Best Cities for UI Designers

When considering a career in UI design, along with the required skills and experience, it’s important to consider the city where you plan to reside. While it’s possible for UI Designers to live anywhere (especially with the rise of remote work), some cities provide more opportunities than others. These opportunities can come in the form of higher salaries or strong communities, among others. The following will discuss certain North American cities that are popular for UI Designers. 

What is a UI Designer?

A UI Designer designs user interfaces, usually for digital applications such as the web, mobile, or video games. They build visual and interactive elements such as buttons, menus, and widgets. They also develop prototypes and refine their designs based on information gained from user research. Primary job duties of UI Designers include:

• Developing and enforcing a style guide that establishes a consistent visual “look” across the application.
• Designing each screen and individual elements within that the user can interact with.
• Making decisions about layout and visual elements that drive an intuitive user experience.
• Creating animations.
• Building wireframes and prototypes.
• Ensuring layout responsiveness across various screen sizes.

UI Designers craft designs for various industries, such as financial and banking, healthcare apps, retail apps, education, automotive, and gaming. A UI Designer’s primary goal is to design applications so that users intuitively understand how to use them and perform the actions or find the information they need without learning how to use the application first. UI Designers play a significant role in influencing how we use digital technology in our daily lives. 

Read more about what a UI Designer does.

What Makes a City Good for UI Designers?

There are several factors to consider when choosing a city to work or live in as a UI Designer. However, certain aspects will matter more to different individuals. For instance, some people may prioritize earning the highest possible salary, while others are more concerned with networking opportunities or community support. Below are a few key aspects to reflect on as you plan for your new career: 

Job Opportunities

It may sound obvious, but it’s important the city you consider working in as a UI Designer holds ample job opportunities. Since the most common field for UI design is computer science, there will generally be more job opportunities for UI Designers in cities with a good mix of tech firms and startups. However, UI design applies to a variety of industries, so you should ideally investigate whether or not your chosen industry is thriving in any city you might pursue. 

In addition to industry growth, you’ll want to make sure there’s a range of job opportunities for UI Designers of various skill levels, including entry, junior and senior. If you’re just entering the field of UI design, you won’t get far in a city primarily looking for senior designers. And even with ample job opportunities for junior UI Designers, you want to make sure advanced positions are available so there’s room to grow in your career.

High Salaries

There are many cities where a UI Designer may receive a higher salary than others. However, it’s often the case that these higher salaries are offset by a city’s higher cost of living. It’s important not to be drawn to a town just because you see a higher wage. You’ll want to determine the spending power of that salary and research the city’s living expenses, such as housing, gas, and food. Remember that you may be able to manage expenses in major metropolitan areas by using public transportation instead of taking on the cost of your own car, auto insurance, and fuel. Some professionals save costs by living nearby in suburban areas and commuting into a city. 

In some cases, the allure of a higher salary may not be worthwhile, though this is only something you can decide for yourself. This is why conducting ample research and considering your options is necessary.

Strong UI Designer Community

UI Designers may enjoy living in cities where they can easily network with other UI design professionals. Large metropolitan areas tend to be the chosen locations of UI design-related conventions and events. The ability to readily attend these events in person may be an important factor for some individuals. Traveling from outside the city to these events may be enough for some professionals, even if they can’t attend as many as they could if they lived in the area.

Many robust UI design communities can also be found online through forums, social media, and UI design websites. This may serve as enough network opportunity for introverted professionals or those who prefer to work remotely from a smaller town. 

Specific Employers

If there is a specific employer you’d like to work with, such as Google or Apple, your research for choosing a city to live in should start by investigating these companies and the cities they are hiring from. If you find job opportunities in specific towns, be sure to check the job listings. A company like Amazon might be hiring all over the country. However, further investigation may reveal most job positions are for delivery drivers, and only a select few cities have UI design opportunities.

Remote Work Opportunities

Perhaps you are a UI Designer who doesn’t care for city living, wishes to freelance, or prefers to work from home. If this is the case, you may want to choose a city with a low cost of living to maximize what you can do with your salary. Some job boards like Flexjobs host only remote job postings but don’t rule out popular job boards like Indeed. Many job postings may be listed for a specific city but will state in the description that they are open to remote work. So, in addition to searching for remote-specific listings, it’s also a good idea to check listings for your local area.

