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The differences between self-employeds and freelancers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a self-employed, becoming a freelancer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a freelancer has an average salary of $59,367, which is higher than the $34,734 average annual salary of a self-employed.
The top three skills for a self-employed include windows, mowing and customer service. The most important skills for a freelancer are customer service, web content, and video production.
| Self-Employed | Freelancer | |
| Yearly salary | $34,734 | $59,367 |
| Hourly rate | $16.70 | $28.54 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 6,215 | 2,088 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
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.
A freelancer is a self-employed individual that provides services for multiple clients at one time and usually earns money on a per-job basis. Often known as independent contractors, freelancers usually set their schedules while running their own business and have a flexible lifestyle. They have the liberty to choose their clients that may be less confined to specific markets or sectors. Freelancers usually find work within the creative industries such as graphic design, copywriting, or photography.
Self-employeds and freelancers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Self-Employed | Freelancer | |
| Average salary | $34,734 | $59,367 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $40,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a self-employed and a freelancer in terms of educational background:
| Self-Employed | Freelancer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between self-employeds' and freelancers' demographics:
| Self-Employed | Freelancer | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2% | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 13% |