Despite the adverse economic conditions last year, skilled freelancers are an economic force.
Good for the economy
Skilled independent workers are estimated to have earned $234 billion in revenue in 2020, up from nearly $229 billion in 2018, the latest year for which data are available. This revenue comprises around 1.1 percent of U.S. GDP. In 2020 an estimated $154 billion, or about twothirds, can be attributed to skilled independents in the top 30 markets in the U.S.
Job Satisfaction
The estimated 6.1 million skilled independent freelancers in the U.S. are highly satisfied with their work and motivated to keep pushing forward in the post-pandemic world.
Viable source of income during crisis
Skilled independent work is a viable source of income for those who put the work in. On average, freelancers spend 28 hours a week on their independent work. Across the U.S., they earn $38,200 a year from this work on average, which translates into an hourly wage of $26 per hour.
Digital is the future
Three in ten (31%) skilled independents use online job marketplaces to get work/clients.
Those who started working independently in the past year are more likely to use online job marketplaces than those who have been freelancing for a while, suggesting they play an important role in keeping barriers to entering the world of skilled independent work low.
