Freelance Platforms Statistics 2025


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In the ever-evolving business landscape, freelance platforms have emerged as pivotal tools in the gig economy, reshaping how talent is sourced and work is executed. As we approach 2025, the significance of understanding statistical trends in this domain can’t be overstated. These insights are crucial for grasping how freelance marketplaces are not only transforming individual careers but also influencing broader economic patterns and business strategies worldwide.

Key stakeholders, including platform administrators, corporate leaders, HR recruiters, and independent professionals, will find this data invaluable. For platform administrators, these statistics offer a roadmap for improving service delivery and user experience. Corporate leaders and HR recruiters can leverage these insights to optimize their hiring practices, ensuring they tap into the most skilled and cost-effective talent pools. Meanwhile, independent professionals can use the information to strategically position themselves in the market, identifying growth opportunities and understanding demand trends.

Ultimately, this data serves as a beacon for informed decision-making and strategic planning in the freelance platform industry. In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements and shifting work paradigms, staying attuned to these statistics will empower stakeholders to navigate the complexities of the market, fostering sustainable growth and innovation.

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Top Freelance Platforms Statistics 2025

☰ Use “CTRL+F” to quickly find Freelance Platforms facts. There are total 159 Freelance Platforms Statistics on this page 🙂

Demographics And Workforce Composition

  • There are over 296,112 freelance marketing consultants currently employed in the United States. [?]
  • 52.3% of all freelance marketing consultants are women, while 47.7% are men. [1]
  • The most common ethnicity of freelance marketing consultants is White (66.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.4%), Asian (11.0%) and Black or African American (5.2%). [1]
  • Freelance marketing consultants are 69% more likely to work at private companies compared to public companies. [1]
  • The gender distribution of freelancers in the US in 2024 is 47.7% male and 52.3% female. [4]
  • The most common ethnicity of freelance marketing consultants is White (66.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.4%), Asian (11.0%), and Black or African American (5.2%). [1]
  • The largest self-employed age group in the UK is 50 to 59, making up 25% of the total self-employed workforce. [2]
  • People aged 40 to 49 account for 23% of all self-employed individuals in the UK. [2]
  • 16 to 29-year-olds make up only 11% of the UK’s self-employed population. [2]
  • In the tech and data industry, German freelancers earn 735 EUR per day on average, compared to 492 EUR in France and 230 EUR in Spain. [2]
  • In Asia, 82% of freelance workers are under 35. [12]
  • In North America, less than half of freelancers are under 35. [12]
  • The majority of freelancers are heavily skewed toward younger ages, with almost 70% between the ages of 18-34. [4]
  • Half of all US Gen Zers (18 to 22-year-olds) participate in freelance work. [4]
  • The median age of full-time freelancers in the US is 38 years old. [4]
  • The median age of part-time freelancers in the US is over 40 years. [4]

Employment And Company Size

  • Freelancers are 69% more likely to work at private companies than at public companies. [1]
  • In the US, freelancers represent 38% of the workforce, contributing significantly to the economy. [4]
  • Freelancers in the US earned $1.2 trillion in 2020. [2]
  • 75% of US freelancers say they make more than they did in their previous salaried position. [2]
  • The total labor force of Germany stands at around 45 million, meaning freelancers make up around 2.7% of the country’s workforce. [2]
  • Freelancers make up 47% of the world’s workforce. [4]
  • 60% of freelancers who left full-time jobs to become freelancers make more money than they did in their previous roles. [4]
  • The global freelance workforce was estimated at 162 million in 2019, with projections to grow to 216 million by 2025. [4]
  • In the U.S., freelancers were expected to increase from 57.3 million in 2019 to 86.5 million by 2027. [4]
  • Freelancers in the US earned a whopping $1.2 trillion in 2020. [2]
  • The UK has around 4.35 million solo self-employed people, accounting for around 12% of the total UK workforce. [2]
  • In the UK, freelancers contribute an estimated 162 billion to the economy. [2]

