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The differences between digital designers and freelance designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a digital designer and a freelance designer. Additionally, a digital designer has an average salary of $72,987, which is higher than the $57,260 average annual salary of a freelance designer.
The top three skills for a digital designer include sketch, digital marketing and graphic design. The most important skills for a freelance designer are sketch, CSS, and HTML.
| Digital Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,987 | $57,260 |
| Hourly rate | $35.09 | $27.53 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 61,109 | 45,914 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A digital designer is an individual who is responsible for creating digital assets for multimedia and graphic projects that can include mobile applications, video games, and interactive displays. Digital designers must collaborate with project managers, design teams, and content experts to interpret the team's concepts into a design that will deliver an effective user experience. They must be experts in using computer software and applications to create digital designs and convert data to a graphical interface such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Digital designers must also have a bachelor's degree in graphic design or fine arts.
Freelance designers are creative, independent contractors who create visual and graphic designs for their clients. They develop text and illustrated versions of brands, messages, and communications with strong visible influence with their clients. Typical activities include networking, seeking projects, and negotiating prices to their customers. They manage client proposals, develop concepts, present solutions, and ensure the timely completion of projects. Freelance visual and graphic designers are creative, self-motivated as well as result and deadline oriented.
Digital designers and freelance designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Average salary | $72,987 | $57,260 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $114,000 | Between $39,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Lyft | - |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between a digital designer and a freelance designer in terms of educational background:
| Digital Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between digital designers' and freelance designers' demographics:
| Digital Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |