UX Design

Considering a career as a UX Designer? We’ve got all the information you need to decide if this career is right for you, including job description, requirements, bootcamp information, and salary/job outlook.
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Last updated August 22, 2024

What is UX Design?

UX (User Experience) Design is the process of designing highly functional products, websites, mobile applications, and software with the user in mind. The focus of good UX design is to ensure the user experience is intuitive, easy, and relevant. A UX Designer’s “main goal is to continually measure and improve the usability of a product for its users by leveraging research,” explains Terry Million, Design Product Manager at Chegg Skills. 

The demand for UX Designers has never been greater as users and search engines expect a large number of high-quality applications across all devices, such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Despite the growing need, UX Design is reported to be one of the most difficult roles to fill in the tech world. SaaS UX Designers are particularly in demand right now, which means higher salaries for UX Designers. As of May 2023, the average salary for a UX Designer was $98,540.

Types of UX Design Jobs

UX design bootcamp graduates can expect to get jobs like:

  • User Researcher
  • User Experience and Web Content Strategy Coordinator
  • User Experience Lead
  • UX Project Manager
  • Information Architect
  • UX Architect
  • UX Strategist
  • UX Engineer
  • User Experience Specialist
  • UX Consultant
  • Digital Experience Architect
  • UX Writer or Content Strategist
  • Interaction Design
  • Front End Designer
  • Product Designer

How to Learn UX Design

A UX bootcamp is most likely the fastest, most secure way to get a UX Designer job. Whether you want to take a user experience course online or attend an immersive UX/UI bootcamp, there’s a bootcamp for you, no matter your needs or experience level. Some bootcamps like Designlab and UX Design Institute strictly teach only user interface and user experience while others like CareerFoundry, Flatiron School, and General Assembly teach a wide variety of courses from Full Stack Development to UX Immersives.UX bootcamps range in duration from 9-28 weeks and cost anywhere from $3,000-$13,000. 

What Does a UX Designer Do?

UX Design encompasses every part of the process that involves how the user will interact with a product. UX Designers perform user research, card sorting, wireframing, and usability tests, as well as presenting design concepts, meeting with clients, and finding solutions. Some UX Designers specialize in only one portion of the process, while others might handle both UX and UI (which focuses solely on how an interface looks and “feels”). The UX Designer uses design thinking and is expected to understand the lifecycle of an application and how to develop and test prototypes. 

What Kind of Skills Does a UX Designer Need?

UX Design skills overlap with many positions in the tech industry. You’ll find shared or similar responsibilities with UI Designers and Product Managers. UX recruiters want to see prototypes, wireframes, and how you think. They want to be able to assume from your portfolio that you know the technologies necessary to do your job. They’ll also want to see that you have the soft skills to be empathetic with a user, collaborate with your team, and run user testing sessions.

Hard Skills Needed for a UX Designer

  • Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
  • HTML
  • CAS
  • CSS
  • Wireframing
  • Usability testing
  • Research
  • Prototyping tools such as InVision, Figma, or Sketch

Soft Skills Needed for a UX Designer

Soft skills are highly-valued and actively sought out when hiring a UX Designer. They want someone who can communicate effectively, work well on a team, and has a commitment to continuous learning. Here are the top soft skills recruiters want to see: 

  • Curiosity
  • Empathy 
  • Humility 
  • Collaboration
  • Critical Thinking 
  • Communication

Job Market and Salary Insights

UX Designer is an in-demand tech career path, with the overall employment of UX Designer estimated to grow by 16% over the next decade, which is much faster than the average of all other occupations, with 19,000 new jobs added annually.

The median annual salary for a UX Designer was $98,540 as of May 2023. This, of course, varies depending on the industry. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the  median salaries for UX Designers in the following industries:  

  • Finance and Insurance: $121,190
  • Computer systems design: $105,950
  • Advertising & PR: $71,930
  • Retail trade: $66,250

Of course, salary and career growth is also dependent on where you live (large cities and tech hubs tend to pay more), and how many years of experience you have. And while a college degree isn’t mandatory, some companies prefer to hire UX Designers with a degree in computer science or a related discipline.