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Income And Earnings

  • The average income of freelancers in the US in 2024 is $22.11 per hour. [4]
  • The worldwide average freelancer earns $21 per hour. [4]
  • Freelancers working in web/mobile development, marketing, legal, accounting, and other skilled services earn an average wage of $28/hour. [4]
  • Freelancers in the US earned a whopping $1.2 trillion in 2020. [2]
  • 75% of US freelancers say they make more than they did in their previous salaried position. [2]
  • In the tech and data industry, German freelancers earn 735 EUR per day on average, compared to 492 EUR in France and 230 EUR in Spain. [2]
  • The average hourly wage for freelance writers is $23.57/hour. [8]
  • The average income of freelancers in the US in 2024 is $22.11 per hour. [4]
  • The average income of male and female freelancers in the US in 2024 is as follows: [4]
  • Freelance writers often earn between $30 and $40 per hour, with a yearly income around $42,000. [9]
  • Freelance data analysts make an average of $55-65 per hour, with yearly earnings up to $100,000. [9]
  • Freelance editors typically earn between $25 and $35 per hour. [9]
  • Freelance programmers often earn between $60 and $70 per hour, with yearly earnings up to $120,000. [9]
  • Freelance photographers typically earn between $35 and $45 per hour. [9]
  • Freelance developers make between $50 and $60 per hour, with potential yearly earnings up to $1 million. [9]
  • Digital marketers who freelance can earn around $50 per hour, with yearly earnings up to $1 million. [9]
  • Mobile app developers often earn between $55 and $65 per hour, with potential yearly earnings up to $1 million. [9]
  • Freelance transcriptionists typically earn between $20 and $25 per hour. [9]
  • Independent graphic designers often charge between $40 and $45 per hour. [9]
  • Freelance writers in the US often earn between $10 and $80 per hour on Upwork. [4]
  • Freelance graphic designers charge around $45 per hour for their services on Upwork. [4]

Popular Skills And Job Roles

  • The most in-demand freelancing skill is web design, with 36% of businesses using freelancers for web design projects. [2]
  • Other popular skills include graphic design and illustration (30%), web/mobile development (26%), and marketing and sales (24%). [2]
  • 58% of freelancers report having worked with clients that fail to pay. [2]
  • Freelance writers often earn between $30 and $40 per hour, with a yearly income around $42,000. [9]
  • Freelance data analysts make an average of $55-65 per hour, with yearly earnings up to $100,000. [9]
  • Freelance editors typically earn between $25 and $35 per hour. [9]
  • Freelance programmers often earn between $60 and $70 per hour, with yearly earnings up to $120,000. [9]
  • Freelance photographers typically earn between $35 and $45 per hour. [9]
  • Freelance developers make between $50 and $60 per hour, with potential yearly earnings up to $1 million. [9]
  • Digital marketers who freelance can earn around $50 per hour, with yearly earnings up to $1 million. [9]
  • Mobile app developers often earn between $55 and $65 per hour, with potential yearly earnings up to $1 million. [9]
  • Freelance transcriptionists typically earn between $20 and $25 per hour. [9]
  • Independent graphic designers often charge between $40 and $45 per hour. [9]
  • The average freelancer in the fields of web/mobile development, marketing, and legal earns an average of $28 per hour. [13]

Education And Skills Development

  • 77% of freelancers hold a bachelor’s degree or above, and 54% hold a master’s degree. [2]
  • The majority of freelancers are highly educated, with 57% holding bachelor’s degrees and 24% having postgraduate degrees. [15]
  • 70% of full-time freelancers participated in skill training in the past six months. [8]
  • Most freelancers possess more than one skill, making them capable of taking on more job opportunities across a range of project types. [15]
  • 70% of full-time freelancers who participated in skill training in the last six months. [15]
  • 93% of freelancers with a four-year college degree say that skill training is useful. [15]
  • 89% of freelancers wish the educational system had better prepared them for freelancing. [16]
  • The current disposition of the majority of freelancers (91%) is that freelancing will be seeing an extraordinary future and that the best days in freelancing are underway. [16]

