User Experience Design Jobs in Maryland
User Experience Design jobs in Maryland are consistently active, with strong demand concentrated in federal contracting, healthcare IT, cybersecurity platforms, and financial technology firms centered around the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The largest hiring metros are Baltimore, Bethesda, and Columbia, where employers like Leidos, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Northrop Grumman maintain significant UX design teams. The most in-demand specialties include research-driven UX, accessibility design for government digital products, and product design for enterprise software. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
Find User Experience Design JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 11+ User Experience Design jobs
Job ID: 2615473
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, US
Date Posted: 2026-08-11
Category: Defense/Intel
Subcategory: Intel Analyst
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: Secret
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking an experienced UX Field Researcher to support a mission-critical modernization program delivering a modular, adaptable software suite of essential capabilities across multiple warfighting functions. In this role, you will serve as the critical link between operational end-users and design and development teams, capturing real-world user behaviors, needs, and pain points to drive intuitive, mission-effective software experiences.
This position operates across cloud and tactical edge environments, conducting field research and usability studies in both garrison and deployed settings, including Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Low Bandwidth (DDIL) environments, to ensure solutions are optimized for the unique demands of the operational user.
The work is to be performed at the customer site at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD.
This role is contingent upon award news in Fall 2026.
Key Responsibilities:
- Plan and execute field research studies, contextual inquiries, and usability evaluations with operational end-users across multiple echelons, security domains, and mission environments
- Translate observed user behaviors, workflows, and pain points into actionable design insights, personas, journey maps, and user stories that inform platform development priorities
- Serve as the primary advocate for the end-user, ensuring Human System Integration (HSI) principles and UI/UX best practices are embedded throughout the software development lifecycle
- Evaluate and validate platform usability including navigation, workflow efficiency, data visualization, symbology rendering, and overall user experience against operational requirements and mission context
- Support testing and validation of tactical edge configurations, ensuring user experience requirements account for operations in DDIL environments including degraded connectivity and constrained hardware scenarios
- Participate in product demonstrations, design reviews, and agile development cycles, providing rapid user-centered assessment of solution compliance and operational utility
- Collaborate with vendors, partners, requirements analysts, and Government stakeholders to ensure user research findings are accurately captured, communicated, and translated into verifiable design requirements
Qualifications
Required Clearance:
- Active Secret clearance required.
- TS/SCI Preferred
Required Education:
- Bachelor's Degree in Human Factors Engineering, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design, or a related discipline
- OR Master's Degree preferred in Human Factors, UX Design, Cognitive Engineering, or a related technical or behavioral science field
Required Experience:
- Six (6+) years of progressive experience in UX research, human factors engineering, or a closely related field, with a minimum of three (3) years supporting defense, military, or interagency programs at the operational or acquisition level
- Demonstrated experience planning and executing field research, contextual inquiries, and usability studies in complex or operationally constrained environments, with proficiency in tools such as UserZoom, Dovetail, Optimal Workshop, or equivalent platforms
- Experience working within agile development frameworks such as SAFe, Scrum, or Kanban, with the ability to deliver rapid, iterative research findings aligned to sprint cycles and development timelines
- Familiarity with Human System Integration (HSI) standards, accessibility requirements, and the unique usability demands of classified and operationally constrained network environments
- Experience conducting research across cloud-based and tactical edge platforms, including the ability to assess user experience under DDIL conditions and constrained hardware environments
- Background in data visualization, military symbology, and workflow analysis with familiarity in targeting, collection management, and intelligence analysis operational contexts
- Demonstrated ability to present research findings, facilitate design workshops, and influence senior military, civilian, and interagency stakeholders while driving consensus across design, technical, and operational teams in fast-paced, dynamic environments
Target salary range: $80,001 - $120,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
Job ID: 2615473
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, US
Date Posted: 2026-08-11
Category: Defense/Intel
Subcategory: Intel Analyst
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: Secret
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking an experienced UX Field Researcher to support a mission-critical modernization program delivering a modular, adaptable software suite of essential capabilities across multiple warfighting functions. In this role, you will serve as the critical link between operational end-users and design and development teams, capturing real-world user behaviors, needs, and pain points to drive intuitive, mission-effective software experiences.
This position operates across cloud and tactical edge environments, conducting field research and usability studies in both garrison and deployed settings, including Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Low Bandwidth (DDIL) environments, to ensure solutions are optimized for the unique demands of the operational user.
The work is to be performed at the customer site at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD.
This role is contingent upon award news in Fall 2026.
