17 High-Paying Freelance Jobs (With Salaries and Duties)
Updated March 16, 2023
Freelancing means working for a client, company, or several companies on a contract basis. Many industries offer opportunities for freelance jobs where professionals can earn wages on a per-task basis. Learning about freelance jobs can help you decide which career might work best for your background and interests and explore different professional paths.
In this article, we discuss the industries that offer freelance jobs and share the highest paying freelance jobs.
Related: The Top 20 Best Self-Employed Jobs With Added Salaries
What industries offer high-paying freelance jobs?
Several industries may offer high-paying freelance jobs, such as commercial banking, real estate, marketing, trade, or communications, where individuals may work as writers or editors. Individuals may also find roles as a freelancer in the education industry as tutors, in the finance industry as accountants, or as legal advisors. Industries such as technology and human resources may also offer freelance roles.
Related: A Beginner's Guide to Freelance Jobs
High-paying freelance jobs
The following are some common high-paying freelance jobs that you may consider if you're looking for a job as a freelancer or independent contractor:
1. Tutor
National average salary: $44,000 per year
Primary duties: Tutors work with students of all ages and from diverse backgrounds to support learning and academic achievement. These educational freelancers will use teaching methods and techniques to help students better understand the concepts teachers introduce in class. Tutors will plan activities that help students learn the class material and perform evaluations to ensure students are making progress.
Related: How to Write a Professional Tutor Summary (With Example)
2. Editor
National average salary: $48,125 per year
Primary duties: Editors work on revising written content, including checking grammar and formatting. Freelance editing work is available in several different areas, including editing books, websites, newspapers, and magazines. Editors may also specialize in specific content, such as medical or copy editing.
3. Social media strategist
National average salary: $49,502 per year
Primary duties: Social media strategists may freelance for different companies in managing their social media accounts. This may involve creating content, such as images, videos, and written content. They also work to create a strategy to engage followers, increase sales, and grow social media followings.
Related: How to Become a Social Media Consultant (with Skills)
4. Copywriter
National average salary: $52,565 per year
Primary duties: A copywriter is a specialized writer who develops written content for websites, also known as copy. The goal of this copy is to encourage customers to make purchases or take other actions. They may also write other marketing materials, such as advertisements and white papers.
Related: How to Become a Copywriter in 4 Steps (With Salary)
5. Web designer
National average salary: $52,772 per year
Primary duties: Web designers write code for websites to manage the text, colours, music, and videos. They plan layouts and consider suggestions from the client while making their propositions about how to best design it. Web designers may also troubleshoot website issues and correct any website functionality problem.
Related: How to Become a Freelance Web Designer (With 7 Steps)
6. Marketing specialist
National average salary: $54,662 per year
Primary duties: Marketing specialists help companies improve their profits by expanding the customer base or increasing sales of goods or services. There are several ways that a company may increase its marketing, including social media efforts, advertisements, and public relations. A freelance marketing specialist performs market research to understand the company and its competitors and creates a marketing plan for the company to implement.
Related: How to Become a Digital Marketing Freelancer in 9 Steps
7. Writer
National average salary: $54,942 per year
Primary duties: Freelance writers can work to create written content for several channels, such as websites, social media accounts, books, newspapers, and magazines. They may also research and interview experts to compile information for their writing. These professionals may also choose to specialize in a particular subject, such as business or health and wellness.
Related: Important Skills Every Good Writer Must Possess
8. Accountant
National average salary: $56,980 per year
Primary duties: Accountants help individuals or businesses track all financial transactions, including purchases and income. A freelance accountant may work with several individuals or companies to manage their finances and prepare taxes. These professionals may often specialize in a particular area, such as small business management.
9. Graphic designer
National average salary: $58,232 per year
Primary duties: There are several opportunities for graphic designers to provide contract services to businesses in designing layouts and images. They may help a company create the structure for its website or help with developing social media images or packaging. Graphic designers may also freelance for newspapers and magazines in designing layouts and advertisements.
Related: What Is a Graphic Designer? (With Required Skills)
10. Public relations manager
National average salary: $60,468 per year
Primary duties: Public relations managers work to create a positive public image for their clients. Freelance public relations managers may work for individuals or businesses to manage their image. They work to help their clients gain interviews and a positive public reputation, communicating achievements and events.
11. Videographer
National average salary: $61,506 per year
Primary duties: A freelance videographer produces and records videos for their clients, including weddings or documentaries. They may also create video productions, such as company training videos. Most videographers have strong video editing skills and can use these abilities to cut together high-quality scenes on time.
Related: How to Write a Videographer Resume (Template and Example)
12. Virtual assistant
National average salary: $65,321 per year
Primary duties: Virtual assistants provide administrative services for clients, often business owners and executives. They may help with scheduling, making travel arrangements, and writing e-mails. Virtual assistants may also perform market research, help with social media management, and prepare reports when working with a business owner.
13. Computer programmer
National average salary: $65,755 per year
Primary duties: Like web developers, computer programmers may work with several clients and assist them with technical solutions, but differ in that they work on software programming rather than websites. In addition, computer developers may work on training employees to use the software and debugging applications.
Related: How to Become a Freelance Software Developer in 9 Steps
14. Business consultant
National average salary: $65,768 per year
Primary duties: Business consultants can work freelance to provide management consulting for businesses and organizations. Consultants will work with their clients to suggest techniques and methods for improving overall performance, productivity and efficiency. Business consultants also analyze an organization's processes to develop solutions that help it reach its goals.
Related: The Top 8 Essential Consulting Skills Valued by Employers and Clients
15. Technical writer
National average salary: $68,961 per year
Primary duties: A technical writer is a specialized writer who takes technical information and presents it in a way that's easy to understand. This may include writing product manuals, website help sections, and how-to articles. Often, technical writers have a bachelor's degree in an area such as software engineering or computer science.
Related: How to Become a Technical Writer in 7 Steps (With FAQs)
16. Translator
National average salary: $70,396 per year
Primary duties: Individuals who are fluent in more than one language may be able to find freelance work as a translator. This may involve translating a wide variety of pieces of written work. These professionals may translate pieces such as books, magazines, websites, brochures, or legal documents, from one language to another.
Related: What's the Difference between an Interpreter vs. Translator?
17. Human resources advisor
National average salary: $70,559 per year
Primary duties: Individuals with a background in human resources may find freelance work as a human resources advisor, working alongside the human resources department of different companies to help develop their processes, such as conflict resolution, guidelines for managing complaints, and streamlining their hiring strategies.
Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organization and a candidate's experience, academic background, and location.
Related: Videographer vs. Cinematographer: What's the Difference?
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