FAQ Section

How do I know if UX design is for me?

It really depends on your skillset, talents, and aptitudes. If you’re interested in a tech career, UX Design might be a good choice if you’re a “people person,” you enjoy varied and interesting work, you work well with others, and enjoy solving problems. Consider taking a UX Design bootcamp to learn more about the position and if it’s right for you.

How do you start a career in UX Design?

To become a UX Designer you’ll need to learn the skills, thinking patterns, and tools needed to complete the design process from start to finish. You’ll also need to build a convincing portfolio to get a UX job. A reputable UX/UI bootcamp may be the quickest way to move into a UX design career. The possibilities are nearly endless for this growing field!

Is UX Design a good career?

UX Design is an excellent career path to pursue. The need for UX Designers has increased over the last few years, and is now estimated to grow by 16% over the next decade due to our dependence on digital technology and need for a positive user experience. In addition to great pay and flexible work environments, UX Designers are needed by nearly every industry across the globe, such as healthcare, media, manufacturing, marketing, and even the government. It’s also a good path for a career changer, as transferable skills are valued in the UX Design field.

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    UX Design Schools
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    1. xr-bootcamp-logo
      4 Reviews
      2 Courses
      5.0

      About This School

      XR Bootcamp is a global online academy, offering part-time, cutting-edge VR/AR development courses to beginners as well as experienced developers and researchers. XR Bootcamp's Virtual Reality and Metaverse curricula are designed and taught by award-winning, cutting-edge leading XR professionals. All students have access to weekly office hours with their mentors and trainers. 

    2. digi-uprise-logo
      4 Reviews
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      Digi Uprise is an India-based tech training provider offering an online, part-time, 52-week Digital Marketing Diploma bootcamp. The Digital Marketing Diploma bootcamp covers topics like SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, PCC, and email marketing. Digi Uprise also offers shorter digital marketing courses for students that aren’t ready to commit to a full diploma program.

    3. dublin-coding-school-logo
      4 Reviews
      6 Courses
      4.25

      About This School

      Dublin Coding School is a bootcamp based in Ireland offering part-time online courses in data analytics (8 weeks), automated testing (7 weeks), manual testing (7 weeks), full stack web development (8 weeks), UX/UI design (6 weeks), and cybersecurity (8 weeks). Dublin Coding  School also offers a co-working space for students to work on projects and learn outside of class.

    4. umuzi-academy-logo
      3 Reviews
      4 Courses
      4.33

      About This School

      Umuzi Academy offers full-time, 1-year paid learnerships in coding, data, and design free of charge in Johannesburg, South Africa. Students can learn a variety of skills including JavaScript, Node,js, Python, SQL, and UX/UI design. Umuzi Academy’s learnership program is human-centered and agile, allowing student recruits to have training in real-world work environments. Throughout the learnership, students undergo on-the-job training, working in various departments with seasoned industry professionals acting as managers and mentors to the recruits. 


      Bukelwa
      Bukelwa
      Student • Course: Data Science • Johannesburg

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “Data Science ”

      I am a Data scientist at Umuzi and I must say my journey here has been amazing. the academy is amazing, I remember the first day I came here to write a test, I was praying to make it in because the...

    5. code-logo
      2 Reviews
      3 Courses
      5.0

      About This School

      CODE offers full-time, year-long programs in software engineering, interaction design, and product management in Berlin, Germany. Students will have the ability to solve real-world problems by crafting code in multiple environments and languages, identify user needs and create corresponding design interfaces, and develop strategies for digital products. CODE feels there are far better ways to document skills and knowledge than giving out grades; therefore, their special Competence Framework represents 8 main competencies that students can obtain while studying. Students create Individual Competence Profiles and then will be able to choose a course of study that matches their skills and goals. CODE also provides guidance from an academic counselor and helps students develop their soft skills through their Science, Technology and Society program that fosters a broader understanding of the technical and social dimensions of science and technology. Find out full details for the application process here.


