Freelancer Study 2023

Freelancer
Study
2023
Freelancer Report
Financials, Self-employment,
Demographics, Outlook, AI
For many years, the interdependence of technological revolution and
cultural implications has not received sufficient attention.
The challenges of the future work environment extend beyond the

shortage of skilled professionals or demographic changes; they also
encompass a fundamental shift in how people want to work. There
is a growing need for flexibility without sacrificing security. We know
from observing other countries that more people will venture into
self-employment in the future.
At freelancermap, we firmly believe that freelancing, as a

cornerstone of the future work landscape, deserves greater societal
value.
For this study, we collected data from 3,504 freelancers from

February 14, 2023, to May 7, 2023, through various channels of
freelancermap – from the website to social media and email.
We warmly thank all participants and hope you enjoy reading the
study!
Thomas Maas
CEO / freelancermap GmbH
Agenda
1. Financials
Rates, income, comparison
2. Self-employment
Challenges, freelance work
3. Demographics
Origin, education, industry
4. Outlook
Project market situation, forecasts
5. Artificial Intelligence
Impact of AI on the freelance market
Agenda
1. Financials
2. Self-employment
3. Demographics
4. Outlook
FREELANCER STUDY 2023 / FINANCIALS
Average hourly rate 2023

What is your hourly rate? (VAT not included)
35%
31%
30% Remarkable
26%
€96
25%
20%
is the average hourly rate of
14% freelancers in 2023.
15%
10% 9% 31% charge between

6% 6% €75 and €99 per hour.
5% 4% 4%
0%
< €25 €25 - 49 €50 - 74 €75 - 99 €100 - 124 €125 - 149 €150 - 174 > €174
Freelancer study 5
Start capital
Which financial buffer do you recommend before starting freelancing?
€12,000 Start capital

71%
of all freelancers
recommended by freelancers before recommend having at least
starting freelancing. €10,000 start capital.
Freelancer study 6
Economic situation
How would you assess your current economic situation?
50%
43%
40%
Remarkable
33%
30%
20%
59%
assess their current economic
16%
situation as (very) good.
10% 7%
Only 8% assess it as (very) bad.
1%
0%
Very good Good Neutral Bad Very bad
Freelancer study 7
Gross revenue
What was your gross revenue in 2022?
30%
26%
25%
Remarkable
49%
20%
17%
15%
13% 13%
12% 11% had a gross revenue of
10% more than €100,000 in 2022.
8%
5% The distribution of gross revenue

among freelancers is becoming
increasingly polarized, with some
0% generating significant turnover while
< €50,000 €50,000 - €75,000 - €100,000 - €125,000 - €150,000 - > €175,000 others experience minimal revenue.
74,999 99,999 124,999 149,999 175,000
Freelancer study 8
Gross profit
What was your gross profit in 2022?
30%
28%
25% Remarkable
21%
51%
20%
16%
15% 14%
had a gross profit of over €50,000
11%
10% in 2022.
10%
28% of freelancers had a gross

5%
profit of less than €25,000.
Rising costs due to inflation may be
one reason for this.
0%
< €25,000 €25,000 - 49,999 €50,000 - 74,999 €75,000 - 99,999 €100,000 - 125,000 > €125,000
Freelancer study 9
Hourly rates by role

€110
€107
€104
€100 €99
Remarkable
€107
€90
€90
€85
€80 receive consultants on average

per hour.
€70
Consultant Project lead Other Team lead Team member
Freelancer study 10
Hourly rates by education level

€110
€100 €98
Remarkable
€90 €89
Freelancers with a university degree
(or higher) charge on average
€80
10%
€70 more than those without.
Freelancers with a university degree Freelancers without a university degree
Freelancer study 11
Hourly rates by industry

Energy €111
Banking / Finance €107
Industrial €107
Insurance €106
Telecommunications €102
Healthcare / Pharma €101
Remarkable
Mechanical Engineering €100
€111
Retail €99
Automotive €99
Public sector €99
Other €95
Electronical €92
is the average hourly rate of freelancers
Consulting €91
working in the energy sector.
IT / Software €90
Traffic / Transport / Logistics €90
Aerospace €90
Construction industry Banking/Finance and Industrial
€87
Real Estate €83 Production rank in 2nd and 3rd place,
Media €82 respectively, while the education
Tourism €68 industry has the lowest hourly rates.
Education €63
€50 €60 €70 €80 €90 €100 €110 €120
Freelancer study 12
Hourly rates by area of expertise

