Would You Like a $50K Raise?

Trick question! Who doesn’t want to splurge on a new pair of sneakers, take a few days off without skimping, or send their kid off to that great camp without thinking twice?

You can make good (great!) money as a content writer or copywriter (take it from me), but… have you considered UX writing?

Ever since there have been websites, people have had to write the words that appear on them. But it wasn’t always done with so-called user experience in mind. In other words, it wasn’t always done well. And only in recent years has it really emerged as a profession—UX writing (aka content design)—and gotten the attention it deserves.

Thankfully, over the years a lot of knowledge has emerged about the best way to write, organize, and design all that small text that exists in every single app or website you visit.

And those who have that knowledge… well, they’re reaping the benefits.

Actual moolah benefits.

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a UX writer in the U.S. is slightly over $100,000. The average salary for a content writer? Around $52,000 a year. Almost half!

More and more companies are realizing the value of UX writers (aka content designers). A quick search on the job site Indeed shows big companies like Apple, Google, and JPMorgan Chase Bank on the first page of those seeking UX writers.

So what’s the deal? Why are companies willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to UX writing?

1. Companies see that UX writers provide business value.

Senior UX writer at Google Maggie Stanphill explained the value of UX writers during Google’s 2017 Innovation in the Open Conference with this powerful example: After changing the words "Book a room" to "Check availability" in Google’s hotel search, the engagement rate increased by 17%.

Google’s UX team realized that by finding the language that meets the customers where they are—in this case very much still in the consideration phase (checking about parking and making sure there are good restaurants around, for example) and not ready to actually book—they were more successful in guiding them forward on their customer journey, which ultimately led to higher sales.

2. UX writers help increase click-through rates.

Take this example: In one of his experiments, Danish conversion optimization expert Michael Aagaard realized that consumers wanted to see more detail about the bundle they were buying—more info than just a few words and numbers on a page. When he tested the page with the words “See bundle” under the price and above the button, boom! The click-through rate went up and sales! increased by 17%.

3. UX writers keep users from abandoning their search (or their cart).

When users encounter some kind of difficulty in understanding or using a website or an app, they often just leave. If they find themselves confused about what they have to fill in, what a term means, or what a specific checkbox enables (or blocks), they'll often abandon ship without even trying to resolve the problem. The truth is, all too often they know they can find another app that does the same thing, or that whatever it is they are doing just isn’t worth it or that important. Good UX writing can save these otherwise failed encounters and keep your users aboard and engaged.

4. UX writing, when done right, provides the user with a digital space they can trust and come back to.

With everything being digital these days, companies need their customers to trust them with their data and online activity. UX writers are acutely aware of this and often play a key role in finding that sweet spot between the company’s needs so it meets its business goals and the users’ needs so they feel that they can proceed with the product. UX writers are the ones who can help users feel comfortable transferring money, ordering a product, or submitting a sensitive medical question online.

5. UX writing can lead to a huge return on investment for companies.

According to leading market research company Forrester, every dollar a company invests in optimizing the user experience yields $100 in return. That’s an almost 10,000% ROI! And while they’re not the only aspect of UX, words play a big role in crafting a better experience.

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Why is it, though, that UX writers tend to make so much more than content writers? For one thing, it’s still a new and not-very-saturated field, which means the people with the right skills and experience are still fairly far and few between and therefore can command a prettier penny (basic supply and demand).

Besides that, UX writing is quite specialized and rather technical—writers need to be an active part of the product life cycle, understand development workflows, and be familiar with design processes and tools. These may require a higher level of education, specialization, and experience, which all translate into higher pay. Finally, because UX writing is often part of the product team, the salary tends to be closer to product roles than to others.

Companies have realized the importance of user experience and they’re willing to invest in skilled professionals who can help them improve it and achieve their business goals. And that doesn’t just mean full-time UX writers on staff. The UX writing buzz extends to freelancers, too, who can also often command double (or more) than freelance content writers, for example.

Interested in transitioning into UX writing and boosting your pay? Join the waitlist for UX to Success!