Alveena Ahmad
In 2023, an astonishing 64 million Americans were self-employed. The future is bright for independent contractors, as evidenced by the steady increase in this new work trend from 53 million in 2014. The gig economy, also known as the side hustle or freelance industry, is here to stay and will soon overtake other employment sectors to account for the majority of jobs worldwide.
Why Choose Freelancing?
Financial Benefits and Beyond
While there are financial advantages to working as a freelancer part-time or even full-time, like unlimited earning potential and the ability to fight the cost of living crisis, freelancing offers more benefits than just financial gain. Because you are not only in charge of things, it allows you to acquire and develop rich experience and skills that you would not otherwise acquire in a regular job.
Autonomy and Flexibility
Increased autonomy and flexibility are two more intangible benefits of freelancing, which are highly valued in today’s workforces.
Beneficial for Employers
Employers who might not have the funds to hire full-time permanent staff but instead prefer to hire contractors for specific projects can benefit from freelancing as well.
Exploring Remote Freelance Opportunities
Insights from FlexJobs
Adaptable employment portal According to FlexJobs’ 2024 State of Remote Freelance Jobs Report, there are a number of rapidly growing career fields (growing by at least 20%), for remote workers. Interestingly, a large number of these industries are in the creative and artistic fields, suggesting bright futures for independent contractors.
Highlighted Fields
- Virtual Assistant
- Graphic Design
- Art and Creative
- Copywriting
- Consulting
- News and Journalism
- Entertainment and Media
- Operations
- Social Media
- Editing
Specific Remote Freelance Roles
Here are a few particular freelance jobs that fit into these categories and let you work from home.
(Note that the salaries or earnings from freelancing work that are indicated are only meant to be used as a basic guide. Your actual earnings may differ significantly from or above the indicated salary, depending on a number of variables such as how well you market your business and yourself, the demand in the market, etc. Here, “salary” refers only to estimated earnings for freelance work; naturally, as a self-employed professional delivering contracts, you won’t be paid a set yearly salary. Salary.com, Comparably, and Talent.com are the sources of salaries.)
1. Virtual Assistant
Small businesses and independent contractors alike benefit from the services of freelance virtual assistants since they are too busy to manage administrative tasks themselves. Thus, these companies will use virtual assistants for outsourcing. The position has several facets. You could be managing your client’s calendars, answering emails, and/or handling other administrative tasks from the comfort of your home, freeing them up to concentrate on the most crucial facets of their jobs.
Average salary: $43,043 to $50,647
2. Graphic Designer
Working as a freelance graphic designer, you will apply your understanding of design to produce logos, mock-ups, brochures, and online media formats that serve as visual aids for advertising.
Average salary: $44,460
3. Project Manager
On an independent contract service basis, a freelance project manager oversees a variety of projects and can provide management and consulting services to companies in need of a PM for a particular project for a brief duration.
Salary average: $87,750
4. Bookkeeper
The same holds true for independent bookkeepers. Similar to project managers, you can provide accounting and bookkeeping services to a variety of business clients. You can even decide to focus on helping small businesses and other freelancers track their expenses and income and file their taxes.
Average salary: $83,728
5. Copywriter
Do you enjoy writing and do you have a special talent for it? You can offer your services to write copy for websites, email marketing campaigns, blogs, and digital advertisements with the intention of ranking highly in search results and drawing traffic, especially if you already have a lot of writing experience and a strong portfolio.
Average salary: $58,644
6. Customer Service Representative
You can quickly locate remote freelance customer service representative jobs if you enjoy interacting with and helping new people by searching online or by using the search function on freelance websites like People Per Hour, a platform for freelancers and contractors.
Average salary: $58,644
7. Social Media Specialist
Possess prior experience in digital or social media marketing? As a freelancer, you can get compensated for your abilities. When you have the option to work for several companies, why restrict yourself to just one? You can offer a variety of services, such as social media campaign development, content creation that engages readers, and social media page and profile optimization for your corporate clients.
Average salary: $48,447
8. Video Editor
In order to bring a client’s project to life, a freelance video editor will examine and alter raw footage from clients and make the necessary edits, cuts, and arrangements to improve the quality, length, and sound. This dynamic creative position is all about using editing techniques to tell creative stories through a variety of high-quality video content, such as demo reels and marketing videos.
Average salary: $88,706
9. Marketing Manager
Depending on the company, industry, and target market, freelance marketing managers assist their corporate clients in creating and implementing marketing plans and strategies for a range of media channels. Naturally, this is a full-time position that is carried out for an employer; however, in this instance, you can also directly offer your services to businesses as a contract or project, particularly to startups or less established companies.
Average salary: $92,674
10. Communications Specialist
As a self-employed communications specialist, you will represent your client, which is an organization, in public-facing tasks like writing press releases, creating media content, and advertising on social media. By sharing the company’s narrative with the world, you will contribute to raising awareness of it.
Average salary: $94,191
Conclusion
It takes commitment and hard work, as well as a lot of time, effort, and research to become a freelancer and get a consistent clientele, particularly from businesses. All of this work will, however, pay off when you are able to experience financial freedom, the freedom to work when and how you choose, and the fulfillment that comes with being your own boss while building your reputation and career.
