Freelancing is on the rise, and it shows no signs of slowing.
Some 60 million U.S. residents identify as contract, freelance, temporary or gig workers, and by 2027, freelancers are expected to become the majority of the U.S. workforce, according to Upwork, a freelance job platform.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused companies to prioritize their digital presence, so the demand for freelance tech experts to help them get up to speed is booming, and the remote gig economy is growing at a rapid pace.
Freelancer.com, a global freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, looked at 296,000 postings on its platform posted between July and September 2022 to determine which freelance jobs are the most in-demand right now, based on how much they’ve grown in the last quarter, and are expected to become even more popular in the coming months.
Freelancer.com grouped the jobs together by the main skills they use:
Android app development tops the list of in-demand freelance roles on the company’s “Q3 2022 Fast 50 Index,” which is unsurprising given that Android continues to gain popularity in the global operating system market, Matt Barrie, the CEO and founder of Freelancer.com, tells CNBC Make It.
Smartphone owners downloaded a record-high 38.7 billion apps between July and September 2022, according to mobile intelligence firm Data.ai. Android users led the charge, as people downloaded apps 30 billion times from Google Play, versus just under 9 billion times on the iOS App Store.
AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and API (application programming interface), the second and third most in-demand freelance needs on the list, are web development and programming techniques that connect companies on the web, improve the speed and performance of web applications and enable mobile experiences.
Next are blog writing and YouTube content, which have proven to be effective marketing and customer acquisition strategies for businesses over the last two-plus years, Barrie says. YouTube content includes freelance jobs in filming, editing, scriptwriting and marketing for the platform.
How to get started
The most obvious benefit of freelancing is the independence it offers: You can manage your own time, be your own boss, choose your clients and work remotely from anywhere in the world, says Margaret Lilani, vice president of talent solutions at Upwork.
Freelancing benefits companies, too, Lilani adds, helping employers reduce hiring costs and giving them access to a global talent pool.
If you’re interested in becoming a freelancer, the first step is to define what your strongest skills are and how they can be turned into a service, whether it’s communication, social media, graphic design, writing, coding or a different area of expertise, Lilani says.
Next, create a digital portfolio of work samples to share with prospective clients. To find out where the jobs are and list your own services, consider creating a profile on Upwork, Freelancer.com, Fiverr, TaskRabbit or a different website advertising freelance jobs.
“Don’t be afraid to get started,” Lilani says. “You might have to start small, and it will take time to build a reputation in the freelance market, but if you put in consistent effort, you can have a tremendously successful career as a freelancer.”