Consulting / Management €117
SAP €113
Remarkable
IT infrastructure €91
Freelancers working in the consulting and
management field receive an average hourly
Development / Tech / Data €89
rate of
€117
Other €83
Marketing / Communication €83
Engineering €79
The lowest hourly rates are paid in the

Graphics / Content / Media €68 Graphics / Content / Media field (€68).
€50 €60 €70 €80 €90 €100 €110 €120 €130
Freelancer study 13
Hourly rate by continent

€63
Asia
€68 €100
North Europe
America
€39 €47
South Africa
America
Freelancer study 14
Monthly net income

On average, what is your monthly net freelance income? (without taxes and expenses)
30%
27%
25%
25% Remarkable
€6,200
20%
20%
15%
is the average monthly net
11%
10% income of freelancers.
10%
7%
27% have an average monthly net
5%
income between €5,000 and €7,499.
0%
< €2,500 €2,500 - 4,999 €5,000 - 7,499 €7,500 - 9,999 €10,000 - 12,500 > €12,500
Freelancer study 15
Hourly rates women vs. men

Is there a gender gap in the hourly rates for women and men?
€87
Women
€98 Men
€4,271 €6,589
Monthly net income Monthly net income
Diverse charge an average of €97 per hour and have a monthly net income of €4,913.
Freelancer study 16
Income satisfaction
62% Are you satisfied

with your income 38%
are satisfied with their level? are not satisfied with their
current income. current income.
Freelancer study 17
Income satisfaction by industry

SAP 79% 21%
Consulting / Management 67% 33% Remarkable
79%
IT infrastructure 66% 34%
Development / Tech / Data 65% 35%
Engineering 58% 42% of freelancers working in SAP are

satisfied with their income.
Other 51% 49%
Only 3 out of 10 of freelancers working in the

Marketing / Communication 41% 59%
graphics / content / media sector are
satisfied with their income.
Graphics / Content / Media 32% 68%
satisfied not satisfied
Freelancer study 18
Rate calculation
How often do you calculate your rates?
50%
42%
40% Remarkable
42%
31%
30%
20% calculate their rates individually

20% for every project.
31% calculate them individually for

10%
6% every client.
1%
0%
Individually for every Individually for every Once a year Once a month Other
project client
Freelancer study 19
Charging clients
How do you usually charge your clients?
70%
65%
60%
Remarkable
50%
40%
30%
65%
charge their clients
19% by hourly rate.
20%
12%
10% 19% charge by daily rate.
2% 1% 1%
0%
Hourly rate Daily rate Project-based Value-based Retainer Other
Freelancer study 20
Freelance rates
Why are you going to increase your rates?
Inflation 74%
More work experience 62%

Remarkable
Adjustment to market rates
Higher demand of my profile 33%

50%
74%
are going to increase their rates
due to inflation.
Economic environment 29%
62% justify the rate increase based

New qualifications, certifications, etc. 26% on the experience gained in the
field.
Other 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Freelancer study 21
Finances & Income

Key findings
€12,000 €96 €6,200 €87 / €98 62%

Start capital Average hourly rate Monthly net income Average hourly rate w/m Income satisfaction
Freelancer study 22
Agenda
1. Financials
2. Self-employment
3. Demographics
4. Outlook
The hourly rate increases to €96.
Monthly net income rises to €6,200.
However, income satisfaction decreases from 66% to 62%.
83% feel (very) satisfied in their role as freelancers.

However, this is 4 percentage points lower than the previous
year.
59% rate their economic situation as (very) good.

However, this reflects a 5 percentage points decrease
compared to the previous year.
Overall, the sentiment in the freelancer market appears

positive. However, there is a slight downward trend compared
to the previous year, possibly influenced by factors such as
inflation and recession.
Florian Baumann
Head of Marketing / freelancermap GmbH
FREELANCER STUDY 2023 / SELF-EMPLOYMENT
Freelancing on the side
38%
were freelancing on the side
Were you already
62%
at the beginning.
working as a freelancer
on the side before
were not freelancing on the side. starting full-time?
Freelancer study 25
Reasons to go freelance
Why did you become a freelancer?
Independence / Becoming my own boss 73%
Better opportunities for higher income 52%
Flexible working hours 51%

