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If you’re a UX freelancer (one of those front page web interface design types), you may not always know how much you should expect to get paid in the industry.
According to the latest statistics, UX contractors have been enjoying a steady increase in both demand for their services, and the fees they can negotiate for their time and effort.
The statistics
In the six months leading to October 2018, 878 contract jobs requiring a UX designer were reported – up by 72 (over 8%) from the same period the previous year.
The additional demand saw a rise in the median daily rate, up 6.67% from the same period in 2016. In terms of cold hard cash, the UK median daily rate rose from £400 in 2016 to £425 in 2018.
Of course, this figure includes London, known for its high prices and comparatively higher wages to the rest of the UK. The UK-wide median only rose by £5 from 2017, but when you exclude London, the UK daily median rose by £25. Impressive stuff.
That means that the median average hourly rate for UX freelancers, excluding London, currently sits at around £32 an hour. That’s an increase of £2 an hour from 2017, and a rather tasty £8 an hour from 2016.
You can check out more statistics at the itjobswatch.co.uk website.
The 2018 UX designer skill set
The statistics also allow us a peek into the skill set UX freelancers were most sought for. The top 10 includes:
- User experience
- Wireframes
- Agile software development
- Prototyping
- HTML
- CSS
- Axure RP
- Finance
- InVision
- Adobe
Of course, the stronger you are in these areas, the more you’ll be able to charge for your services. It’s always worth brushing up on all of the skills listed above, especially with the demand for UX contractors increasingly on the grow.
Support and advice for UX contractors
If you’re looking to become a UX freelancer, or if you’re already established and just looking for some added support, we’ve got a range of articles and resources on offer - including freelance invoice templates.
For the newbies amongst you, you can check out our “How to start a business in six easy steps” guide for some simple pointers on how to get yourself up and running.
Whether you’re a veteran of the self-employed life or a complete novice, our Crunch Chorus community is a perfect place to meet and network with fellow freelancers. You can join our Facebook group for free and instantly get in touch with hundreds of self-employed people just like you.
