UX Designer.
Philadelphia.
$111,000
median salary, 6% above the national average
$85,000 to $143,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Philadelphia is 9% more expensive than the national average. For UX Designers, that shakes out to a median of $111,000, with the full range spanning $85,000 to $143,000. Portfolio quality, user research methodology depth, and ability to quantify design impact on business metrics are key differentiators. Know the range before you walk in. 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.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for UX Designer in Philadelphia, 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 $104,840 for Web and Digital Interface Designers (SOC 15-1255) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 1,420 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$55,760
25th percentile
$74,110
Median
$104,840
75th percentile
$133,640
90th percentile
$164,990
Workers surveyed
1,420
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 Philadelphia 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 15-1255Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $100,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$72,000
to $89,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$94,000
to $117,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$122,000
to $144,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$139,000
to $172,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$111,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $141,000
How Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$111,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$105,000
Philadelphia is $6,000 above
UX Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
Here is what the UX Designer market actually looks like in Philadelphia. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. 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 Philadelphia, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
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: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $111,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for UX Designers in Philadelphia runs from $85,000 to $143,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A Civil Engineer in Philadelphia earns $112,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Philadelphia is CTO at $314,000
Common questions.
UX Designer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Philadelphia.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"UX Designer Salary in Philadelphia, PA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ux-designer/philadelphia
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