Career change to UX design
Web and Digital Interface Designers earn a median of $104,000 a year (BLS, May 2025). O*NET files UX and user experience designer job titles mainly under Web and Digital Interface Designers.. Below: the jobs whose skills carry over best, what you need to get in, and pay.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025 and BLS CPS 2025 · How we match careers
- Median pay
- $104,000
- Usual preparation
- A bachelor's degree
- Workers 45 or older
- 26%
- U.S. jobs
- 113,330
The best jobs to switch from
Jobs whose skills carry over best into web and digital interface designers, by our career-change match score, with the skills people in that job usually need to build.
| If you are now… | Match | Your median pay now | Skills to build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Marketing Strategists | 80% | $78,760Broader BLS group | Troubleshooting, Operations Analysis, Quality Control Analysis |
| Graphic Designers | 78% | $62,960 | Troubleshooting, Programming, Quality Control Analysis |
| Desktop Publishers | 76% | $55,290 | Technology Design, Programming, Troubleshooting |
| Technical Writers | 76% | $90,390 | Programming, Troubleshooting, Technology Design |
| Special Effects Artists and Animators | 73% | $102,030 | Troubleshooting, Programming, Operations Analysis |
| Editors | 71% | $77,920 | Programming, Troubleshooting, Operations Analysis |
| Data Scientists | 70% | $120,230 | Operations Analysis, Troubleshooting, Technology Design |
| Writers and Authors | 67% | $76,910 | Operations Analysis, Programming, Troubleshooting |
| Art Directors | 65% | $114,850 | Programming, Troubleshooting, Technology Design |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | 65% | $62,200 | Operations Analysis, Programming, Troubleshooting |
Skills to build: skills that are at least 0.25 points more important in the new career (O*NET 31.0 importance, 1–5). How we match careers
What you need to get in
Education
O*NET does not publish an education breakdown for this career.
Usual preparation: A bachelor's degree (O*NET 31.0 Job Zone). Most common on-the-job training: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
Similar careers to consider
The careers most like web and digital interface designers by skills and daily work (O*NET 31.0).
- Web Developers80% similar · $92,650 · 1–2 years (training or associate)
- Web Administrators77% similar · $116,580 · A bachelor's degree
- Computer and Information Research Scientists76% similar · $140,300 · A graduate degree
- Computer Programmers76% similar · $100,390 · A bachelor's degree
- Software Developers76% similar · $135,980 · A bachelor's degree
- Blockchain Engineers76% similar · $116,580 · A bachelor's degree
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Questions about switching to UX design
What jobs make it easiest to switch to UX design?
By our skill match, people working as Search Marketing Strategists (80%), Graphic Designers (78%) and Desktop Publishers (76%) have the most transferable experience.
What education do you need for UX design?
Usual preparation for web and digital interface designers: a bachelor's degree (O*NET 31.0 Job Zone).
Is it too late to switch to UX design at 40?
26% of web and digital interface designers are 45 or older and their median age is 37.1 (BLS Current Population Survey, 2025).
How much do web and digital interface designers make?
The national median is $104,000 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). Highest-paying states: California ($136,110), Washington ($130,480), New York ($120,990).