Self-employed demographics and statistics in the US
Self-employed demographics research summary. Zippia estimates self-employed demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our self-employed estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about self-employeds after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 50,601 self-employeds currently employed in the United States.
- 39.2% of all self-employeds are women, while 60.8% are men.
- The average self-employed age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of self-employeds is White (59.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.1%), Black or African American (9.9%) and Asian (7.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
- 9% of all self-employeds are LGBT.
- Self-employeds are 86% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Self-employed demographics by:
Self-employed gender statistics
39.2% of self-employeds are women and 60.8% of self-employeds are men.
- Male, 60.8%
- Female, 39.2%
Self-employed gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 60.8% |
| Female | 39.2% |
Self-employed gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,786
Female income
$34,431
Self-employed gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in self-employed positions over time. Currently, 39.2% of self-employeds are female.
Self-employed gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.67% | 34.33% |
| 2011 | 63.16% | 36.84% |
| 2012 | 65.02% | 34.98% |
| 2013 | 63.52% | 36.48% |
| 2014 | 64.99% | 35.01% |
| 2015 | 62.36% | 37.64% |
| 2016 | 63.32% | 36.68% |
| 2017 | 63.10% | 36.90% |
| 2018 | 61.81% | 38.19% |
| 2019 | 61.01% | 38.99% |
| 2020 | 60.04% | 39.96% |
| 2021 | 60.77% | 39.23% |
Self-employed related jobs gender ratio
We compared self-employeds with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, timber buyer and chief estimator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Coordinator | 9% | 91% |
| Conference Planning Manager | 9% | 91% |
| Human Resources Administrative Assistant | 9% | 91% |
| Self-Employed | 61% | 39% |
| Electronic Security Specialist | 94% | 6% |
| Chief Estimator | 95% | 5% |
| Timber Buyer | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Self-employed demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among self-employeds is White, which makes up 59.8% of all self-employeds. Comparatively, 17.1% of self-employeds are Hispanic or Latino and 9.9% of self-employeds are Black or African American.
- White, 59.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.1%
- Black or African American, 9.9%
- Asian, 7.3%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Self-employed race
| Self-employed race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.1% |
| Black or African American | 9.9% |
| Asian | 7.3% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Self-employed race and ethnicity over time
See how self-employed racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Self-employed race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.89% | 11.46% | 5.40% | 13.47% |
| 2011 | 67.20% | 11.13% | 5.54% | 13.20% |
| 2012 | 67.29% | 10.63% | 5.54% | 13.80% |
| 2013 | 66.78% | 10.77% | 5.63% | 13.66% |
| 2014 | 64.97% | 11.11% | 6.38% | 14.41% |
| 2015 | 65.15% | 11.24% | 6.16% | 14.61% |
| 2016 | 64.65% | 11.52% | 6.40% | 14.26% |
| 2017 | 64.81% | 10.52% | 6.07% | 15.23% |
| 2018 | 65.21% | 9.24% | 6.83% | 15.66% |
| 2019 | 65.17% | 9.60% | 6.58% | 15.29% |
| 2020 | 61.91% | 10.58% | 6.88% | 15.12% |
| 2021 | 59.81% | 9.94% | 7.30% | 17.07% |
Self-employed wage gap by race
According to our data, asian self-employeds have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american self-employeds have the lowest average salary at $35,107.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $36,001 |
| White | $35,683 |
| Black or African American | $35,107 |
| Asian | $36,822 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,341 |
Average self-employed age
See how the average age of self-employeds varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Self-employed age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 42 | 44 |
| Unknown | 35.5 | 40 |
| Asian | 39 | 38 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35.5 | 37 |
| White | 39 | 41 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 48 |
Self-employed age breakdown
The average age of self-employeds is 40+ years years old, representing 52% of the self-employed population.
Self-employed age breakdown
| Self-Employed Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 52% |
| 30-40 years | 32% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Self-employed educational attainment
The most common degree for self-employeds is bachelor's degree, with 38% of self-employeds earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 22% and high school diploma degree at 22%.
- Bachelor's, 38%
- High School Diploma, 22%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Self-employeds by degree level
| Self-employed degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 38% |
| High School Diploma | 22% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Self-employed jobs you might like
Self-employed wage gap by degree level
According to the data, self-employeds with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $41,381 annually. With a Master's degree, self-employeds earn a median annual income of $39,498 compared to $36,946 for self-employeds with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,498 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,873 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,946 |
| Doctorate Degree | $41,381 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,946 |
Self-employed employment statistics
Most self-employeds work for a private in the retail industry.
Company size where self-employeds work
Below, you can see the size of companies where self-employeds work.
Self-employed jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 14% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 25% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 18% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Self-employed jobs by company type
Employees with the self-employed job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most self-employeds prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Self-employed jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 86% |
| Government | 1% |
Self-employed jobs by industry
The most common industries for self-employeds are retail, professional and media.
Self-employed industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Retail | 12% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Media | 9% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Health Care | 8% |
| Construction | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Internet | 5% |
| Start-up | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Real Estate | 3% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Self-employed turnover and employment statistics
Self-employed unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for self-employeds between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Self-employed unemployment rate by year
| Year | Self-employed unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.60% |
| 2011 | 6.44% |
| 2012 | 5.26% |
| 2013 | 4.87% |
| 2014 | 4.30% |
| 2015 | 3.40% |
| 2016 | 3.08% |
| 2017 | 2.52% |
| 2018 | 2.19% |
| 2019 | 2.85% |
| 2020 | 3.85% |
| 2021 | 3.78% |
Average self-employed tenure
The average self-employed stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 37,917 self-employeds resumes in Zippia's database.
Self-employed tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 9% |
| 1-2 years | 21% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 21% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 25% |
Self-employed LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of self-employeds that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Building Construction Estimator | 4.41% | 41,605 |
| Logistics Management Specialist | 8.65% | 85,107 |
| Self-Employed | 8.93% | - |
| Direct Marketing Specialist | 10.00% | 125,958 |
| Section Chief, Physical Security Specialist | 11.05% | 110,117 |
| Civil Rights Representative | 11.64% | 8,160 |
| Campaign Fundraiser | 19.25% | 1,678 |
Similar self-employed jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Building Construction Estimator | 4.41% | 41,605 |
| Logistics Management Specialist | 8.65% | 85,107 |
| Direct Marketing Specialist | 10.00% | 125,958 |
| Section Chief, Physical Security Specialist | 11.05% | 110,117 |
| Civil Rights Representative | 11.64% | 8,160 |
| Campaign Fundraiser | 19.25% | 1,678 |
Foreign languages spoken by self-employeds
The most common foreign language among self-employeds is Spanish at 57.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.6% and German is the third-most popular at 4.0%.
- Spanish, 57.0%
- French, 7.6%
- German, 4.0%
- Chinese, 3.6%
- Portuguese, 3.4%
- Other, 24.4%
Self-employed languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.0% |
| French | 7.6% |
| German | 4.0% |
| Chinese | 3.6% |
| Portuguese | 3.4% |
| Other | 24.4% |