      Saidusmon
      Student • Course: Product Management • Berlin

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “CODE student”

      Probably I was in your shoes. Feel free to reach out to me https://www.linkedin.com/in/saidusmon 


    6. About This School

      Cornerstone International Community College of Canada offers 24-month Web and Mobile App Development and Network & Systems Solutions bootcamps and a 12-month Digital Marketing Specialist bootcamp. The Web and Mobile App Development and Network & Systems Solutions bootcamps each include 9 courses over the course of 12 months followed by 12 months of paid co-op work experience. The Digital Marketing Specialist bootcamp includes 6 months of coursework followed by a 6 month paid co-op experience.


      Talatcan
      Student • Course: Web Development Courses Co-op Diploma • Vancouver

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “Super practical diploma programs”

      When I was a student, we were participating many projects right after finishing any web and mobile development topics. Especially, my teacher, Ali(he is still teaching with the same passion like hi...

    7. awakelab-logo
      2 Reviews
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      5.0

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      AwakeLab offers several remote online bootcamp options: Python Full Stack Development (16 weeks), Java Full Stack Development (16 weeks), UX/UI Design (14 weeks), and Front End Web Developer (14 weeks). For students who are new to web development, AwakeLab offers a 4-week Fundamentals of Web Development bootcamp. AwakeLab also offers an advanced 8-week UX Writing bootcamp. All AwakeLab bootcamps utilize a flipped classroom approach and consist of a combination of live online classes and asynchronous work on the AwakeLab web platform. 

    8. sparka-academy-logo
      2 Reviews
      5 Courses
      5.0

      About This School

      Sparka Academy offers part-time Digital Marketing (4 weeks) and UI/UX Design (5 weeks) bootcamps with multiple locations in Hong Kong. Bootcamp instructors have experience working in the tech industry, and are prepared to help students seamlessly pivot their careers.


    9. About This School

      UMass Global Online Bootcamps offers online, part-time, 24-week bootcamps in Cybersecurity and Software Engineering. These bootcamps are self-paced, so it’s possible to complete them before the finish date with extra work. Bootcamp students are matched with a personal industry mentor who they will meet with on a weekly basis to receive feedback and support. The bootcamp offers students access to an online community for live Office Hours and connecting with fellow bootcamp students. 

    10. startup-campus-logo
      2 Reviews
      3 Courses
      5.0

      About This School

      Startup Campus is an Indonesia-based tech training provider offering 16-week, part-time, online bootcamps covering topics like Data Science, UX/UI Design, and AI. Students will also learn soft skills to help them function in a team setting. Startup Campus offers lifetime access to students after graduation. 


      Safira Dwisiwi
      Graduate • Course: UX/UI Design • Online

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “Is a friendly bootcamp to all types of skill levels”

      UI/UX Design is a 5-month bootcamp that caters to individuals of all skill levels, offering live learning and practice sessions in large, interactive classes. Participants benefit from personalized...

    11. transition-school-logo
      2 Reviews
      4 Courses
      4.5

      About This School

      Transition School is a UK-based tech training provider offering a 24-week, live online Career Transition & Mentorship Programme for students interested in transitioning to a new career. The Career Transition & Mentorship Programme allows students to specialize in project management, cybersecurity, software engineering, and UX/UI product design. Programmes include real world projects to give students practical experience in the topics they cover. Transition School also offers shorter courses for students that aren’t ready to commit to a full length programme.

    12. pluralsight-logo
      2 Reviews
      4 Courses
      3.0

      About This School

      Pluralsight is an online learning platform to help technologists keep up with changing technology and build skills in cloud, mobile, security and data. Pluralsight Paths range in length from 9 hours to 50 hours, and combine multiple courses and tools to teach specific skills from start to finish in the right order. Pluralsight offers Paths in Web Development, IT Ops, Creative, Security.