Remarkable
73%
Variety of tasks 44%
Professional challenge 33%
Bad relations with my boss where I worked at 27%

chose the opportunity to be their own
Lucrative opportunity arose 26% boss as the reason for making the leap.
Favorable market situation 22%
I didn't feel I belonged in the company I worked at Better opportunities for getting a
19%
higher income was voted by 52%.
I was laid off / Unemployed 15%
Other 3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Freelancer study 26
Freelance challenges
What are the major challenges freelancers face?
Project acquisition 61%
Fluctuating income 36%

Remarkable
Unpaid vacation 22%
Late payments
Time management 20%

21%
61%
Negotiations 18% agreed that finding new projects is
the biggest challenge for freelancers.
Accounting & finances 17%
Coordination with clients 12% Fluctuating income is the second

biggest challenge (36%), followed by
Staying productive 11% unpaid vacation (22%).
Other 7%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Freelancer study 27
Benefits of freelancing
What are the main benefits of freelancing?
Independence 75%
Freedom to decide 67%

Remarkable
Time management 55%
Diversity of tasks
Get a higher income

54%
52%
75%
consider independence the main
Remote work 51% benefit of freelancing.
Diversity of clients 41%

Remote work is important
for 5 out of 10 freelancers (11
No income limits 30%
percentage points more than the
previous year).
Other 2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Freelancer study 28
Beginner mistakes
Which mistakes did you make more often at the beginning of your freelancer career?
Hourly rate too low 64%
Time for project acquisition neglected 40%

Remarkable
Enjoyed just a few days off / vacation 31%
64%
Accepted unsuitable projects 30%
Not enough money put aside 30%
Too tolerant with late payments 26% of freelancers cited charging too
low as their main mistake at
Administrative work done by myself 24% the beginning of their career.
Too little time planned for family and friends 23%
Accepted too many projects 13% Underestimation of time for project

acquisition is at second place (40%).
Other 3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Freelancer study 29
Freelancer facts
9
Working hours and holidays
projects
are completed by freelancers on
average every year.
40 hours
are freelancers working on
average every week.
26 days
of vacation do freelancers take
on average per year.
Freelancer study 30
Productivity
How much time do you
18%
of freelancers' working time is spent on
spend on
“unproductive” tasks
(client acquisition,
82%
of their working time is spent
unproductive tasks. accounting, customer on productive tasks.
care, etc.)?
Freelancer study 31
Self-marketing
How do you market your freelance services?
Professional networks 76%
Freelancing platforms 71%

Remarkable
76%
Personal website 53%
Social media 29%
Personal blog 11% of freelancers say they use professional

networks like LinkedIn to market their
services.
Speaker 9%
Guest posts 8% 7 out of 10 surveyed freelancers use

platforms such as freelancermap for
their self-marketing.
Other 5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Freelancer study 32
Accepting a project
Which factors influence your decision of accepting a project?
Hourly rate / Payment 77%

Remote work accepted 62%
Matching skills 53%
Remarkable
Professional challenge 49%
77%
Project duration 46%
Personal development 35%
Technology stack 30%
Company reputation 22% of freelancers decide whether or not
Industry 21% to accept a project based on
the hourly rate.
Proximity to residence 16%
International client 13%
Company size 11% For 62% is important to be able
to work remotely.
Social responsability 11%
Other 2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Freelancer study 33
Rejecting a project
Why do you reject projects?
Low hourly rate 77%
Project does not fit skills 70%

Remarkable
No remote work available 55%
No capacity to accept more projects
Too far from residence 25%

47%
77%
Not enough information about the project 25% reject projects because the
hourly rate is too low.
Bad company reputation 18%
Low professional challenge 15%

70% decline project offers because the
Language barriers 13% requirements don‘t fit the freelancer‘s
skills.
Other 3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Freelancer study 34
New vs. regular clients
50%
are new clients.
What percentage of your
clients are new clients?
50%
are regular clients.
Freelancer study 35
Managing clients
57% How many clients do

you work with at the 43%
of freelancers work with multiple same time? work with only one client at a time.
clients at the same time.
Freelancer study 36
Personal fulfillment
How do you feel in your role as a freelancer?
50%
45% 43%
41%
40% Remarkable
35%
30%
25%
84%
of freelancers feel fulfilled and
20% are (very) satisfied working as
14% freelancers.
15%
10%
Only 2% of all surveyed freelancers
5% said to be unhappy.
2%
0%
0%
Very satisfied Satisfied Neutral Unhappy Very unhappy
Freelancer study 37
Project acquisition
Why is project acquisition so challenging?
Project requests don't match my skills 40%
Few recurring clients 38%

