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The differences between freelancers and content specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a freelancer, becoming a content specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a content specialist has an average salary of $66,018, which is higher than the $59,367 average annual salary of a freelancer.
The top three skills for a freelancer include customer service, web content and video production. The most important skills for a content specialist are customer service, digital marketing, and wordpress.
| Freelancer | Content Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,367 | $66,018 |
| Hourly rate | $28.54 | $31.74 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 2,088 | 40,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A freelancer is a self-employed individual that provides services for multiple clients at one time and usually earns money on a per-job basis. Often known as independent contractors, freelancers usually set their schedules while running their own business and have a flexible lifestyle. They have the liberty to choose their clients that may be less confined to specific markets or sectors. Freelancers usually find work within the creative industries such as graphic design, copywriting, or photography.
A content specialist's role is to create strategies in developing captivating and engaging content to boost brand awareness and interest in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis of marketing conditions to identify new opportunities, keeping abreast of the latest trends, producing presentations and progress reports, and creating content through various mediums such as social media and print materials. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with managers and other content creators, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Freelancers and content specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelancer | Content Specialist | |
| Average salary | $59,367 | $66,018 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $52,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a freelancer and a content specialist in terms of educational background:
| Freelancer | Content Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between freelancers' and content specialists' demographics:
| Freelancer | Content Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0% |
| 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, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |