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UX Designer.

Los Angeles.

$119,000

median salary, 13% above the national average

$91,000 to $153,000. Last updated August 2026.

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Data points to own the conversation.

The median UX Designer salary in Los Angeles is $119,000, 13% above the national average. Entry level starts near $91,000. Experienced professionals push past $153,000. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.

Salary range.

25th Percentile

$91,000

per year

Median

$119,000

per year

75th Percentile

$153,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$91,000$153,000

Orbyt estimate for UX Designer in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.

Government benchmark for this occupation

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $106,550 for Web and Digital Interface Designers (SOC 15-1255) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 9,220 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$58,100

25th percentile

$78,830

Median

$106,550

75th percentile

$168,500

90th percentile

$201,320

Workers surveyed

9,220

BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Web and Digital Interface Designers (SOC 15-1255) rather than UX Designer specifically. The Los Angeles range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.

View the BLS source for SOC 15-1255

Salary by experience.

The gap between entry and lead level is typically $107,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$77,000

to $95,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$101,000

to $125,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$131,000

to $155,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$149,000

to $184,000

Total compensation.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.

Base

$119,000

Equity

$18,000

Bonus

$11,000

Signing

$2,000

Estimated total: $150,000

How Los Angeles compares.

Los Angeles, CA

$119,000

Cost of living: 18% above average

National Average

$105,000

Los Angeles is $14,000 above

UX Designer salary by city.

UX Designer salary comparison across 10 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjusted
San Jose, CA$146,000$112,000 to $188,0001.38x$106,000
San Francisco, CA$139,000$106,000 to $179,0001.35x$103,000
New York, NY$137,000$104,000 to $176,0001.28x$107,000
Washington DC, DC$137,000$104,000 to $176,0001.25x$110,000
Seattle, WA$134,000$102,000 to $172,0001.24x$108,000
Boston, MA$133,000$102,000 to $171,0001.22x$109,000
Honolulu, HI$132,000$101,000 to $170,0001.30x$102,000
Newark, NJ$124,000$94,000 to $159,0001.18x$105,000
San Diego, CA$122,000$93,000 to $156,0001.17x$104,000
Los Angeles, CA$119,000$91,000 to $153,0001.18x$101,000

See all 81 cities for UX Designer →

Salary by role in Los Angeles.

Salary comparison by role in Los Angeles
RoleMedianRange
CTO$368,000$287,000 to $479,000
General Counsel$327,000$255,000 to $425,000
CEO$321,000$234,000 to $444,000
Physical Therapist$120,000$99,000 to $139,000
Environmental Engineer$120,000$94,000 to $151,000
Investment Banker$120,000$93,000 to $157,000
UX Designer$119,000$91,000 to $153,000
Systems Administrator$119,000$93,000 to $151,000

What you should know.

Before you negotiate a UX Designer offer in Los Angeles, understand the terrain. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Portfolio quality, user research methodology depth, and ability to quantify design impact on business metrics are key differentiators. Designers who combine visual craft with interaction design and prototyping command higher salaries. Experience with enterprise B2B products or regulated industries like healthcare and finance also drives premiums.

Junior UX designers start at $65,000 to $85,000, advancing to mid level at $95,000 to $120,000 after two to three years. Senior UX designers earn $120,000 to $160,000. Design leads and directors reach $160,000 to $220,000, while VPs of Design at large companies can exceed $300,000 in total comp. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at tech companies adds $10,000 to $60,000 annually. Bonuses range from 5 to 15% of base. Benefits often include design tool subscriptions, conference budgets, and continuing education stipends. Signing bonuses of $10,000 to $25,000 are common at senior levels. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $119,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for UX Designers in Los Angeles runs from $91,000 to $153,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology

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Enter your UX Designer offer to see where you stand in Los Angeles.

$

25th

$91,000

Median

$119,000

75th

$153,000

Considering a related role?

  • A Physical Therapist in Los Angeles earns $120,000 (1% more)
  • The highest-paying role in Los Angeles is CTO at $368,000

Common questions.

A formal design degree (HCI, interaction design, or visual design) can boost starting salary by 10 to 15%, but bootcamp graduates and self taught designers with strong portfolios regularly match those levels within two to three years. Demonstrated ability to solve real user problems matters most.

UX designers who can prototype in code (React, SwiftUI, or similar) typically earn 10 to 20% more than peers without technical skills. This hybrid capability reduces handoff friction with engineering teams and makes you a more versatile contributor, which employers reward.

The national median for a UX Designer is $100,847. In Los Angeles, cost of living adjustments push the median to $119,000. That premium reflects Los Angeles's higher housing, transportation, and everyday costs.

Lead with data: UX Designers in Los Angeles earn $91,000 to $153,000, so anchoring your ask near $153,000 gives room to land at the median. Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. Never accept the first number without a conversation.

California's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When comparing offers across states, your take home pay matters more than the number on the offer letter. A lower salary in a no income tax state can net more than a higher one elsewhere.

UX Designer salary in other cities.

Other salaries in Los Angeles.

Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to UX Designers in Los Angeles.

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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.

"UX Designer Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ux-designer/los-angeles

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