Key Responsibilities:
- Plan and execute field research studies, contextual inquiries, and usability evaluations with operational end-users across multiple echelons, security domains, and mission environments
- Translate observed user behaviors, workflows, and pain points into actionable design insights, personas, journey maps, and user stories that inform platform development priorities
- Serve as the primary advocate for the end-user, ensuring Human System Integration (HSI) principles and UI/UX best practices are embedded throughout the software development lifecycle
- Evaluate and validate platform usability including navigation, workflow efficiency, data visualization, symbology rendering, and overall user experience against operational requirements and mission context
- Support testing and validation of tactical edge configurations, ensuring user experience requirements account for operations in DDIL environments including degraded connectivity and constrained hardware scenarios
- Participate in product demonstrations, design reviews, and agile development cycles, providing rapid user-centered assessment of solution compliance and operational utility
- Collaborate with vendors, partners, requirements analysts, and Government stakeholders to ensure user research findings are accurately captured, communicated, and translated into verifiable design requirements
Qualifications
Required Clearance:
- Active Secret clearance required.
- TS/SCI Preferred
Required Education:
- Bachelor's Degree in Human Factors Engineering, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design, or a related discipline
- OR Master's Degree preferred in Human Factors, UX Design, Cognitive Engineering, or a related technical or behavioral science field
Required Experience:
- Six (6+) years of progressive experience in UX research, human factors engineering, or a closely related field, with a minimum of three (3) years supporting defense, military, or interagency programs at the operational or acquisition level
- Demonstrated experience planning and executing field research, contextual inquiries, and usability studies in complex or operationally constrained environments, with proficiency in tools such as UserZoom, Dovetail, Optimal Workshop, or equivalent platforms
- Experience working within agile development frameworks such as SAFe, Scrum, or Kanban, with the ability to deliver rapid, iterative research findings aligned to sprint cycles and development timelines
- Familiarity with Human System Integration (HSI) standards, accessibility requirements, and the unique usability demands of classified and operationally constrained network environments
- Experience conducting research across cloud-based and tactical edge platforms, including the ability to assess user experience under DDIL conditions and constrained hardware environments
- Background in data visualization, military symbology, and workflow analysis with familiarity in targeting, collection management, and intelligence analysis operational contexts
- Demonstrated ability to present research findings, facilitate design workshops, and influence senior military, civilian, and interagency stakeholders while driving consensus across design, technical, and operational teams in fast-paced, dynamic environments
Target salary range: $80,001 - $120,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
See All 11 User Experience Design Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find User Experience Design JobsUser Experience Design Jobs by City in Maryland
Where Maryland roles are concentrated, by current openings.
User Experience Design Job Market in Maryland
A snapshot from current Maryland openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Maryland Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in user experience design jobs across Maryland.
- Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end UX process from research through high-fidelity prototyping
- Proficiency in Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for wireframing and prototyping deliverables
- Experience conducting user research, usability testing, and synthesizing findings for stakeholders
- Familiarity with Section 508 accessibility standards required by many Maryland federal contractors
- Collaboration with cross-functional product, engineering, and business teams in agile environments
- Bachelor's degree in human-computer interaction, graphic design, or a related design discipline
User Experience Design Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a user experience design in Maryland?
Maryland does not require a state-issued license to work in user experience design. Most employers hire candidates who hold a bachelor's degree in human-computer interaction, interaction design, graphic design, or a closely related field, combined with a strong portfolio. Many roles at Maryland's federal contractors additionally expect familiarity with Section 508 accessibility compliance and security clearance eligibility, making those credentials a practical differentiator in this market.
How much do user experience designs make in Maryland?
User experience designs in Maryland earn a median of about $96,760 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $52,930 for the lowest 10% to over $164,460 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire user experience designs in Maryland?
Companies currently hiring user experience designs in Maryland include SAIC, Unisys, and Lentech, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Maryland's dense concentration of federal agencies and defense contractors means many openings sit within firms supporting government digital transformation and healthcare IT programs.
Which Maryland cities have the most user experience design jobs?
Annapolis Junction, Bethesda, and Annapolis lead Maryland in user experience design openings. Baltimore's anchor institutions in healthcare and education, Bethesda's proximity to the National Institutes of Health and federal agencies, and Columbia's position as a mid-corridor technology hub each draw distinct employer clusters, which explains why openings are spread across the corridor rather than concentrated exclusively in one city.
Are there remote user experience design jobs in Maryland?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 33% of user experience design openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how naturally the work translates to distributed collaboration tools and cloud-based design platforms. Research and strategy phases are the most commonly remote, while roles tied to federal contracts with clearance requirements tend to require more on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a user experience design in Maryland with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is building a portfolio through coursework, volunteer projects, or redesign case studies, then targeting associate UX designer or UX researcher roles at Maryland's healthcare systems and technology firms. Johns Hopkins Health System and UMMS have onboarded junior designers through digital transformation initiatives, and several Bethesda-area federal contractors offer entry-level positions for candidates who can demonstrate research skills and obtain a security clearance, even without prior industry experience.
Where can I find and apply to user experience design jobs in Maryland?
You can find and apply to user experience design jobs in Maryland on Migrate Mate, which lists current Maryland openings updated regularly. Search the listings for roles that match your experience level and location preference, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 11 User Experience Design Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find User Experience Design Jobs