    13. About This School

      Auburn University OPCE Bootcamps by Springboard is a non-credit tech training provider offering 36-week, part-time, online bootcamps covering topics like UI/UX design and coding. The Coding bootcamp covers topics like JavaScript, Python, Flask, Node.js, React, and data structures. The UI/UX Design bootcamp covers topics like wireframing, high fidelity mockups, and design tools. Students will have weekly meetings with advisors to help keep them accountable. Both bootcamps feature capstone projects to help students build a portfolio to show potential employers.Beginners and students with no experience are welcome to apply to Auburn University OPCE Bootcamps by Springboard. After submitting an application, students will have a short interview with an admissions official. Qualifying students will complete a short skills assessment before receiving an admissions decision. Students with a background in technology may test into an accelerated version of the Coding bootcamp.Auburn University OPCE Bootcamps by Springboard are designed to help students land jobs after graduation and career support is included in the curriculum. Career services include career coaching, resume building, portfolio assistance, and interview practice.Auburn University Bootcamps by Springboard offers a variety of financing options to help increase accessibility. Scholarships are available to qualifying students.Auburn University Bootcamps are powered by Springboard.

    14. ux-writing-hub-logo
      2 Reviews
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      2.5

      About This School

      UX Writing Hub is a 20-week, online UX Writing bootcamp. The bootcamp is delivered through eight, self-paced modules that include a mix of lessons, case studies, videos, and assignments. UX Writing Hub bootcamp includes weekly group Q&A meetings and periodic guest lectures. Access to previously recorded live webinars with experts from companies including Netflix, Spotify, Google, and Dropbox is also included. Students should expect to invest 15-20 hours per week.


    15. About This School

      American Graphics Institute is a design education program offering a variety of workshops and courses in design disciplines like UX and web design. AGI offers accredited certificates in various subjects. AGI has both full and part time programs in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, as well as online. 

    16. logic-room-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      Logic Room is an online tech consultancy that offers an 8-week UI Architecture Academy. The course includes personalized coaching and mentoring, and teaches how to build, test and scale UI apps in UI frameworks (React, Angular, Vue). The UI Architecture Academy was created to help participants accelerate their careers to senior, lead or architect roles. Students get lifetime access to the training materials.


      Kevin Do
      Student • Course: UI Architecture Academy • Online

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “Worthwhile program for JavaScript engineers who are looking into building robust code and learning about architecture”

      Scalable TDD & Testing for UI Apps review:This is an expensive small course that is currently in beta. It is available from the newsletter. This course is a nice introduction to how LogicRoom d...

    17. treehouse-logo
      1 Review
      6 Courses
      5.0

      About This School

      Treehouse Techdegrees are 6 to 12 month online courses where students can learn the skills they need to get an entry-level development job. Students can choose from Front End Web Development, Full Stack JavaScript, Java Web Development, Python Web Development, iOS Development, and Android Development programs Students will work through 12 projects, and can participate in office hours and project reviews from Treehouse mentors.


      christopheralan88
      christopheralan88
      Student • Online

      Verified Via GitHub

      “Great”

      Treehouse caters to a large audience.  They make many of their materials available to everyone without having to pay.  This is great for anyone on a tight budget or who just wants to get their feet...

    18. technology-&-media-school-logo
      1 Review
      3 Courses
      5.0

      About This School

      Technology & Media School is a New York City bootcamp that offers full-time, in-person programs in computer programming, financial technology, digital marketing, and web design. With its robust, intensive curriculum, most courses require about one year to complete except the digital marketing course which wraps up after 11 weeks. Primary languages learned are C, C++, Java, and Python. Technology & Media School is an affiliate of IONIS Schools, founded in 2009 and whose mission is to encourage learning through applicable, real-life projects. 

    19. irrational-labs-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      Irrational Labs offers an 8-week, online Behavioral Design bootcamp, teaching the same techniques and frameworks they share with their consulting clients like Google, Lyft, and more. The bootcamp curriculum covers how to use behavioral science to boost your KPIs, enhance customer experience, and build effective products from the ground up. 