Top Cities for UI Designers

Below, you’ll find a list of the top cities for UI Designers. These cities serve as headquarters for large tech companies or have a high concentration of tech firms and startups. They also feature active and supportive design communities. Aspiring UI Designers should consider average salaries vs. cost of living and the weather and culture of each area.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California, is home to Silicon Valley, a global hub for technology and innovation. Google and Apple are headquartered in San Francisco, and the city is home to a vibrant startup culture and a ton of prestigious UI/UX design agencies. Professionals who want to live in a city leading the tech world flock to San Francisco. Thus, you’ll find an active design community with many meetups and yearly conferences.

Unfortunately, San Francisco is also known for its high cost of living. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is between $2,500 and $3,000 per month, but wages are also high, with salaries ranging from $70,000 to $200,000 per year. The climate is moderate, with rain and fog in the winter and clear and dry weather in the summer. You can find great hiking nearby in the redwoods, and the Napa Valley wine country is not far away.

San Diego, California

San Diego may be a better choice for professionals looking for excellent California weather with a lower cost of living. The city is known for its warm and sunny weather and great beaches. Rent in San Diego is $1,800 to $2,400 a month, and an average salary of $100,000 per year. While not as large a tech hub as San Francisco, the city is home to many well-known design agencies. And UI Designers won’t fall short of tech firms or active design groups.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington, sits right behind San Francisco in the number of tech startups. It’s also home to Amazon and other large tech companies. UI Designers will find many local events and design groups. Seattle is also known for coworking spaces, which are ideal for professionals who prefer such areas over typical office cubicles. The average salary is $109,000 yearly, with rent around $1,600 to $2,000 monthly. Seattle sits in a temperate rainforest and receives about 37 inches of rain a year. If you don’t mind cloudy skies and cold winters, Seattle is a beautiful city with easy access to nature, hiking, biking, and kayaking.

Redmond, Washington

East of Seattle is Redmond, Washington, which is home to Microsoft. The city also hosts active UI/UX meetups and groups. However, average salaries are slightly lower than in Seattle at around $102,710 per year, and rent is somewhat higher, ranging between $1,800 to $1,900 monthly. If you’re set on living in Redmond, you’ll need to manage your budget. Redmond is a great city for coffee shops, parks, and outdoor activities.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts, is home to renowned universities, Harvard and MIT, that offer many tech opportunities. Robotics company Boston Dynamics is located here, as well as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and LinkedIn. The city has a strong UI/UX community with many networking opportunities through groups and events. The average UI design salary in Boston is $105,000 yearly, and rent is between $1,900 and $2,600 monthly. The winters are cold and snowy, but the city is full of history and culture.

New York, New York

New York, New York, is a finance, marketing, and advertising hub with many design firms. The city also hosts many great conferences and local design events. It’s home to Pratt Institute, ranked one of the best design schools in the world. The average yearly salary for UI Designers in NYC is $104,000, with rents ranging from $2.200 to $3,200 monthly. New York is a great city to live in, with many cultural amenities, including museums and a world-famous theater district.

Chicago, IL

Chicago, Illinois, is one of the biggest cities in the US, ranked as one of the top five North American tech hubs. Tech is Chicago's fastest-growing industry sector, and as such, UI Designers can expect many growth opportunities and an active UI/UX design community. Chicago is the headquarters of Grubhub, Capital One, and Motorola, among many other major companies. The average yearly salary is $105,000, and rent is between $1,250 and $1,850 monthly. Chicago boasts a vibrant culture with excellent museums, restaurants, and parks.

Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas, is a rapidly emerging tech hub known for its many startups. It is the headquarters of Dell and Oracle, and the city hosts many active UI/UX design groups. Austin’s cost of living is much lower than other tech-rich cities, with rents at $1,300 to $2,000 a month and an average yearly UI design salary of $103,000. Austin is an attractive city for professionals wanting to live in a tech hub without the cost of living of New York or San Francisco.

