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The differences between graphic artists and freelance 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 graphic artist and a freelance designer. Additionally, a freelance designer has an average salary of $57,260, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a graphic artist include graphic design, adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator. The most important skills for a freelance designer are sketch, CSS, and HTML.
| Graphic Artist | Freelance Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,900 | $57,260 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $27.53 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 8,752 | 45,914 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Freelance designers are creative, independent contractors who create visual and graphic designs for their clients. They develop text and illustrated versions of brands, messages, and communications with strong visible influence with their clients. Typical activities include networking, seeking projects, and negotiating prices to their customers. They manage client proposals, develop concepts, present solutions, and ensure the timely completion of projects. Freelance visual and graphic designers are creative, self-motivated as well as result and deadline oriented.
Graphic artists and freelance designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphic Artist | Freelance Designer | |
| Average salary | $54,900 | $57,260 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $84,000 | Between $39,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Parsons | - |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a graphic artist and a freelance designer in terms of educational background:
| Graphic Artist | Freelance Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between graphic artists' and freelance designers' demographics:
| Graphic Artist | Freelance Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0% |
| 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% |