Salary report · San Francisco, CA

What is the average UX Designer salary in San Francisco, CA?

UX Designers in San Francisco earn a median of $130,500 per year — about 42% above the national average. Pay ranges from $94,000 (25th percentile) to $202,300 (90th percentile).

25th percentile
$94,000
Median
$130,500
75th percentile
$167,000
90th percentile
$202,300
YoY change
+4.3%

UX Designer salary by experience level

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$84,800
Mid · 3–5 yrs
$130,500
Senior · 6–8 yrs
$167,000
Lead · 8+ yrs
$189,200

How San Francisco pay compares

San Francisco median$130,500
National median$91,920
Cost-of-living adjusted(COL index 244)$53,500

Cost-of-living adjusted is the San Francisco salary translated into equivalent purchasing power vs the US average (COL index 100). Useful for comparing offers across cities.

5-year salary trend

$110K
2022
$115K
2023
$120K
2024
$125K
2025
$131K
2026

Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 4.3%.

UX Designer job market in San Francisco

San Francisco offers the highest tech salaries in the country but cost of living is brutal — particularly housing. Many roles offer remote/hybrid flexibility.

An estimated 7,600 ux designers work in the San Francisco metro. Daily responsibilities typically include:

  • Conduct user research
  • Build wireframes and prototypes
  • Run usability tests
  • Collaborate with engineering
  • Define design systems

Related job salaries in San Francisco

UX Designer salary in other cities

FAQ

How much does a UX Designer make in San Francisco, CA?+

UX Designers in San Francisco earn a median of $130,500 per year — about 42% above the national average of $91,920.

What's the entry-level UX Designer salary in San Francisco?+

Entry-level UX Designers in San Francisco typically earn around $84,800 per year. Salaries scale to about $189,200 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.

Is $130,500 a good UX Designer salary in San Francisco?+

$130,500 is the median, meaning half of UX Designers in San Francisco earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 244, that's roughly $53,500 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.

How fast is UX Designer pay growing in San Francisco?+

UX Designer salaries in San Francisco grew about 4.3% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +8%.

Where do UX Designers in San Francisco get paid the most?+

The 90th percentile UX Designer salary in San Francisco is around $202,300. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.

Are you being paid fairly in San Francisco?

Run a free comparison against BLS data — see if your salary is below, at, or above the San Francisco median.

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