Gender And Diversity

  • The gender distribution of freelancers in the US in 2024 is 47.7% male and 52.3% female. [4]
  • The gender gap in these specific professions is much smaller: 56% are male while 44% are female. [2]
  • The proportion of women working freelance compared to men has increased by 2 percentage points since last year. [2]
  • The share of female freelancers overtook that of male freelancers in 2016. [24]
  • The share of female freelancers is more than that of male freelancers by approximately 5% in the United States. [24]
  • Male freelancers are 350% more likely to earn beyond $150,000 than their female counterparts. [10]
  • Female freelancers typically earn 84% of what male freelancers make. [9]
  • Women on Upwork set median hourly bill rates 13.5% lower than men. [6]
  • The average income of male and female freelancers in the US in 2024 is as follows: [4]
  • 10.4% of the freelancers in the United States are Asian, and they have the highest annual freelancing salary. [24]
  • African freelancers make up 10% of the global freelance workforce. [2]

Regional Insights

  • India saw a massive 46% increase in new freelancers from Q1 to Q2, 2020 with 15 million users. [19]
  • In the Asia Pacific, 84% of companies hired freelancers to outsource work. [19]
  • 84% of hiring managers in the Asia Pacific outsource to freelancers. [2]
  • Asia recorded the greatest regional growth in freelancer earnings in 2019. [2]
  • Freelance earnings were up by 138% across four Asian countries, including Pakistan, the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh. [2]
  • In 2020, freelancers in the Philippines experienced 208% YOY revenue growth. [2]
  • In the UK, freelancers contribute an estimated 162 billion to the economy. [2]

Future Projections And Trends

  • The number of freelancers worldwide in 2025 is expected to cross a staggering 1.57 billion freelancers. [5]
  • The freelance market is projected to reach a value of $455.2 billion by 2023. [5]
  • By 2027, more than 50% of the US workforce will be engaged in some form of freelancing. [5]
  • The global freelance platform market is expected to grow from $5.52 billion in 2022 to $6.46 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.03%. [22]
  • The global freelance platforms market is estimated to be worth $3.39 billion. [4]
  • The freelance platform market is expected to reach $9.1 billion by 2027. [10]
  • The global freelance platforms market size is to grow to $9.7 billion by 2028. [23]

Challenges And Issues

  • 58% of freelancers report having worked with clients that fail to pay. [2]
  • 32% of global freelancers say demand for their services has decreased during the pandemic. [2]
  • 60% of freelancers in Japan report issues in dealing with companies. [2]
  • 68% of freelancers have reported that the unpredictable nature of freelance work can make it difficult to maintain a consistent income stream. [20]
  • 62% of freelancers say that they struggle to find new clients and projects, particularly during slow business periods. [20]
  • 47% of freelancers believe that health issues are the root cause of their need for flexibility. [8]
  • 1 in 5 freelancers has a health issue that prevents them from working for a traditional employer. [8]
  • 40% of freelancers cite personal circumstances as driving a need for flexibility. [8]
  • Nearly half (46%) of freelancers are caregivers versus 38% of U.S. workers overall. [8]
  • About 40% of freelancers have children under 18 versus 35% of U.S. workers overall. [8]
  • 60% of freelancers have increased their earnings within a year of starting freelancing. [7]
  • 20% of freelancers use generative AI tools on a regular basis (multiple times per week), which compares to just 9% of the non-freelance professionals. [18]

