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The differences between human factors specialists and self-employeds can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a human factors specialist and a self-employed. Additionally, a human factors specialist has an average salary of $80,877, which is higher than the $34,734 average annual salary of a self-employed.
The top three skills for a human factors specialist include user research, user interface and industrial design. The most important skills for a self-employed are windows, mowing, and customer service.
| Human Factors Specialist | Self-Employed | |
| Yearly salary | $80,877 | $34,734 |
| Hourly rate | $38.88 | $16.70 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 40,805 | 6,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A human factors specialist may also be known as an ergonomist. They work with organizations that train staff, as well as with aeronautical engineers and civil aviation regulators. They are responsible for conducting studies, carrying out evaluations and tests, and researching important information about a product or service. They must be skilled in the art of studying human behavior in different contexts and apply that skill to design objects and facilities that better human well-being and overall system performance.
A self-employed person works without the supervision of a specific employer. Self-employed entrepreneurs decide their business plans to increase profitability and get involved with the current market trends. They also attend business orientations to improve their skills and strategies on driving their business' growth. A self-employed person must display exceptional decision-making and organizational skills to implement strategies, provide the best customer service with the clients, address their needs, manage complaints, and respond to the customer's inquiries.
Human factors specialists and self-employeds have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Factors Specialist | Self-Employed | |
| Average salary | $80,877 | $34,734 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $116,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a human factors specialist and a self-employed in terms of educational background:
| Human Factors Specialist | Self-Employed | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human factors specialists' and self-employeds' demographics:
| Human Factors Specialist | Self-Employed | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 9.1% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 7.3% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |