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“According to Market.us, the global freelance market is worth USD 1.5 trillion and growing at a 15% CAGR. there will be over 1.57 billion freelancers worldwide in 2023.”
Freelance Statistics
- By 2023, the number of freelancers will reach 1.57 billion.
- There are 73.3 million independent contractors in the United States.
- Global freelancers are estimated to be worth $1.5 trillion, and the industry is growing at 15% CAGR.
- Social media marketing is the most sought-after expertise for independent marketers.
- In the United States, 71% of employees plan to be freelancers by 2023.
- By 2028, it is estimated that the number of freelance workers in the United States will reach 90,1 million.
- Google has 54% fewer permanent employees than it does freelancers (46%).
- Generation Z has chosen to freelance in 53% of the cases.
- There are almost 12,000,000 freelancers registered on Upwork. By 2023, Upwork will be the biggest platform for freelancers.
- The freelance skill of web design is in high demand.
- Social media marketing is the most sought-after freelance marketing talent.
- The majority of independent contractors find new clients by networking and establishing personal connections.
- Writers who work as freelancers earn about $42,000 per annum.
Number of Freelancers in the USA
- There will be about 73.3 million freelancers in the United States by 2023.
- The overall number of freelance in the United States is predicted to increase to 79.6 million by 2025 and 90.1 million by 2028.
| Year | Number Of Freelancers |
| 2017 | 57.3 million |
| 2018 | 59.7 million |
| 2019 | 62.2 million |
| 2020 | 64.8 million |
| 2021 | 67.4 million |
| 2022 | 70.4 million |
| 2023 | 73.3 million |
| 2024 | 76.4 million |
| 2025 | 79.6 million |
| 2026 | 83 million |
| 2027 | 86.5 million |
| 2028 | 90.1 million |
(Source: Statista)
Popular Freelance Jobs
According to Freelance Statistics Though the freelancing industry has traditionally been dominated by artists and people in the creative field, the number of jobs and the demand for freelancers appears to be increasing on a regular basis.
Here are the top freelancing jobs in 2023.
- Content creation is one of the most popular freelance vocations.
- Graphic designers on Upwork can earn an average of $150 USD per hour, which is more than regular content writers.
- Most freelancers in America work in the creative industries.
- 75% of the workers in art and design are freelancers.
- In the United States, freelancers make up 55% of the workforce in the entertainment industry.
- The majority of construction workers (55%) are freelancers.
- Web design is one of the 15 most in-demand skills for freelancers on Upwork.
- SEO consulting can be a great option for freelancers who want to achieve long-term success. It can also lead to your own SEO agency and many other opportunities.
- Freelancing jobs with the highest pay include SEO consulting, direct response copywriting, and software development. Sales and lead generation is also a high-paying occupation.
- Freelance jobs are most likely to require skills in Instagram marketing, branding, and AI development.
How much are freelancers earning in 2023?
- A freelance writer’s hourly wage is usually between $30 and $40.00, or about $42,000 per annum.
- An independent data analyst can earn between $55 and $65 per hour or up to $100,000 annually.
- The average annual salary for freelance editors is around $40,000.
- The average freelancer developer earns between $60 and 70 per hour or $120,000 annually.
- The average freelancer photographer earns $35 to $45 an hour. This amounts to a salary of $42,000 per year.
- The average freelancer earns between $50 to $60 per hour. This equates to a pay of nearly $1 million a year.
- Digital marketers earn an average of $50 per hour, or $1 million annually.
- Mobile app developers who work as freelancers can earn up to $65 an hour, or $1,000,000 per year.
- Freelance transcriptionists often earn $20 to $25 an hour, or $32,000 annually.
- An independent graphic designer’s average annual salary is approximately $90,000.
(Sources: Upwork)
Freelancer Earning Statistics
- Male freelancers often earn more than female freelancers. Female freelancers make up 84% of what men freelancers make.
- 30% of freelancers are paid by the hour.
- 65% of freelancers make more money than they would in traditional employment.
- The highest levels of freelance income are seen in northeastern states such as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.
- Over 10% of Americans reported using a digital platform to undertake freelance work for money in the preceding year.
- Rather than working for a single company, freelancers typically earn money by completing projects or assignments for a range of companies.
- In 2018, US freelancers earned approximately $1 trillion, or 5% of the country’s GDP. Following the pandemic, the figure has decreased.
- The global average for freelancers is $19 per hour.
