Housing
Housing dominates the budget at $1,258 monthly, with a city center one-bedroom apartment averaging $1,006. Basic utilities add $161 and internet runs $68, making housing and utilities account for 78% of total living costs in Des Moines.
Ux Designer Salary in Des Moines
Market ranges & how to evaluate your offer
$0k – $0k/yr
Most offers in Des Moines fall between $150k–$287k depending on seniority, location, and role scope.
Last updated: March 2026Self-reported salaries + labor statisticsDes MoinesConfidence: High
10th
percentile$0
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Median$0
90th
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Local vs National
Des Moines$287k
National Average$0k
Des Moines
Salary data is self-reported and varies by scope, company, and location. Use ranges, not single numbers.
Offer sanity-check
Compare your total comp for Ux Designer — pick seniority, enter an offer, and preview the layout. Percentiles use your selected seniority when market data is available.
Salary Range for Ux Designer
Seniority-level breakdown for this market.
Cost of Living in Des Moines, IA
Cost of living breakdown for Des Moines, IA market.
66avg = 100
Estimated monthly costs for this basket are about 66% of our comparable national baseline—day-to-day spending tends to go further here.
Overall COL Index
HOUSING-10%
National avg (100)
FOOD-55%
National avg (100)
TRANSPORT-86%
National avg (100)
LIFESTYLE-60%
National avg (100)
Monthly cost breakdown
How the estimated monthly cost bundle splits across categories for a typical Ux Designer earner.
$1,606.94/ mo
HOUSING
$1,258.16 USD (78.3% of est. monthly costs)
FOOD
$187.58 USD (11.7% of est. monthly costs)
TRANSPORT
$48.00 USD (3.0% of est. monthly costs)
LIFESTYLE
$113.20 USD (7.0% of est. monthly costs)
-10%
Food & dining
Food costs remain modest at $188 monthly, with restaurant meals averaging $15.50 and grocery staples like milk ($1.06/liter) and eggs ($2.12/dozen) priced well below typical major metro areas. This represents just 12% of the total budget.
Transportation
Public transit costs $48 monthly for a regular pass, making car-free living quite affordable in this mid-sized Midwest city. The single transit option suggests most professionals likely rely on personal vehicles for daily commutes.
Lifestyle & leisure
Discretionary spending totals $113 monthly, with gym memberships at $45 and movie tickets at $10.75 offering reasonable entertainment value. At just 7% of the total budget, leisure costs leave substantial room for savings compared to pricier metro areas.
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Top-Paying Cities for Ux Designer
Location-specific ranges with optional cost-of-living adjustment.
Remote Pay Bands Explained
Ux Designer remote compensation varies significantly between location-adjusted and national pay bands. Companies like Airbnb and GitLab offer location-neutral salaries, while Meta and Google adjust pay based on your residence. A senior Ux Designer might earn $165K in San Francisco but $135K in Austin for the same role at a location-adjusted company, while receiving consistent $150K nationally at others.
Hybrid work models are reshaping Ux Designer compensation structures with many companies adopting tier-based systems. Negotiate for higher tiers by emphasizing your collaboration skills and design system expertise that translate well to distributed teams. Focus on demonstrating measurable impact through user research and design metrics rather than just portfolio aesthetics when discussing remote compensation.
Moving from expensive metros like San Francisco or New York to lower-cost areas while maintaining remote Ux Designer salary creates substantial purchasing power gains. A $140K remote salary provides equivalent buying power to $200K+ in San Francisco, while accessing better housing markets and lifestyle benefits. Consider tax implications and ensure your employment contract protects against future location-based adjustments.
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Related Roles
How adjacent roles compare in pay and scope.
Product Designer
$110k-$390k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsInteraction Designer
$134k-$478k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsUi Designer
$100k-$397k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsMobile Designer
$119k-$356k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsWeb Designer
$123k-$477k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsUsability Designer
$108k-$226k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsHow to Negotiate Your Offer
Practical steps that move the number without damaging the relationship.
Start your ask above the median. You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down.
Stronger approach:
- Start your ask above the median
- You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down
Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'. External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations.
Stronger approach:
- Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'
- External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations
When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants. Total comp has more levers than base alone.
Stronger approach:
- When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants
- Total comp has more levers than base alone
Ask for 48 hours to review. This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain.
Stronger approach:
- Ask for 48 hours to review
- This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain
Negotiate Salary
Generate an aware negotiation email using Google market positioning data.
Practice Interviews
Mock interviews tailored to Google's process and evaluation criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ux Designer compensation.
Entry-level Ux Designers earn $75K-$95K, mid-level designers make $95K-$140K, and senior Ux Designers command $140K-$200K+ at major tech companies. Total compensation including equity can reach $250K+ for senior roles.
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