The job landscape is changing drastically, and people no longer view the traditional 9-5 jobs as the ultimate path to success. People now crave flexibility and the freedom to earn more by working for multiple clients simultaneously. It has significantly boosted the number of people interested in taking freelance projects as either a side hustle or a full-time commitment. The number of freelancers in the United States alone has increased from 57.3 million to 73.3 million from 2017 to 2023. It is expected to rise to 90.1 million by 2028, making freelancers half the American workforce.
Let’s explore the following hotspots for finding high-paying jobs if you’re ready to join the freelancing bandwagon.
Toptal
Toptal is one of the best platforms to scout high-paying freelancing opportunities across various job profiles, such as software developers, UI designers, content creators, AI engineers, product consultants, fractional CMOs, etc. The best part about Toptal is that freelancers can set their desired project fee, meaning the earning potential is solely in the hands of the freelancer. Since Toptal only allows the top 3% of exceptional freelancers on its platforms, the freelancing jobs often pay a premium.
Upwork
Upwork is among the most popular platforms for getting high-paying freelancing jobs in numerous job categories, such as video editors, generative AI specialists, resume writers, social media managers, data analysts, virtual assistants, etc. The earning potential depends on numerous factors, but freelance writers can expect to bag writing jobs at $30-$40/hour, mobile developers at $55-$65/hour, CRM managers at $50-$60/hour, etc.
Fiverr
While Fiverr is often viewed as a run-of-the-mill platform where freelancers get offered the lowest amount for any task, the reality is different. People with the right skill set and experience can easily find high-paying freelancing jobs on this platform. This service marketplace has freelance opportunities for a broad job category, such as digital marketing, programming, music, consulting, graphics, AI services, etc. Freelancers set their own project rates, attracting the right clients. People have earned $7000 a month from side jobs on Fiverr.
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, but has become an oasis of remote job opportunities. Currently, LinkedIn has over 317,000 remote jobs worldwide. These job opportunities are available for different professions, such as data entry specialists, HR assistants, appointment setters, junior accountants, etc. Since all big companies actively use LinkedIn to find the best talent, you can secure high-paying freelancing opportunities easily.
We Work Remotely
As the name highlights, this platform is exclusively designed to offer remote opportunities to freelancers. The top job categories on this platform are programming, design, DevOps, management, finance, sales, marketing, etc. Freelancers don’t have to create profiles on We Work Remotely because hiring partners publish freelancing opportunities with all relevant details. Since the project fee varies significantly from one listing to another, always look for projects offering reasonable compensation. One of its listings offers remote content writers $75-$80/hour.
Behance
It is a social media website for creative professionals that doubles as a job search site. Several artists, digital designers, photographers, animators, etc., use Behance to display their portfolios and attract clients willing to hire them at good pay. Illustrators, brand designers, social media designers, etc., looking for freelance jobs can head to the ‘Jobs’ section on Behance and apply for opportunities aligning with their skills and experience. Some creative professionals sell logo design services starting from $599, while others charge a starting rate of $2,750. The pay will always depend on your expertise, so filter opportunities accordingly.
SolidGigs
SolidGigs is a lead generation tool for freelancers seeking relevant, high-paying job opportunities. Once you sign up on SolidGigs by paying for their membership, you can set a search rule for the type of opportunities you want. SolidGigs will scan the internet to handpick the best freelancing jobs matching your criteria. Since freelancers can use the search rule to scout high-paying jobs, finding premium opportunities won’t be challenging.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour has helped freelancers earn $150 million, with its top freelancers earning $7,000/month. You can find freelance jobs in multiple categories, such as programming, translation, graphic design, copywriting, videography, administration assistance, etc. While the earnings will depend entirely on your expertise and skillset, you can expect to earn a premium for quality work. Some freelancers charge £75/hour for their services, while others charge £90/hour.
Freelancer
It is one of the largest service marketplaces for freelancers, and has job opportunities in 2700+ categories. Whether you’re good at research writing or software architecture, marketing or accounting, there’s always a freelancing job on this platform. The project fees will always depend on your expertise and skillset. For example, some freelancers charge $130/hour, while others charge $50/hour. So ensure you always set the desired rate while creating your profile
SimplyHired
It is a job search engine that helps people find jobs across different roles and industries. While it isn’t exclusively designed for finding freelance jobs, you can always filter the job results to find freelance or remote-only opportunities. The project fee will always vary based on numerous factors such as your skillset, experience, etc., so find and apply for opportunities that match your skills and expectations. You can use their salary estimator to determine how much you can charge for your services.
Jooble
Jooble scans the internet to search for relevant job opportunities based on your key skill area and designation and brings them together on a centralized dashboard. People often use Jooble to find full-time jobs, but you can also find freelance jobs using their ‘remote job’ feature under the location tab. Currently, 92,631+ freelance job opportunities are waiting to be explored. Use their salary filter to view only high-paying opportunities if you have a desired fee range.
Codeable
This is one of the best platforms for helping coders find high-paying freelance job opportunities. The best part about Codeable is that it prevents coders from undercharging to maintain competitiveness on the platform and ensures people are fairly compensated for their work. While listed freelancers are free to set their rate, Codeable typically keeps a standard rate of $80-$120/hour.