- Upwork freelance content writers often earn between $10 and $80 USD per hour.
- On Upwork, the average hourly compensation for freelance graphic designers is $45.
(Sources: Upwork, DDIY, Pew Research, Forbes, Skill Scouter)
Below are the top 10 freelancing skills required in the technical field:
- Java Script
- Web design.
- WordPress.
- Web programming.
- JavaScript.
- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
- Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
- Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP).
- Website Development.
- Application Programme Interface (API).
What Are the Most Valuable Freelance Customer Service Skills?
Customer service is the most important skill for a freelancer who wants to work in the customer service industry.
The following are the top nine freelancing customer service competencies:
- Customer support.
- Email communication.
- Email support.
- Phone support.
- Communication etiquette.
- Online chat support.
- Answering product questions.
- Data entry.
- Administrative support.
In the United States, programmers, data analysts, and mobile developers earn up to $120,000 per year on average (Upwork).
- Demand for independent contractors with skills is on the rise. Between 2020 and 2021, the percentage of freelancers in specialized fields (marketing, IT, computer programming, and business consultancy) increased from 50 to 53 percent.
- More knowledgeable and skilled freelancers make more money.
- In the United States, programmers earn an average of $60-70 an hour and have a salary of approximately $120,000. Mobile developers and data analysts earn between $55-$65 per hour with an annual salary of $100,000.
| Freelancer Job Title | Hourly Wage | Annual Salary |
| Writers | $30-40/hr | $42,000 |
| Editors | $25-35/hr | $40,000 |
| Programmers | $60-70/hr | $120,000 |
| General developers | $50-60/hr | $100,000 |
| Mobile developers | $55-65/hr | $100,000 |
| Web developers | $50-60/hr | $90,000 |
| Graphic designers | $40-45/hr | $90,000 |
| Transcribers | $20-25/hr | $32,000 |
| Bookkeepers | $30-35/hr | $40,000 |
| Online marketers | $50/hr | $100,000 |
| Photographers | $35-45/hr | $42,000 |
| CRM managers | $50-60/hr | $120,000 |
| Data analysts | $55-65/hr | $100,000 |
Regional Freelancing Stats
Here’s a list of the top 10 countries for freelancers & year-over-year earnings growth rates.
- United States (78%)
- United Kingdom (59%)
- Brazil (48%)
- Pakistan (47%)
- Ukraine (36%)
- Philippines (35%)
- India (29%)
- Bangladesh (27%)
- Russia (20%)
- Serbia (19%)
The Ten Most In-Demand Freelance Marketing Skills
The following are the top ten most in-demand skills for freelance marketers:
- Social media marketing
- Lead generation
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Business-2-Busniess marketing
- Instagram marketing
- Marketing strategy
- SMM – Social media management
- Email marketing
- Marketing research
Source: TechRepublic.
According to freelancer salary statistics there will be an increase in freelancers working in the IT sector in the near future.
- Freelancing is the fastest-growing economy in the United States, with revenues increasing by 78% per year.
- Freelancers can access specialist software to help them manage their work and duties more efficiently. [Free software or freemium with a low price]
- The highest-paying freelance skills are DR advertising copywriting and ad management. Other high-paying skills include SEO consulting, programming as well as generating leads and sales.
- Software developers can earn up to $1,000 USD/hr.
- Technology is one of the two most popular careers for new freelancers. The other is finance/business operations.
- Even in the progressive environment of today’s freelancing, discrimination against women still occurs. Men could earn four times more than women as freelancers.
(Source: Forbes)
Significant Global Freelancing Platforms
The trending freelancing platforms are listed below in order of growth rate and market size capture.
- Flexiple
- Upwork
- Turing.com
- Freelancer.com
- PeoplePerHour
- Arc.Dev
- Toptal
- TaskRabbit
- 99Designs
- WriterAccess
- Gigster
- Designhil
Future of Freelancing (2023 and Beyond)
The statistics for freelancers are changing rapidly. We are now in 2023. Take a look at what the future holds for the freelance sector.
- A permanent remote workforce will make up an average of 34.4%. Remote work will therefore more than double, from 16.4% up to more than two times as much as before the epidemic.
- The coronavirus epidemic increased the number of freelance jobs by 41%. The gig economy continues to thrive even though the lockdown has been lifted.
- By 2025, there will be at least 350 million gig workers. The Indian gig economy is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17% and reach $455 billion in 2024.
