Typical comp shape
UX researchers usually earn rsu. Common employers include Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft. UXR grants trail engineering at the same level by 20-30%, so ESPP participation matters more for total equity stack.
What Tennessee changes
Tennessee has no wage income tax, which is structurally favorable for ux researchers with meaningful RSU comp. The savings vs a CA-resident colleague can be $30-60k per year at senior IC levels. That math is why Austin and Seattle are the two top relocation destinations for Bay Area tech workers.
Planning cadence
For a ux researcher in Tennessee, the three planning windows are: after each RSU vest (withholding check and sell-vs-hold), before any ISO exercise (AMT model at federal only), and in Q4 (estimated tax top-up to clear the safe harbor). A move-out question — if you're considering leaving Tennessee for a high-tax state, time it around vesting.