Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/ Title: UX Researcher hourly rate in California, 2026 | Deftridge Summary: UX Researcher pay in California: median wage $61 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $90. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. CA · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # UX Researcher hourly rate in California The market median wage for a UX Researcher in California is **$61.35 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$90 an hour** on Deftridge, +38% against the United States rate. **$90/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$61.35/hr** median wage **$42-89** middle half of wages **$1,950** a month at 5 hours a week ## UX Researcher wage percentiles in California Employee wages for the role. The yellow row is the median. | Percentile | Per hour | 5 h a week, per month | Full time, per year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10th | $31.73 | $690 | $66,000 | | 25th | $42.08 | $910 | $87,500 | | Median | $61.35 | $1,330 | $127,600 | | 75th | $89.07 | $1,930 | $185,300 | | 90th | $117.82 | $2,550 | $245,100 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 108,460 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## California in numbers What sets California apart for a UX Researcher, from the same sources as the table above. - **+40%** median wage against the United States median of $43.86 - **1st of 51** states by median wage for this role - **108,460** people employed in the role in this place - **$92.01** median wage in the San Jose metro area, the highest here - **$35** country floor: no United States rate is published below it ## What contractors receive The Deftridge rate for a UX Researcher in California by level and by format. The company adds 15% on top; you keep all of the rate shown. | Level | Per hour | Per month at 5 h/week | | --- | --- | --- | | Specialist | $75 | $1,630 | | Senior | $90 | $1,950 | | Manager | $105 | $2,280 | - Regular role **$90** - One-off task **$100** - Task bundle **$90** ## UX Researcher pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior UX Researcher, highest first; 4 of 51 places shown. By median wage California ranks **1 of 51**. | Place | Median wage | Contractor rate | | --- | --- | --- | | California | $61.35 | $90 | | Delaware | $57.83 | $85 | | New York | $54.22 | $80 | | Washington | $52.97 | $75 | ## Metro areas in California Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [San Jose $92.01/hr median wage · range $55-134](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [San Francisco $82.56/hr median wage · range $53-113](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Los Angeles $52.66/hr median wage · range $41-77](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [San Diego $52.54/hr median wage · range $40-74](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Sacramento $52.53/hr median wage · range $40-70](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Santa Maria $51.68/hr median wage · range $39-70](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Oxnard $51.44/hr median wage · range $39-77](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Santa Rosa $51.29/hr median wage · range $41-69](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Santa Cruz $50.55/hr median wage · range $38-65](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) - [Napa $50.52/hr median wage · range $37-67](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/california/) ## Questions about pay, fees and privacy The same rules apply to every task, so they live on two pages: [Pricing](https://deftridge.com/pricing/) explains the 15% fee, prepayment and when you are paid; [How it works](https://deftridge.com/how-it-works/) covers matching, what a company sees and side work next to a job. [UX Researcher rates in every country](https://deftridge.com/rates/ux-researcher/) · [UX Researcher jobs in California](https://deftridge.com/jobs/ux-researcher/california/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)