      Rob
      Student • Online

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “Behavioral Design Bootcamp”

      I thought the course was fascinating. I've read some Behavioral Economics content in the past, but this was a great introduction to the practical application of Behavioral Science. Really enjoyed t...

    20. designerup-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      DesignerUp offers a self-paced, online Product Design (UI/UX) Bootcamp designed to be completed in 12 to 24 weeks. The curriculum covers business and product strategy, IA and user interaction design, usability principles, MVP design, mindful design and workflow optimization. As part of the bootcamp cost students receive access to our student community and additional resources. Students will finish the bootcamp with an original case study and portfolio.DesignerUp is open to students of all skill levels. Students will meet with their instructor for a 1:1 session at the beginning of the bootcamp to develop a customized learning plan and space tailored for individual needs.DesignerUp students will receive career guidance, including community networking and support. Students will receive a digital certificate upon bootcamp completion.


    21. About This School

      Institute of Product Leadership is an Asian technical skills provider that offers online programs in product management, product leadership, data science, design, strategy & leadership. Institute of Product Leadership also offers online certificate courses and accredited degree programs. The institute was founded in 2012 with a singular mission of creating 10,000 product leaders in the country. The organization has since designed and delivered programs in collaboration with various institutes, universities, corporations, and senior working professionals to help them make career transitions into Product Leadership. The institute has developed a community of over 3,300+ successful alumni leading the product, data, and design teams across the world.

    22. behavioral-design-academy-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      Behavioral Design Academy is a digital psychology & emotional design training and certification platform that offers 9-week, in-person and self-paced Applied Behavioral Design bootcamps. The program aims to integrate psychological knowledge with tech-based design concepts. The Applied Behavioral Design bootcamps cover topics like psychology, psychometrics, brand personality, adaptive brand guidelines, wireframes, reinforcing user behavior, and behavioral user journey. 


      Malik
      Student • Course: Behavioral Design Training Package • Online

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “The Best Digital Behavior Design Training Out There!”

      One of the best, if not the best set of courses on digital behavior change and emotional design. Refreshingly, it is not prescriptive but allows me to design/adapt my own model(s) of change dependi...

    23. socratech-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      SocraTech is a Spain-based tech training provider offering a 16-week, part-time, live online Full Stack Developer bootcamp. The Full Stack Developer bootcamp covers topics like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, responsive web design, Node.js, React, MySQL, and SCRUM. Class sizes are limited to ensure quality of education. SocraTech also offers short, online courses covering UX Design, QA, and AI.


      Euge Pozo
      Graduate • Course: Full Stack Developer • Online

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “¡¡¡Una experiencia increible!!!”

      Estudié el bootcamp Full Stack Web Developer hace un año y medio y llevo un año y medio trabajando como desarrolladora front en la industria, cuando antes era profesora y no tenía ni idea de progra...

    24. tech-joy-academy-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      Tech Joy Academy is an online training provider offering a 12-week, part-time, online Interdisciplinary Internship for AI & Data Science. The Interdisciplinary Internship for AI & Data Science covers topics like Python, AWS, full stack development, mobile development, AI, DevOps, and QA testing. Students will master the basics and have a chance to try different disciplines in tech before choosing a specific focus for their internship.


      Danielle Arnett
      Graduate • Course: Interdisciplinary Internship for AI & Data Science • Online

      Verified Via LinkedIn

      “Such a valuable experience!”

      Tech Joy was the second bootcamp I enrolled in.  I was looking for a job and not having much luck, so I decided to try it because it included an internship.  It was worth every penny!  I was able t...

    25. designwings-logo
      1 Review
      1 Course
      5.0

      About This School

      Designwings is a tech training provider based in India offering a 24-week, online, part-time UX/UI Design bootcamp. The UX/UI Design bootcamp covers topics like design theory, testing methodologies, product design, UX research, Figma, and user research. Students will complete real-life client projects with expert designers.

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