Remarkable
My network is not good enough
I have no time to invest in acquisition 31%

35%
40%
consider unsuitable project inquiries as a
challenge in client acquisition.
People don't know about me (low reach) 30%
38% find having too few regular clients

I can't sell myself and my skills 20% problematic.
Other 9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Freelancer study 38
Getting new clients

How do you usually get your projects?
70%
64%
60%
Remarkable
50%
40%
30%
36%
64%
of freelancers rely on passive
methods to acquire new projects.
20%
10% Only 36% actively engage in

project acquisition.
0%
Active (cold calls, cold emails, applying for open Passive (referrals, follow-up projects, direct requests,
projects, etc.) projects via agencies, etc.)
Freelancer study 39
Acquisition channels
Which channel is working best for you for project acquisition?
Project platforms (e.g. freelancermap) 36%
Personal network 27%

Remarkable
Recruitment / Staffing agencies 16%
Recommendations from other freelancers
Social media
7%
6%
36%
use freelancing platforms as their
primary acquisition channel.
Cold calls 3%
Own website 3% 27% of freelancers primarily receive

project recommendations through their
Other 1% personal network.
Fairs / Events 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Freelancer study 40
Hiring freelancers
What do you think is preventing companies from hiring freelancers?
Potential legal problems (e.g. Scheinselbständigkeit, IR35) 51%
Limited budgets 43%

Remarkable
Don't know how to get freelancers involved 41%
Negative experiences in the past
Don't know freelancers exist

33%
33% 51%
No willingness to change the "old way of work" 30% assess that potential legal problems could
prevent companies from hiring freelancers.
Don't find suitable candidates 28%
More organizational efforts required 21% Limited budgets and missing

onboarding processes for freelancers
No acceptance from members of the team 18% are further obstacles.
Other 4%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Freelancer study 41
Working life
Key findings
7 years 10 years 40 hours 9 projects 26 days
Work experience Freelancing Work per week Per year Vacation
Freelancer study 42
Agenda
1. Financials
2. Self-employment
3. Demographics
4. Outlook
FREELANCER STUDY 2023 / DEMOGRAPHICS
Gender distribution
16%
Women
84% Men
Female freelancers are still significantly Men continue to outnumber women,
outnumbered by their male counterparts, especially in the technology sector.
resulting in a gender gap within the IT
industry.
0.60% reported being diverse or preferred not to say.
Freelancer study 44
Freelancer location
Where do freelancers live and work?
101
countries Freelancing is a global phenomenon - freelancers
based in 101 different countries completed the
survey.
The 10 most participative countries were: Germany,
Switzerland, Austria, India, Spain, Italy, Argentina,
Portugal, Brazil, and The Netherlands.
Freelancer study 44
Education
Do you hold a university degree or a higher education title?
80%
Do you hold a
university degree or a
higher education 20%
4 out of every 5 freelancers have a
university degree or other higher
title? of freelancers do not hold a university
education credential. degree (or higher). In SAP, 15% lack
such credentials, compared to 40% in
content and media.
Freelancer study 46
Area of expertise
What is your area of expertise?
Development / Tech / Data 33%
Consulting / Management 30%

Remarkable
63%
IT infrastructure 9%
Marketing / Communication 7%
Graphics / Content / Media 6% of the surveyed freelancers work in

development, tech and data or consulting
and management.
Engineering 5%
Other 5%
SAP 5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Freelancer study 47
Role on projects
What was your position in the last (or current) project?
Team member 37%
Remarkable
Consultant 27%
Project Lead 21%

37%
of freelancers are part of projects as team
members specializing in their own
respective areas. 30% are assigned to a
Team Lead 9%
project as team/project lead.
Other 6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Freelancer study 48
Professional experience
17%
describe themselves as
Junior Expert
(5 - 10 years of professional experience).
75%
describe themselves as Senior Expert
What is your
experience level? 8%
describe themselves as
(> 10 years of professional experience).
Young Professional
(< 5 years of professional experience).
Freelancer study 49
Projects industry
In which field was your last (or current) project?
20% 18%
15%
Remarkable
10%
18%
10%
8% 8%
7%
6%
5% 4%
5% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%
2% 2% 2% 2% work in the
1% 1%
IT / Software industry.
0%
Top mentions in other industries:

