024)
Ways to become a UX designer
To become a UX designer, there are multiple pathways you can take, depending on your goals, experience, and available resources.
Two of the most common routes are studying for a degree or pursuing alternative qualifications.
Study for a degree
One traditional path to becoming a UX designer is earning a degree in a relevant field such as digital media, marketing, product design, graphic design, or computer science, all common among UX professionals. Some institutions offer tailored UX design degrees.
A degree offers a strong foundation in design principles, research methods, and user-centered processes.
It provides hands-on projects to build your portfolio, access to internships, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. While it requires time and financial investment, a degree can help you stand out and gain broader knowledge in related fields like UI design, coding, and user research.
Consider alternative qualifications
If a degree isn’t an option, there are several alternative routes to becoming a UX designer.
You can start with a college course or higher apprenticeship to secure a trainee position. Relevant college courses include Computing, T Level in Digital Production, and Level 4 Certificate in Digital Media Design.
Alternatively, online courses, boot camps, and professional certificates offer the necessary skills at a faster pace and lower cost.
Platforms like Coursera, edX, and LinkedIn Learning provide industry-led training on key UX topics such as wireframing, prototyping and usability testing.
Gaining work experience 
However you decide to enter the industry, getting some hands-on experience is crucial to landing your first job as a UX designer.
Consider searching for an internship, apprenticeship, or short-term work experience within the field. Boot camps often include career services to help build your portfolio and connect with employers.
Attending UX meetups, joining design challenges, or working on freelance projects can further boost your skills and experience.
Building a portfolio
The materials needed to secure a UX job are extensive and require a lot of work.
To apply for a UX role, a portfolio is needed alongside your CV. A common way to develop this is using an online website builder, allowing for easy portfolio management and distribution.
Whether your projects are specifically UX based or come from a more product design background, employers are looking for your design thinking skills rather than the final project.
Personal and professional skills
Employers in this industry are looking for applicants with varied and developed skills. Those interested in a UX design career should have:
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Collaboration and communication
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Wireframing and prototyping (knowledge of Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD is beneficial)
- Visual design and UI skills
“In my time working as a UX designer, I have been able to develop the core skills I learned in my degree and specialise my design thinking for a specific medium, industries, and methods. For example, my degree taught me the fundamentals of design thinking, having empathy with the user, defining a brief, and how to ideate. This is needed every day when designing software; speaking directly to users, designing solutions on their behalf, or exploring the best method of attaining insights. Finally, working as a UX designer allows me to advocate for user-centred design across the business, explaining and reasoning with other stakeholders, aligning both the end product and our process in delivering the best solution for the end user."
Explore Your Options
There are many paths to becoming a UX designer. Whether you pursue a university degree, professional certification, or an apprenticeship, gaining hands-on experience is key to standing out.
A career in UX design equips you with the skills to work across diverse industries, combining creativity and problem-solving to improve user experiences and create intuitive digital products.
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