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The differences between owner & designers 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 an owner & designer and a freelance designer. Additionally, a freelance designer has an average salary of $57,260, which is higher than the $48,688 average annual salary of an owner & designer.
The top three skills for an owner & designer include customer service, graphic design and website design. The most important skills for a freelance designer are sketch, CSS, and HTML.
| Owner & Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $48,688 | $57,260 |
| Hourly rate | $23.41 | $27.53 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 91,490 | 45,914 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Owners/designers are responsible for the overall creation of their designs, including the marketing campaigns to boost their brand image, and hiring people to help them execute the production for desired results. They also reach out to potential clients to offer their services, negotiate contract terms and payments, and work within the clients' specifications and timeframe. Owners/designers must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on enforcing critical business decisions that would define the owner's strategies and market performance.
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.
Owner & designers and freelance designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Owner & Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Average salary | $48,688 | $57,260 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $72,000 | Between $39,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an owner & designer and a freelance designer in terms of educational background:
| Owner & Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | 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 owner & designers' and freelance designers' demographics:
| Owner & Designer | Freelance Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% | 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% |