➤ Freelancing: Key Statistics and Figures (2024)

General statistics on freelancers

Freelancing is a growing way of working in the United States. In this text, we are going to present you with the latest statistics on self-employed workers in the country:

There are currently 57 million freelancers in the United States, a increase of 8.8% in five years. (Source: Statista.com)
38% self-employed workers identify themselves as freelancers. (Source: and.co)
53% Generation Z workers are freelancers, representing the highest participation of self-employed workers across all age groups since 2014.
29% of workers in the baby boom generation (55 and over) worked as a freelancer
31% of Generation X workers (39-54 years old)
40% of millennial workers (23-38 years old) and
53% of Generation Z workers (18-22 years old)
Each generation has more thanone in four workers who worked as a freelancer over the past year.
40% of 6,001 freelancers Respondents in the United States have a college degree or higher, making freelancers an educated type of workforce. (Source: Statista.com)
The most popular type of freelancing involves qualified services such as programming, marketing and IT, who represent around 45% of freelancers.
Unskilled services such as car sharing, dog walking, and personal chores account for around 30% of the market share, while selling goods and e-commerce account for around 26%. (Source: Upwork.com)

Freelancing is an increasingly popular option for self-employed workers in the United States, with varied opportunities and increased involvement from Generation Z. Freelancers who have skilled skills also have numerous opportunities to earn a living as a freelancer.

Freelance earnings statistics

Self-employment is on the rise in the United States, but what are the gender and specialization trends? The most recent data provides key information about self-employed Americans.

Men make up the bulk of the freelance workforce in the United States, with more than 59% of all freelancers identified as men, while only about 53 per cent of the traditional workforce is made up of men. (Source: Statista.com)
More than 48% of all freelancers who identify as women are in the lowest income bracket, while among men, only 34% fall in this income bracket. This means that men are about 4.5 times more likely to earn $150,000 per year than women. (Source: and.co)
Most freelancers (61%) specialize in two or three talents, which means that freelancers tend to focus on multiple areas of expertise rather than just one skill. (Source: and.co)

Statistics on American self-employed workers show a trend toward male dominance and financial insecurity among women. However, the diversity of skills and talents of freelancers offers opportunities for self-employed individuals to find lucrative niches in today's economy.

Statistics on the work habits of freelancers

The world of freelancers is growing and includes a multitude of industries.

There are several websites popular like freelancing platforms on which freelancers are constantly looking for jobs. The most popular are:

Indeed, who is able to attract 150 million freelancers on its platform.
Freelancer, which has over 16 million freelancers.
FlexJobs, which has around 2 million freelancers looking for a job every month. (Source: similarweb.com)
86% of freelancers generally work from home, which means they don't need a company office to work. (Source: and.co)

The world of freelancers is growing and includes many industries.

Online freelancing platforms are important tools for freelancers looking for jobs, with sites like Indeed, Freelancer, and FlexJobs that attract millions of visitors every month. In addition, most freelancers work from home, which allows them to work at their own pace and to better balance work and personal life.

Characteristics of freelancers

Freelancing is booming, offering a flexible alternative to traditional work. Here are some important statistics about the freelance industry:

Over the past five years, more than five million people have joined the freelance sector in the United States. (Source: and.co)
Two thirds of the freelancers interviewed became self-employed in the last three years.
Circa 77% of freelancers admit that they are not more financially stableAnd since they became independent. (Source: and.co)
84% of full-time freelancers state that their work allows them to lead the lifestyle that they want. (Source: Forbes.com)
42% of freelancers said that they would not be able to do a traditional job due to life circumstances.
Les content writers Freelancers earn between 15 and 80 dollars per hour on Fiverr or Upwork. Front-end developers earn between $15 and $150 per hour on Fiverr. (Sources: glassdoor.com, Upwork.com, Upwork.com)
Circa 64% of full-time freelancers said their health has improved since they became independent. (Source: Forbes.com)
Over 94% of freelancers work as freelancers for good.
Only 6% of respondents said they only worked as a freelancer until a full-time opportunity presented itself. (Source: and.co)

The world of freelancing is dynamic, stimulating, and growing, with numerous benefits for self-employed individuals. However, it can also present financial and security challenges, which should be considered before embarking on the freelance world.

