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Kate Cusson/6 min read

Benefits of Starting a Career as a Graphic Design Freelancer

Real Benefits of Freelance Design

Project Choice

Take on the work and clients that actually interest you.

Schedule Flexibility

Set your own hours and working location.

Higher Hourly Rates

Direct client work often pays significantly more than salary roles.

Skill Diversity

Variety of clients builds wide-ranging skills quickly.

Career Control

Scale up or down on your terms — not your employer's.

Build Freelance-Ready Skills at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Graphic Design Certificate builds the technical depth and portfolio strength freelance clients pay premium rates for.

The world of graphic design is increasingly favoring freelancing, with 28% of workers identifying as self-employed, offering benefits like greater control over income, flexibility in schedules, and the ability to work from anywhere. However, it's important to understand the unique challenges freelancing poses, and prospective graphic design freelancers should consider equipping themselves with fundamental skills through courses such as the Graphic Design Certificate course before making a full transition.

While some graphic designers choose to work as traditional full-time employees, many creative professionals have switched to freelancing in recent years. In fact, the 2019 Intuit Quickbook Survey conducted by Gallup showed that nearly 44 million freelancers, or 28% of workers, identified as self-employed during the year. Many workers are opting for the convenience of working from home and creating their own schedule, though it’s important to note that freelancing comes with its own set of unique challenges.

If you have considered working as a graphic design freelancer, be sure to weigh the pros and cons before fully making the switch from full-time employment. There are live online classes like the Graphic Design Certificate course that help those new to the field of creative design learn the fundamental skills needed for a career change. Keep reading below to learn more about graphic design freelancing and the benefits of choosing a self-employed career path.

What Does Graphic Design Freelancing Entail?

Graphic Designers are creative professionals who use their skills and artistic vision to communicate the ideas of a product, marketing effort, or entire brand identity. Some designers prefer to secure full-time employment due to the security and incentives, as freelancing has different tasks and responsibilities. Instead of working on one project at a time, freelancers need to balance working with various clients at any point in a given week.

Many of the tasks freelancers complete are similar to those in traditional employment roles, with a greater focus on time management and motivation working independently. A typical day in the role of a freelancer can vary depending on projects and timeline. Still, some of the most common tasks include communicating with clients, pitching ideas, creating visuals, and completing revisions. In addition to daily tasks, freelancers must also be aware of the tax requirements in their area when working as self-employed individuals.

Create Your Own Schedule

One of the most popular reasons graphic designers choose to start freelancing is the ability to create their schedules rather than adhere to a traditional full-time workweek. This added flexibility is crucial for those who work better during non-traditional hours, have to take care of children, or anyone that is looking for a unique schedule. However, while graphic design freelancers can work at any time, some tasks like communicating with clients should be completed during standard business hours.

Real-World Experience

When you are looking to secure a position as a Graphic Designer, whether that be with freelancing or full-time employment, having a solid portfolio and real-world experience is key. While most designers build some sort of a portfolio during their training classes, completing freelance projects or volunteering design services is an excellent way to showcase experience in the field. Once designers have some freelance work to display in their portfolio for potential clients, they should choose a hosting platform that works with their unique style. Many graphic designers choose Adobe Portfolio due to the clean interface and hosting of unlimited pages.

Control Your Income

Another major benefit to working as a freelance Designer is being able to control your income more than with a traditional employment role. This is because freelancers are able to set their own rates and determine how many hours per week they are willing to work on projects. Indeed cites the average salary for a freelance Designer to be around $69,000, but there is truly no limit when it comes to freelancers and income.

Financial freedom is difficult to achieve when you are working for a set salary that offers no way to make extra money throughout the year. Graphic design freelancers have the ability to customize their workload and work with however many clients they can handle.

Work from Anywhere

Having the freedom to work from nearly any location is another popular benefit to working as a graphic design freelancer. Instead of having to get up and commute to an office during a strict set of hours, freelancers are able to work from home or anywhere they please, as long as they are communicating with clients and completing projects on time. It’s crucial that freelancers have a dedicated workspace, reliable internet, and dependable tech appliances so there are no setbacks during a project or communication with a potential client.

Consider the Drawbacks

Graphic design freelancing offers a wide array of benefits, but there are some potential drawbacks to consider before making any decisions regarding your employment status. The freedom and control of being self-employed are met with additional responsibilities that can add extra stress if designers are not used to working independently.

Motivation: It can be challenging to stay motivated when working alone from home. It’s crucial that freelancers make a weekly schedule and adhere to the times to complete all tasks. Many design freelancers use online calendar tools to help set a plan of action for working on projects over a set period of time.

Taxes: Full-time graphic design employees have taxes and deductions taken care of by their employer, meaning freelancers are left to handle all of these areas on their own. It’s recommended to secure a financial advisor if freelancers are unsure of their tax obligations.

Work-Life Balance: Though freelancing allows designers to work on their own schedule, they often end up working more hours than they would in a full-time position. This is common among freelancers, but many prefer the added hours for the ability to work from home.

If you are a current Designer or looking to break into the creative industry, taking graphic design classes can help refresh your skills and prepare you for a career change. Those who are entirely new to graphic design should consider more intense education courses to help gain real-world experience and build a solid portfolio before looking to secure clients. There are live online graphic design bootcamps from schools like Noble Desktop that allow students to learn the fundamental skills of creative design from any location. If you are ready to sign up for an immersive learning experience, try searching for graphic design bootcamps in your area to learn what options are available.