Going Freelance — What You Need to Know
Freelancing is on the rise and some of the most successful self-employed workers are the ones tapping into the biggest and fastest-growing freelance markets. Flexjob’s 2024 State of Remote Freelance Jobs Report looks at the ever-changing world of remote freelance work to identify future career opportunities.
In the report, you’ll find the top ten careers for freelance workers in 2024, the most popular job titles, ten companies most likely to hire freelance workers and how to find work. Ready to join the remote work revolution? Let’s go.
The rise in remote freelance work
Freelance workers are having a greater impact on the US economy than ever before, and the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. According to the 2024 Work Insights Survey from FlexJobs, 95% of workers want some form of remote work, with 54% preferring to work from home full-time and 41% saying a hybrid is their ideal work arrangement.
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“The rise in freelancers is a great indication of the many workers pursuing their careers with greater autonomy, independence, and flexibility,” said Toni Frana, Lead Career Expert at FlexJobs. “And fortunately, as our latest report has shown, there are remote freelance opportunities across a wide range of industries that afford people the freedom to define when, where, and how they work.”
Although the reasons people choose a freelance career can vary — a flexible schedule, a better balance of work and family life and the benefit of being their own boss — the demand for freelance work (and workers) continues to skyrocket. In fact, an estimated 64 million US workers performed freelance work in 2023, according to Statista.
Top 10 career fields for remote freelance work
The following 10 career categories experienced the highest growth in remote freelance jobs from January 1 through December 31, 2023. These jobs are also considered to be strong options through 2024.
- Bilingual
- Graphic Design
- Art & Creative
- Copywriting
- Consulting
- News & Journalism
- Entertainment & Media
- Operations
- Social Media
- Editing
Top 10 companies for remote freelance work
The 2024 report showed a steady pace for remote freelance opportunities in new career fields, including:
- TELUS
- Robert Half International
- Welocalize
- BELAY
- LHH – Lee Hecht Harrison
- Kforce
- ModSquad
- Insight Global
- Solomon Page
- Kelly
Top 10 in-demand remote freelance job titles
Among the top 10 remote freelance job titles, virtual assistants and graphic designers were some of the most sought-after roles, highlighting the versatility in the current freelance marketplace.
- Virtual Assistant
- Graphic Designer
- Project Manager
- Bookkeeper
- Copywriter
- Customer Service Representative
- Social Media Specialist
- Video Editor
- Marketing Manager
- Communications Specialist
Five steps to finding freelance work
If you’re not sure how to get your foot in the door, FlexJobs has a few words of wisdom to help take your freelance career to the next level.
- Get Social & Get Networking — Don’t underestimate the role of social media and a powerful network in finding and landing freelance clients.
- Target Your Search — Target different keywords to expand your results.
- Try Cold Pitching — Cold pitching is emailing or messaging potential freelance clients to offer your services.
- Build Your Brand — Having a strong personal brand and personal website to showcase past work is essential when freelancing.
- Ask for Referrals — Make it easy for freelance clients to share testimonials by sending a polite email with a link and a couple of targeted questions they can answer.
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