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The differences between freelancers and owners 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 owner takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, an owner has an average salary of $90,334, 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 an owner are customer service, payroll, and financial statements.
| Freelancer | Owner | |
| Yearly salary | $59,367 | $90,334 |
| Hourly rate | $28.54 | $43.43 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,088 | 86,486 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 38 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
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.
Owners, in the most basic sense, own the business, company, or organization. They are responsible for building the business. They create business plans and the general vision and mission of the company, set goals, work on these goals, and ensure that the business keeps running. They manage all aspects of their business, from finances to marketing to people, etc. When the business becomes stable, owners eventually hire more employees. As such, owners also become overseers who would ensure that the organization remains afloat.
Freelancers and owners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelancer | Owner | |
| Average salary | $59,367 | $90,334 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $60,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a freelancer and an owner in terms of educational background:
| Freelancer | Owner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between freelancers' and owners' demographics:
| Freelancer | Owner | |
| Average age | 38 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| 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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 12% |