Best Freelancing Jobs; Top 10 Highest Paying Freelance Careers
Freelancing is increasingly becoming popular because of so many benefits it offers, i.e. flexible work schedules, working from home or remotely from anywhere, a higher income potential in certain industries, and more growth prospects than a regular 9 to 5 job.
According to the latest freelancing statistics, with a total global workforce of around 3.5 billion, there are about 1.1 billion freelancers around the world and 75% of these freelancers do not want to change their trade. Freelancers in the US alone contribute $1 trillion to the economy.
Freelancing is one of the biggest industries, however, only 21% of full-time freelancers call themselves “freelancers” and this is mainly because there are so many terms to describe a person who works independently, i.e. independent contractor, consultant, small business owner, self employed, etc. About 28% of full-time freelancers call themselves self-employed, 11% use “contractor” to describe themselves and about 12% simply call themselves small business owners.
If you’re curious about working as a freelancer, and looking to know what kind of freelancing you should pursue, explore the list of highest paying jobs that you can do on a freelance basis.
Top 10 Best Jobs to Freelance
This article lists ten most sought after freelancing services around the world and so these are among the top paying jobs too. But keep in mind that as a beginner, you should not have higher expectations, because it requires several skills, knowledge and expertise to excel in any field. So, depending on your experience, you may earn little less or more than the average industry rates.
You may be able to set your rates higher than the average rates when you have an impressive portfolio, an expertise for a competitive edge and when you are offering something that’s better than other service providers.
Let’s explore the top ten best paying freelancing jobs and what it takes to make that huge sum of money.
1- Software Consulting
In order to become a software consultant, one has to spend a great deal of time in software development, business analysis, understanding trends and the vision of future technologies.
These professionals design software applications and systems based on the unique needs of an organization. It involves analyzing the organization’s current computer software to find out what software updates, integrations or new applications are needed to increase productivity and improve the efficiency of the organization.
Software consultants can make $80,000 to $105,000 per year in the United States, but depending on the client’s location and requirements the average salary may vary country to country.
2- Financial Consulting
The second highly paid freelancers are the financial consultants who evaluate clients’ overall financial status, i.e. income, expenses, assets and debts etc. Financial consultants may offer their services to organizations or to individuals, however, the B2B financial consultants are the ones who get paid the highest.
Financial consultants help organizations and individuals by helping them find ways to pay off debt, save money, increase passive income, make smart investment choices, and plan for retirement etc.
Freelance financial consultants can make anything between $45,000 and $$125,000 in the US, however, the average income would be different in different countries.
3- Web / App Design & Development
With more and more businesses stepping towards digitization, web designers and developers are much sought after professionals by almost every business. Moreover, big businesses are investing in more collaborative software development, so they look to hire web software developers who can collaborate to design, create and launch interactive websites and applications.
These professionals are generally responsible for overall design and layout of a website, including developing and managing the backend software, company’s mobile apps and tweaking the website on a regular basis for better user experience.
Web and app development freelancers in the United States make $35,000 to $125,000 per year.
4- Videography
With the advent of social media and ever growing trends of sharing visually appealing content, the demand for videography is skyrocketing. Though everyone has a great camera phone, they always want better videos for special moments and events and so they look for freelance videographers.
These professionals have hands-on experience of not just using video recording equipment to shoot events, but also have expertise in using editing tools to turn an ordinary video into cinema quality visuals.
Many clients prefer local freelancers for video production projects, however, a lot can be done from overseas too. The videography projects may range from smaller event shoots, short films, weddings and parties, to documentaries and global campaigns. .
Freelance videographers in the US earn $45,000 to $100,000 per year.
5- Business Growth Consulting
These are mainly the management consultants who operate independently. To become a business growth consultant one must have extensive knowledge of various business models, financial forecasting, deep understanding of marketing and advertising, and excellent research and communication skills.
Growth consultants are the professionals who suggest techniques and methods for improving overall performance of the organization, increase productivity and efficiency of the business and help businesses with scalable growth.
Business growth consultants or growthhackers may also be required by startups and even big businesses to analyze an organization’s current processes to develop solutions and optimize the workflow so the organization reaches its goals.
Business consultants in the US make $60,000 to $115,000 per year on an average, but it may be higher depending on the client’s requirements and the nature of service.
6- Content Marketing & Copywriting
The popularity of social media, ever increasing number of internet users, and businesses’ digital transformation has surpassed the traditional forms of marketing, and so the online marketing industry has seen a massive growth.
Content being the backbone of online marketing is the basic need for marketing teams and this need created more jobs in content marketing and copywriting. Both content marketing and copywriting require an individual to be a lot more than just a content writer, i.e. one should have extensive knowledge of how online marketing works, persuasive writing skills, and research skills to develop engaging content for boring industries too.
Freelance copywriters are generally required by businesses to create the content for digital and print advertisements, white papers, product guides and other marketing materials that rely on the written word. Content marketers on the other hand are experts who can develop killer branded content and make it viral using their SEO, SEM and SMM skills and expertise.
Most content marketers and copywriters are home based freelance professionals, however, some businesses may require them on site. These professionals in the United States make $30,000 to $80,000 per year.
7- Online Marketing
Online marketing is a huge industry and no one can master all the subfields of online marketing, i.e. Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing. Email Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, B2B Marketing, Online Reputation Management, and more.
These professionals are responsible for engaging customers, bringing and increasing website traffic, finding new audiences, measuring site and social media metrics, updating and tweaking website structure, and overseeing the creative aspects of the marketing strategy.
Starting a career in digital marketing is not easy, but once you learn the needed skills, develop expertise and find your niche, you are all set to be a leader in your field. Digital marketers in the US earn $50,000 to $150,000 per year.
8- Virtual Assistants
Virtual assistants are home based or remote workers who help organizations and individuals in administrative services, i.e. scheduling appointments, answering phone calls, managing necessary records, making travel arrangements, managing emails and other client communication channels etc.
Becoming a virtual assistant is probably the best choice for people who want to get started with freelancing and working from home without any experience. Virtual assistants in the United States earn $21,000 to $60,000 per year.
9- Accounting
Accountants are needed by almost every small, medium and large business. The enterprises can afford a full fledged accounting team but some still outsource work to the freelancers. On the other hand, small and medium businesses usually prefer freelance accountants, so they are always in demand and there are always freelance accounting and bookkeeping jobs open.
These individuals keep and maintain records of financial processes, transactions and manage the financial documents. Accountants who work on a freelance or contract basis may work with multiple individual clients or for small businesses or organizations at the same time. This way they can have multiple income streams.
Freelance accounting professionals in the US earn $30,000 to $100,000 per year.
10- Online Tutoring
With the advent of affordable connectivity tools like video chat and online meeting software, online tutors have always been in demand, however, the Covid19 pandemic created more opportunities than ever before.
People look for online tutors for their kids as well as for themselves to find help for academics, learning a new language, learning new skills etc. If you are someone who loves explaining things and has some great teaching methods and techniques that can help students gain a better understanding of the concepts teachers introduce in class, you can start online tutoring with almost no investment.
Online tutors in the United state make $46,000 to $80,000 per year on average.
Summing it up
There are hundreds of more professions where one can start freelancing, and grow their career to the next level by gaining experience, developing expertise in specific areas and acquiring new skills. The above list of best freelancing jobs only highlights the most prominent freelancing industries that employ a major population of freelancers.
