Maria Chen, MDes, MDes

Content Lead & Founder

About Maria Chen

Maria has over 10 years of experience in user experience design. She specializes in usability testing and user research. Maria has worked with tech companies and startups.

Maria Chen founded UX Designer Salary to provide every ux designer with access to the same quality of compensation data that large employers use internally. The platform covers hundreds of metropolitan areas with salary breakdowns powered by official BLS statistics.

In 2026, UX Designer Salary continues to be the go-to resource for ux designer salary research, career guidance, and geographic pay optimization.

Areas of Expertise

Salary Benchmarking

Analysis of BLS OEWS compensation data across 500+ metropolitan areas, including percentile breakdowns, geographic differentials, and trend analysis.

Career Strategy

Evidence-based guidance on geographic moves, specialization ROI, certification value, and salary negotiation tactics for ux designers.

Labor Market Analysis

Tracking employment trends, demand-supply dynamics, and emerging practice models affecting ux designer compensation nationwide.

Clinical Practice

Direct patient care experience across multiple practice settings and states, informing practical salary data analysis.

Credentials & Education

MDes

Featured Research

UX Designer Salary (2026): National OverviewComprehensive analysis of median salaries, hourly rates, and percentile breakdowns nationwide.Highest Paying States for UX DesignersState-by-state ranking with cost-of-living adjusted analysis.Entry Level UX Designer Salary GuideStarting pay, growth projections, and strategies for new graduates.UX Designer Hourly Pay AnalysisHourly rates, part-time income calculations, and role comparisons.

Contact Maria Chen

For media inquiries, data partnerships, or speaking engagements: [email protected]

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