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The differences between freelancers and production artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a freelancer and a production artist. Additionally, a production artist has an average salary of $61,870, 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 production artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe creative suite.
| Freelancer | Production Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,367 | $61,870 |
| Hourly rate | $28.54 | $29.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 2,088 | 59,103 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 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.
A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.
Freelancers and production artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelancer | Production Artist | |
| Average salary | $59,367 | $61,870 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $40,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a freelancer and a production artist in terms of educational background:
| Freelancer | Production Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between freelancers' and production artists' demographics:
| Freelancer | Production Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% |
| 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% |