Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between freelancers and senior 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 freelancer and a senior designer. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, 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 senior designer are sketch, graphic design, and human centered design.
| Freelancer | Senior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,367 | $102,058 |
| Hourly rate | $28.54 | $49.07 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 2,088 | 47,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
Freelancers and senior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelancer | Senior Designer | |
| Average salary | $59,367 | $102,058 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $72,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between a freelancer and a senior designer in terms of educational background:
| Freelancer | Senior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between freelancers' and senior designers' demographics:
| Freelancer | Senior Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% |
| 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% |