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The differences between freelancers and office employees 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 an office employee takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a freelancer has an average salary of $59,367, which is higher than the $35,825 average annual salary of an office employee.
The top three skills for a freelancer include customer service, web content and video production. The most important skills for an office employee are customer service, telephone calls, and customer accounts.
| Freelancer | Office Employee | |
| Yearly salary | $59,367 | $35,825 |
| Hourly rate | $28.54 | $17.22 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 2,088 | 74,182 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
An office employee is someone who performs clerical and any other tasks usually performed by managers. Office employees are employed as clerical workers in offices or organizations. They execute tasks such as typing and word processing, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, and stenography. It is their responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of an office. Their diligence, communication skills, customer service, hard work, and attention to detail are necessary for this job.
Freelancers and office employees have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelancer | Office Employee | |
| Average salary | $59,367 | $35,825 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $19,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | East Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | OSF HealthCare |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a freelancer and an office employee in terms of educational background:
| Freelancer | Office Employee | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between freelancers' and office employees' demographics:
| Freelancer | Office Employee | |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 6% |