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Package designer vs freelance designer

The differences between package 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 a package designer and a freelance designer. Additionally, a freelance designer has an average salary of $57,260, which is higher than the $52,273 average annual salary of a package designer.

The top three skills for a package designer include graphic design, CAD and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a freelance designer are sketch, CSS, and HTML.

Package designer vs freelance designer overview

Package DesignerFreelance Designer
Yearly salary$52,273$57,260
Hourly rate$25.13$27.53
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs59,29245,914
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

What does a package designer do?

A package designer is responsible for designing and developing safe and attractive packaging for warehouse products and merchandise. Package designers strategize their concepts according to product features, business requirements, and client specifications. They identify cost-effective resources and market demands within quality standards and regulations. A package designer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in utilizing various software tools and applications. Package designers generate designs and adjust design illustrations to meet clients' excellent feedback and consumer satisfaction.

What does a freelance designer do?

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.

Package designer vs freelance designer salary

Package designers and freelance designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Package DesignerFreelance Designer
Average salary$52,273$57,260
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $75,000Between $39,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CitySan Leandro, CA-
Highest paying stateWashington-
Best paying companyThe Home Depot-
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between package designer and freelance designer education

There are a few differences between a package designer and a freelance designer in terms of educational background:

Package DesignerFreelance Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Package designer vs freelance designer demographics

Here are the differences between package designers' and freelance designers' demographics:

Package DesignerFreelance Designer
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 58.9% Female, 41.1%Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between package designer and freelance designer duties and responsibilities

Package designer example responsibilities.

  • Modify SRV-1 source code using JavaScript software to attain tracking at any instantaneous time.
  • Participate in brainstorming of conceptual designs and perform feasibility studies of relate concepts.
  • Participate in brainstorming for visual direction and mechanical solutions for active and upcoming projects.
  • Develop handbags from initial sketch through final product including material sourcing, development of prototypes, sampling and technical specifications.
  • Work closely with printer for final PDF.
  • Provide detail review of PDF files to identify and alleviate errors.
  • Show more

Freelance designer example responsibilities.

  • Lead the transition from paste-up, typesetting, pasting up page layout to digital ad/page building and web printing.
  • Hand-Code HTML, CSS, JS and PHP for custom design solutions and form processing, validation, and animations.
  • Provide identity and stationery design, web design, HTML / CSS development and WordPress integration (content management system).
  • Image manipulation in platforms such as Photoshop and illustrator as per assign.
  • Develop high-qualityshop drawings for all casework to be build by in-house woodshop.
  • Design websites, landing pages, banner ads, pop-ups, and HTML emails.
  • Show more

Package designer vs freelance designer skills

Common package designer skills
  • Graphic Design, 11%
  • CAD, 6%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 6%
  • Design Solutions, 5%
  • Package Design, 5%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 5%
Common freelance designer skills
  • Sketch, 11%
  • CSS, 7%
  • HTML, 6%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 6%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 6%
  • Photography, 5%

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