Perspectives and preferences of freelancers

Freelancing is a growing and highly profitable industry, accounting for nearly 5% of total U.S. GDP. We are going to explore this industry by giving key facts and statistics about online business:

The freelance industry is worth nearly a trillion US dollars, representing nearly 5% of total U.S. GDP. Skilled freelancers earn an average of $28 per hour, more than 70% of the U.S. workforce. (Source: Upwork.com)
Around 30% of Fortune 500 companies use platforms like Upwork to hire freelancers, showing the growing importance of freelancers for large businesses. (Source: Forbes.com)
More than 41% of freelancers find jobs thanks to their former clients, 38 per cent through friends and family, and 37 per cent through social media. (Sources: Statista.com)
Around 93% of freelancers with a university degree say that training is essential to succeed as a freelancer. (Source: Forbes.com)
Around 60% of the freelancers surveyed say they are interested in a nomadic lifestyle, while 70% would be ready to move outside the big cities. (Source: and.co and Upwork.com)
La Flexibility of schedules is the first reason for which full-time freelancers choose to work as a freelancer (46%). (Source: Upwork.com)

In conclusion, freelancing is a growing and profitable industry that offers great flexibility and a variety of work options for self-employed individuals. Freelancers find work opportunities through a variety of sources such as former customers, social networks (facebook, twitter, LinkedIn...), etc. Freelancers need to continue to develop their skills to succeed in the ever-changing industry.

Coronavirus and freelance statistics

Since the start of the pandemic, the world of work has been turned upside down. Some sectors have been hit hard, while others have prospered. Below, we've put together some of the most recent data on the impact of COVID-19 on self-employed workers and the freelance market:

Les Freelance job offers increased by more than 25% between April and June 2020 globally. This increase is mainly due to the pandemic, but also to a high demand for solo work. (Source: CNBC.com)
In the second quarter of 2020, the number of freelance job offers increased by around 41% to an impressive 605,000 compared to the same period in 2019. (Source: CNBC.com)
Nearly 32% of self-employed workers said that demand for their services had fallen sharply as a result of the pandemic, leaving many without income or steady employment. (Source: payoneer.com)
In the second quarter of 2020, the hours lost due to the pandemic are equivalent to approximately 400 million full-time jobs. (Source: CNBC.com)
One of the most sought-after types of jobs during The second quarter of 2020 was mathematical modeling, which saw a significant increase of 99.6 per cent, representing approximately 16,501 jobs. (Source: CNBC.com)
Demand for e-commerce professionals grew by 54.4% and demand for game designers and developers jumped by 68% and 64%, respectively. (Source: CNBC.com)
Around 23% of self-employed workers said their business relationships, income, and demand remained about the same as before the pandemic, and 17% of self-employed people said the pandemic had increased demand for their services.
Around 74% of self-employed workers said that their rates remained the same during the pandemic, 23% had to lower their rates to remain competitive, and about 3% increased their rates. (Source: payoneer.com)
Most of the demand for online labor during the global COVID-19 pandemic came from the United States, but demand fell in mid-March 2020 compared to previous years.
Les Average incomes fell slightly during the pandemic due to the fall in demand in some sectors and the influx of new self-employed workers. (Source: osf.io)

In conclusion, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the freelance market, with increases in job supply in some sectors, but also significant declines in demand in others. Despite this, some self-employed workers have managed to maintain their business relationships and incomes, while others have had to adapt to a constantly changing market.

Statistics and fun facts about the freelance world.

Freelancing is a growing business and offers numerous opportunities. But did you know that there are also interesting and fun facts about the freelancing world? We've rounded up some of the most entertaining stats below.

59% of non-freelancers plan to work as a freelancer in the future. This could be one of the reasons why we are seeing such an influx of new people into the freelance market. (Source: Upwork.com)
51% of freelancers say that no amount of moneyAnd would not encourage them to accept a traditional job. This is a testament to the satisfaction that freelancers get from self-employment. (Source: Upwork.com)
73% of freelancers say that technology has made it easier to find freelance work. Technological advances have greatly simplified the work of freelancers. (Source: Upwork.com)
64% of people think that professionals at the top of their respective sectors are increasingly looking for self-employment through freelancing. (Source: Upwork.com)
Although the number of freelancers is increasing, the demand for their services remains relatively stable. (Source: Upwork.com)

Freelancing offers not only numerous professional opportunities, but also a certain amount of freedom and personal satisfaction. Many freelancers don't consider returning to a traditional job, even for a significant amount of money. Technological advances are making it easier for freelancers to work, and professionals in all sectors are increasingly considering self-employment.

Conclusion

Freelancing is an exciting landscape that promises to become one of the most dominant industries in the world. With more and more people flocking to this sector due to the recent global pandemic, its spread among the general public can only accelerate.

The first thing we should expect for the future of freelancing is the incorporation of many more business sectors into its fold. The most popular activities for freelancers are writing jobs such as grammar and correction, web site design, marketing, and coding.

With the technology required to perform most tasks slowly evolving into the digital landscape, we can expect an influx of new industries into the freelance space, and the arrival of many new freelancers on the market.

We hope we've answered some of your most pressing questions about the freelancing world and the people who live in it with our 40 facts and statistics. Be sure to follow us for more statistics-based content!