Textile, E-Commerce, Advertising.
Freelancer study 50
Company size
What was the company size on your last (or current) project?
30%
27%
Remarkable
20%
16%
20%
15%
27%
14% work in companies with more than
5,000 employees - a decrease
10% 9% from 28% in 2022.
Trend: More small and medium-

sized businesses are turning to
0%
freelancers for their projects.
< 10 employees 10 - 100 101 - 500 501 - 1,000 1,001 - 5,000 > 5,000 employees
employees employees employees employees
Freelancer study 51
Retirement
How are you saving money for your retirement?
80%
60% 57%
50% 50%
Remarkable
38%
40%
€1,049
28%
18% 17%
20% 12% 12% 10%
5% 3%
0% is the average amount that freelancers
are putting aside for retirement per
month.
In 2023, securities such as shares or

ETFs have become the most popular
method for saving for retirement. This
shift is likely influenced by the rise of
neo-brokers.
Freelancer study 52
Demographics
Key findings
16% / 84% 44 years old €1,049 80% 63 years old
Women / Men Age Retirement savings University graduates Planned retirement age
Freelancer study 53
Agenda
1. Financials
2. Self-employment
3. Demographics
4. Outlook
FREELANCER STUDY 2023 / OUTLOOK
Loss of livelihood 15%

don‘t know how to
feel about it.
Do you fear a loss of
61%
livelihood because
24%
of the current
fear a loss of livelihood.
economic and
don‘t fear a loss of livelihood.
political situation?
Freelancer study 55
Project market
How would you rate the actual project market situation for freelancers?
40%
35%
37%
Remarkable
20%
48%
rate the actual freelance project
13% 13% market as (very) good.
In 2022, 64% thought that the

2% project market was (very) good.
0%
Very good Good Neutral Bad Really bad
Freelancer study 56
Project market situation

46%
expect the project market to
remain the same.
Do you think the

freelance project
market will
change in 2023?
41%
expect a better project 13%
market situation.
expect a worse
project market.
Freelancer study 57
Workplace
Where are you completing your current project from?
70%
64%
60%
Remarkable
50%
40%
30%
33% 64%
work remotely.
20%
33% of freelancers work with an
10% hybrid working approach.
3%
0%
Remote Hybrid On-site
Freelancer study 58
Ideal workplace
Where do you prefer to work?
70% 67%
60%
Remarkable
50%
40%
30%
30%
67%
of freelancers prefer to
work remotely.
20%
10% Only 3% of freelancers would be

3% happy working 100% on-site.
0%
Remote Hybrid On-site
Freelancer study 59
A look back
1%
would not choose to be a
freelancer if they
could start over.
If you could start

over, would you still
88% would start their
choose to be a
freelancer?
11%
don‘t know if they would
become freelancers again.
freelancer business again.
Freelancer study 60
Government support 10%

think that governments set
good conditions and
framework for freelancers.
Do you think that
67% politics sets the right

framework
23%
don‘t think that governments set conditions for
the right conditions. of freelancers are
freelancers? neutral to this topic.
Freelancer study 61
Programming languages
In your opinion, which programming languages will become more important in the future?
50%
46%
39%
40%
35%
30% 28%
26%
21%
19% 19% 18%
20%
13% 13%
10% 7% 7% 7% 6%
4% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1%
0%
Freelancer study 62
Agenda
1. Financials
2. Self-employment
3. Demographics
4. Outlook
AI is not a threat to the creative industry but a
useful tool.
It lacks creativity, experience, empathy, and holistic

thinking. No AI can understand the complexities of
customer needs.
We should focus on our core ability: flexibility. With

it, we can explore, learn new things, and grow.
Maria Murnikov
CEO / Brand Writer / Communications Strategist
FREELANCER STUDY 2023 / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Future's top technologies

In your opinion, which of the following IT industries will see a marked rise in the future?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) 78%

