Where does a UX Researcher role fit into the UX team?
A User Experience Researcher reports into a UX Manager or UX Lead. They may work alongside a UX Designer depending on the size of the team and its organisational structure.
User Experience Reseacher / UX Researcher
This page is written for an existing User Experience Researcher / UX Researcher or for someone who would like progress to a UX Researcher position. This guide covers the role, what skills are required, salary expectations and more.
If you’re an employer looking to recruit a User Experience Researcher position, please see our product design and UX recruitment services page, and the full overview of our services to employers. If you need to hire and would like our services, contact us today.
What is a UX Researcher?
A UX Researcher plays a crucial role in the development of products, services, and digital interfaces. They are responsible for understanding the needs, desires, and behaviour of users and use that information to design user-friendly and effective products.
The role of a UX Researcher involves several key responsibilities, including conducting user research, analysing data, and communicating insights to cross-functional teams. A UX Researcher is responsible for conducting user research through various qualitative and quantitative methods, such as surveys, interviews, and usability testing. They analyse the data collected from these methods to gain insights into user behaviour, preferences, and pain points. These insights are used to inform the design and development of products and services.
A UX Researcher is also responsible for communicating their findings and recommendations to cross-functional teams, including Product Managers, Designers, and Developers. They use various tools and techniques, such as personas, journey maps, and usability reports, to communicate their insights effectively. This helps ensure that the entire team is aligned around user needs and that the product exceeds the expectations of the target consumer.
Find out more detail in our blog ‘What is a UX Researcher?’
UX Researcher salary
A salary of £40,000 to £50,000 would be expected for a User Experience Researcher.
There is a good career trajectory for this role including stepping up to:
Senior UX Researcher: Taking on more strategic responsibilities including collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, including UX Designers, Product Managers, and engineers.
UX Research Manager or Research Lead: This role would oversee a team of UX researchers and guide their work. Main responsibilities include setting research strategies, prioritising projects, managing resources, and ensuring high-quality research outcomes.
Director of User Research or UX Research Strategist: These positions require a broader strategic focus, working at a company or industry level. The focus includes shaping the long-term vision for user research, developing research frameworks and methodologies, and driving organisational change to promote user-centred practices.
Career paths can differ depending on the business, industry and personal goals. Some UX Researchers may choose to specialise in specific domains or methodologies, such as qualitative or quantitative research, while others may transition into related roles, such as UX Design or Product Management.
UX Researcher job description
We are looking for a UX Researcher responsible for the development of our website including A/B testing, customer messaging, user insight testing, preference testing, click testing, copy testing and more. The key aim of this role is to ensure all customer experiences are optimised for delivery and meet the business KPIs.
The User Experience Researcher’s main responsibilities:
- Design and implement additional research methods and deliver actionable insight reports
- Use and analyse heatmaps, traffic flow data and session recordings
- Use analytical findings to be the voice of the customer for your team, ensuring products are designed to meet customer expectations and solve problems
- Create a UX research roadmap for continuous improvement across the product
- Oversee all UX tools
- Help to develop junior members of the UX research team
- Deliver high quality reports and presentations around findings and improvements
- Conduct workshops with internal stakeholders to align business needs
To be successful in this UX Researcher role, you will:
- Possess significant experience across UX tools and techniques with at least 3 years working as a UX Researcher previously
- Be the voice of the customer and be able to feedback on customer experiences
- Have experience across sketching, prototyping and user testing
- Be able to work effectively with the product design team and manage stakeholders at every level
- Have technical knowledge to explain what needs doing and why
- Understand qualitative research methods
- Have a good understanding of commercials and how delivering best in class product design will help to contribute to the overall business KPIs
- Be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, delivering on multiple projects at the same time
What makes a good candidate for a UX Researcher?
A highly desirable candidate for a UX Researcher role possesses a diverse set of skills, qualities, and experiences that contribute to their effectiveness in understanding and enhancing the user experience.
Research and methodology
Candidates should be adept at applying various qualitative and quantitative research techniques, such as contextual inquiries, diary studies, A/B testing, eye tracking, and data analytics. They should also possess expertise in experimental design, sampling techniques, and statistical analysis.
Empathy and user mindset
Excellent observational and listening skills to uncover user insights, pain points, and motivations. Additionally, candidates should be skilled in conducting ethnographic research and utilising empathy-building techniques to deeply understand user experiences.
Data and visualisation
Candidates should be proficient in collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data, using tools such as Excel, SPSS, or Python for statistical analysis. They should be able to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets and effectively visualise the findings using charts, graphs, and infographics.
UX/UI design knowledge
Familiarity with design tools like Sketch or Figma enables them to collaborate effectively with designers, provide actionable recommendations, and understand the practical implications of research findings on the overall design.
User Experience Researcher FAQs
- What is a UX Researcher salary?
- In today's market in the UK, a salary of £40,000 to £50,000 would be expected at a User Experience Researcher level.
- Is a UX Researcher well paid?
- A UX Researcher is a well paid career choice. Someone in this role could achieve a salary of £40,000 to £50,000.
- Is UX Researcher a good career?
- Yes a UX Researcher job is a good career. Today, a salary of £40,000 to £50,000 would be expected at a User Experience Researcher level.
