UX Researcher
UX Researchers find out what users actually do — not what they say they do.
Don't just read it — play it
Clock in at 9am and make the calls a UX Researcher makes all day. Six decisions, real consequences, a score at 5pm.
What this role really is
Research is the discipline of being right about people. You run interviews, usability tests and surveys, then translate messy human behavior into decisions teams can act on. It's a great fit for psychology and sociology majors who want to work in tech without coding.
- Plan and run studies
- Interview and observe users
- Analyze qualitative and survey data
- Present findings that change decisions
- Build a repository of what's known
What it pays
- Entry level
- $80k–$110k
- Mid career
- $120k–$155k
- Senior
- $180k+
Typically 9:30–6
Majors that get you here
Entry roles: UX Research Assistant · Associate Researcher · Research Intern · Design Researcher
Your 9-to-5, hour by hour
A realistic ordinary day — not the highlight reel.
9:30 AM
Study prep
You finalize the discussion guide and cut two leading questions.
11:00 AM
Sessions
Two hour-long interviews. Both users miss the same button.
1:30 PM
Synthesis
You tag transcripts and three themes emerge, one of them uncomfortable.
3:30 PM
Readout
Ten minutes, three findings, one clear recommendation.
4:30 PM
Repository
You file the clips so the next team doesn't redo this study.
Great for you if
- You're genuinely curious about why people behave the way they do
- You listen more than you talk
- You can tell a story with evidence
Probably not for you if
- You want to make the design yourself
- You dislike being ignored sometimes