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC, may be a surprising city for UI design. However, the tech business in Charlotte has grown by 62% over the last ten years, resulting in rapid growth in software publishing employment. With a population of under a million people, Charlotte may be an ideal location for UI Designers who prefer the atmosphere of a smaller city. The average salary is just under $80,000, with rent around $1,639 a month. Charlotte boasts beautiful weather, with the mountains and ocean within a few hours' drive. It also possesses an active food scene.

Why Become a UI Designer?

UI design is a field that offers various growth opportunities and competitive salaries. UI designers can work in a wide range of industries, such as healthcare, education, and finance, among many others. It also possesses options for working remotely, abroad, or even freelance or consulting. Many large cities in the US (such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco) possess exciting UI design communities, events, and work opportunities.

UI design is an ideal career choice for creative individuals who also hold a passion for technology. While any design field is primarily creative, UI design sits on the cutting edge of technology. UI Designers must be interested in continuously learning throughout their careers and evolving their skills. UI design is an exciting career where you learn and work on new things daily.

UI design can also be a very fulfilling career. UI Designers gain a sense of accomplishment through problem-solving and knowing their efforts improve the lives of end users. UI Designers play an important role in maintaining technical usability and ensuring interfaces are accessible to individuals who might otherwise struggle. UI Designers also play a large role in the success of company products and can take pride in customer satisfaction from their efforts. 

Finally, UI design is a career that can lead to several different specializations and cater to individuals whose interests change as they grow within their careers. Technically inclined individuals might choose to expand their software engineering or programming skills. Others might focus on designing specific applications, such as mobile, web, or video games. Others desire to dive deeper into user research and combine their UI knowledge with UX design. 

UI design is a truly diverse and exciting career with various individual and career growth opportunities. Read more about whether UI Designer is a good career.

How to Find a UI Designer Job

The job market for UI design can be competitive, so your job application materials must be polished in order to stand out. It’s recommended you do some introspection before your search to determine what industries you want to work in and what projects you want to work on. This makes your job search more manageable because you can narrow your focus to positions you want to pursue. Your application is likely to be better quality, too, since you’ll be more interested in focusing on the tiny details and ensuring you get everything right. 

UI Designer jobs are listed on popular job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn. However, you shouldn’t restrict your search to only one or two places. There are many other job boards, including ones specific to design professionals, remote work, and freelancing. In addition to job boards, you should take advantage of your network. Reaching out to other industry professionals can lead to finding unposted vacancies. Job fairs and industry events are other resources for increasing your network and pitching your stills. 

When searching for a job, the most crucial tool in your application is your portfolio. Employers are looking for applications with proven skills, and your portfolio proves what you are capable of as a designer. Your portfolio should showcase your best work and detail each step of the design process. Several online websites offer UI design prompts, case studies, and fake client requests that can assist you with building more projects and filling your portfolio.

Learn the Skills to Become a UI Designer at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers several UI design classes for those seeking professional instruction in pursuing a career as a UI Designer. Classes are small and feature expert instructors and free retake options. Courses can be attended in person in NYC or online from anywhere. 

The UI Design Certificate is designed to prepare students to launch a career in UI design. You’ll learn essential design principles as well as how to use the most popular UI design tools: Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Throughout the course, you’ll complete a number of hands-on projects and build a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential employers.

Should you be interested in UX design as well as UI design (the two fields commonly overlap), you can pursue the UX & UI Design Certificate. You’ll learn the design principles and industry tools of both UX & UI design, build a professional portfolio, and receive one-on-one job preparation assistance. 

Bootcamps are also available where you can learn the ins and outs of the most popular UI design tools, including Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator. These courses are open to pure beginners and are designed to guide you to mastery of the program. 

If you’re not ready to jump into a full UI design course, you can explore Noble Desktop’s learning hubs. These hubs are designed to inform you about a topic and offer learning resources, including free tutorials and self-guided education. UI design learn hubs include:

• Learn UI Design
• Learn Visual Design
• Learn Adobe XD
• Learn Figma
• Learn Sketch