Booming UI Design Market in Bay Area

As I mentioned the other day, I’ve noticed anecdotally noticed that companies are having a difficult time filling their UI and UER positions. So I decided to see if there was any quantifiable evidence which would confirm what I already suspect (if the barrage of recruiting VMs I get is any clue).

I realized that the weekly BayCHI Job Bank email that I’ve received the past few years would be a great place to start. In graphing the jobs located in the Bay Area, you’ll notice an interesting trend (see graph below).

Bay Area Job Expansion (2005)

You’ll see that there is a sustained demand for UI Designers and User Experience Researchers that over the past year has gone unmet, creating scarcity.

Assuming this market is efficient we should see two things happen: increased wages offered by firms seeking to attract talent and over the long term an increase in supply (new employees enter the regional market).

Once again, I believe the firms over the next few years that can attract and retain top talent will be successful in achieving their business goals.

Update 4/25/07: I’m hiring, check my current open positions 

Technorati: , , , ,

4 Responses to “Booming UI Design Market in Bay Area”

  1. Preston Says:

    Steve Portigal at DUX observed a similar trend with his camera. See Resume Board vs. Job Board.

  2. Anonymous Says:

    Hi Preston,
    I am looking for an entry-level position in UX. I am finding it very difficult to sell myself because of my lack of experience.

  3. Preston Says:

    Hi CD Evans,
    I too wish things did not move at such a fast pace. However I do appreciate that at eBay I can enjoy some flexibility like 3 weeks vacation, 11 holidays, and the ability to work from home one day a week. I hope the Internet continues creates new opportunities in areas like Canada for people to try different work ethics. Good luck!
    Preston

  4. Preston Smalley » Designers… Move to California! » Blog Archive Says:

    […] couple year’s back I commented about the booming job market for interaction designers in the Bay Area. As I try and build out my design team, I’m now acutely aware that the job […]

Leave a Reply

Close
E-mail It