UX Designers Vs Developers: Why do we earn less than developers?

You get to work with a team that has the same goal in mind

Arslan Ijaz
4 min readMar 21, 2022

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designer Vs developers
Photo by Mateusz Wacławek on Unsplash

UX designers help select and balance the look and user experience of a product. However, they often earn lesser salaries than developers even though their work is just as important. One reason for this discrepancy may be that UX design is a relatively new field, and many people are not aware of the importance of good UX design. In addition, many companies do not see the value in investing in good UX design and instead focus on developing new features or fixing bugs.

UX designers are a vital part of any software development team, but they often earn less than their developer counterparts. While many factors contribute to this discrepancy, some believe that UX design is often seen as a less specialized field. Others claim that developers are more in demand and that the salaries for UX designers will eventually catch up. In the meantime, though, many talented UX designers are finding themselves undervalued and underpaid.

UX designers vs developers

While one might think that the designer’s job is more important, they earn lesser salaries than the developers. This has caused some tension in the industry, as people are trying to figure out why this is so.

Some say that designers are not as technically savvy as developers and cannot contribute as much to the development process. Others say that it’s simply because the design is not considered as important as development, and therefore, designers are given a lesser value.

There are many reasons for this discrepancy, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the future. In the meantime, both sides need to learn to work together to create better user experiences for everyone.

Though it may seem that user experience (UX) designers and developers play two very similar roles in website creation, they each play an essential part in the success of a website. A UX designer creates an efficient user experience by planning an internet site’s functionality and how the website’s users want to interact with it. On the other hand, a developer is responsible for creating the look and feel of the website and making sure that all of the codings are correct and works properly.

Often, people assume that because developers are involved in making a website look good and function properly, they should be the ones who earn more money than UX designers. However, this is not always the case.

UX designers have different skills than developers

UX designers and developers have different skill sets necessary for a successful product. While developers are responsible for the code that makes an app or website work, UX designers are in charge of the overall user experience. They design how the product looks and works and ensure it’s easy for users to interact with.

Due to their unique skillset, UX designers often earn less than developers. However, their contribution to the team is just as significant, if not more so. A product with a bad user experience can be challenging to use and will likely not be successful. By contrast, a product with a good user experience is more likely to be successful and popular.

UX designers have to work with users and understand their needs, while developers need coding skills. A UX designer’s role is to make sure the website or app is easy to use and meets the customer’s needs. They work with developers to develop ideas and then test them out with users. Developers take these ideas and turn them into a reality by writing code. They ensure the website or app works properly and meets all the requirements. Their salaries are typically higher because their skills are in high demand.

Conclusion

A UX designer typically earns 60% of what a developer makes. The need for UX designers is increasing while the number of developers is decreasing. However, developers’ salaries are rising, while UX designers’ wages have remained stagnant.

Some people attribute this discrepancy to the fact that many companies do not see UX design as a critical function.

Others say that developers are more in demand because they can also code, which is not a requirement for a UX designer. Although the gap between developers’ and UX designers’ salaries is narrowing, it remains significant. This may be because companies are starting to understand the value of good UX design and are willing to invest in it.

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Arslan Ijaz

I am a writer and Digital marketing expert with 20K+ views — Writer for UX Design & Information Technology.