IT security 65%
Cloud Services 52%
Big Data 40% Remarkable
Internet of Things (IoT) 37%
78%
Agile project management 33%
Robotics 28%
DevOps 27%
Blockchain 26%
Smart Home 25% attribute growing
importance to Artificial Intelligence.
Virtual Reality 24%
Quantum computing 22%
Augmented Reality 21%
In 2022, AI was at the second place (65%)
3D Printing 17% and IT security at first place (67%).
Metaverse 16%
Drones 14%
Other 2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Freelancer study 65
Use of Artificial Intelligence
59%
don‘t use AI-based tools and software.
Do you use AI-based
tools and software
in your job?
41%
use AI-based tools and software.
Freelancer study 66
AI-based tools and software

Which AI-based tools do you use?
100%
89%
90%
80%
Remarkable
70%
60%
50%
40%
89%
of freelancers using AI-based tools
opt for ChatGPT.
30%
20% 15%
9% Top 5 mentioned tools (other):
10% 6% 6% 5% Midjourney, DeepL,
3% 2%
Dall-E, Notion, Tensorflow.
0%
ChatGPT Copilot Other Jasper Chat Neuroflash YouChat Chatsonic Perplexity
Freelancer study 67
Benefits of AI
In your opinion, which benefits offer AI in your field of work?
Improvement of efficiency/productivity 66%
Process automation 40%

Remarkable
Better information search 39%
Automated text, image, video creation
Help when brainstorming

35%
34% 66%
Optimization of decision-making processes 27% see the improvement of efficiency and
productivity as a benefit.
Easier website creation 21%
Customization of offers 17%

40% consider process automation as
an advantage.
Increased security (e.g. early warning of crises) 15%
Other 4%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Freelancer study 68
Risk of AI
Which are the most significant risks of AI in your field of work?
Errors 56%
Security risks 40% Remarkable
56%
Bias of AI systems 37%
Unpredictability 37%
perceive the vulnerability of AI to errors

People’s fear of being replaced 31%
as a significant risk.
Dependency (problem-solving and decisions) 29%

Only 22% fear a change in the job
Change on the labor market / job loss 22% market or job loss in their field
due to AI.
Other 4%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Freelancer study 69
FREELANCER STUDY 2023 / SUMMARY
Freelancer facts 2023

26 days Vacation €12,000 Start capital
40 hours Work per week €96 Hourly rate
80 % University graduates €6,200 Monthly net income
62 % Income satisfaction €1,049 Retirement savings
63 years old Retirement age

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Nuremberg, 22nd June 2023

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Freelancer Study 2023

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Freelancer Study 2023

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Freelancer

The challenges of the future work environment extend beyond the

At freelancermap, we firmly believe that freelancing, as a

For this study, we collected data from 3,504 freelancers from

Average hourly rate 2023

10% 9% 31% charge between

€12,000 Start capital

5% The distribution of gross revenue

28% of freelancers had a gross

Hourly rates by role

€80 receive consultants on average

Hourly rates by education level

Hourly rates by industry

Hourly rates by area of expertise

Marketing / Communication €83

The lowest hourly rates are paid in the

€50 €60 €70 €80 €90 €100 €110 €120 €130

Hourly rate by continent

Monthly net income

Hourly rates women vs. men

62% Are you satisfied

Income satisfaction by industry

Consulting / Management 67% 33% Remarkable

Development / Tech / Data 65% 35%

Engineering 58% 42% of freelancers working in SAP are

Only 3 out of 10 of freelancers working in the

satisfied not satisfied

20% calculate their rates individually

31% calculate them individually for

More work experience 62%

Adjustment to market rates

Higher demand of my profile 33%

62% justify the rate increase based

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Finances & Income

€12,000 €96 €6,200 €87 / €98 62%

83% feel (very) satisfied in their role as freelancers.

59% rate their economic situation as (very) good.

Overall, the sentiment in the freelancer market appears

Freelancing on the side

Independence / Becoming my own boss 73%

Better opportunities for higher income 52%

Flexible working hours 51%

Professional challenge 33%

Bad relations with my boss where I worked at 27%

Favorable market situation 22%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Project acquisition 61%

Fluctuating income 36%

Time management 20%

Coordination with clients 12% Fluctuating income is the second

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Freedom to decide 67%

Get a higher income

Diversity of clients 41%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Hourly rate too low 64%

Time for project acquisition neglected 40%

Not enough money put aside 30%

Too little time planned for family and friends 23%

Accepted too many projects 13% Underestimation of time for project

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

How much time do you