Freelance Platforms

  • Upwork is the market leader, but only by a very small margin, with 9% of the market share. [2]
  • According to research by PayPal, 36% of businesses use freelancers for web design projects, making this the most in-demand freelancing skill. [2]
  • Upwork alone links 3.6 million client businesses with over nine million freelancers from 180 countries. [4]
  • Upwork Global Inc.’s 2022 Freelance Forward survey shows that the percentage of freelancers of the total U.S. workers grew by 3% from 2021 to 2022. [17]
  • Upwork and OpenAI co-designed the program to feature talent adept at working with the OpenAI API platform and to draw from the 250 unique AI skills available on Upwork, including GPT-4, Whisper, and AI model integration. [25]
  • Fiverr is a popular platform that offers a range of services starting at $5. [20]
  • Fiverr processes more than 3 million jobs in over 100 categories across 196 countries worldwide each year. [14]
  • Freelancer.com receives 6.7 million monthly visitors. [21]
  • Freelancer.com has over 1,800 distinct work categories. [21]
  • Freelancer.com has established itself as an expert outsourcing marketplace. [21]
  • Ethereum-related projects have increased by 335% on Freelancer.com. [21]
  • TopTal connects tech startups with the top 3% of their applicant pool. [3]
  • Upwork’s 2022 revenue was $618 million, which was up by 23% from 2021. [20]
  • Upwork holds the largest market share in the freelance industry, accounting for 9% of the market. [20]
  • Toptal follows closely behind with an 8% market share, while Fiverr holds 5% of the market. [20]

Economic Contribution

  • Freelancers contribute $1.3 trillion to the US economy on a yearly basis. [26]
  • Freelance workforce growth has consistently outpaced overall US workforce growth by 3 times. [26]
  • The gig economy is expected to reach a value of $455 billion in 2023. [21]
  • The global freelance platforms market size was valued at USD 4530.44 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.66% during the forecast period of 2023-2030. [19]
  • The freelance market could reach $102 billion by 2025, compared to $41 billion in 2020. [11]
  • The global gig economy will grow to $455 billion in 2023. [10]
  • The freelance market is projected to reach $455.2 billion by 2023. [5]
  • Freelancers now constitute a substantial portion of the global workforce, contributing between $23.16 to $42.9 trillion to the world economy annually. [15]

Work-life Balance

  • 51% of freelancers reported having a better work-life balance compared to traditional employment. [5]
  • 77% of freelancers have a better work/life balance than traditional job holders. [26]
  • 77% of freelancers have more time for the things and people they care about. [15]
  • 70% say that working as a freelancer has been less stressful than working in a traditional job. [15]
  • 64% say that their sleep has improved since they started freelancing. [15]
  • 63% feel anxious about all that they have to manage—including financials, taxes, insurance—as a freelancer. [15]
  • 56% say freelancing makes them feel isolated working on their own. [15]
  • 42% of freelancers agree that freelancing gives them the flexibility they need because they are unable to work for a traditional employer because of personal circumstances that could include health issues and childcare needs, among others. [15]
  • 73% say that freelancing provides them with an alternative that allows them to support a family without holding a traditional job. [15]

Challenges And Issues

  • 58% of freelancers report having worked with clients that fail to pay. [2]
  • 32% of global freelancers say demand for their services has decreased during the pandemic. [2]
  • 60% of freelancers in Japan report issues in dealing with companies. [2]
  • 68% of freelancers have reported that the unpredictable nature of freelance work can make it difficult to maintain a consistent income stream. [20]
  • 62% of freelancers say that they struggle to find new clients and projects, particularly during slow business periods. [20]
  • 47% of freelancers believe that health issues are the root cause of their need for flexibility. [8]
  • 1 in 5 freelancers has a health issue that prevents them from working for a traditional employer. [8]
  • 40% of freelancers cite personal circumstances as driving a need for flexibility. [8]
  • Nearly half (46%) of freelancers are caregivers versus 38% of U.S. workers overall. [8]

Future Projections And Trends

  • The number of freelancers worldwide in 2025 is expected to cross a staggering 1.57 billion freelancers. [5]
  • The freelance market is projected to reach a value of $455.2 billion by 2023. [5]
  • By 2027, more than 50% of the US workforce will be engaged in some form of freelancing. [5]
  • The global freelance platform market is expected to grow from $5.52 billion in 2022 to $6.46 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.03%. [22]
  • The global freelance platforms market is estimated to be worth $3.39 billion. [4]
  • The freelance platform market is expected to reach $9.1 billion by 2027. [10]

Freelance Platforms

  • Upwork is the market leader, but only by a very small margin, with 9% of the market share. [2]
  • According to research by PayPal, 36% of businesses use freelancers for web design projects, making this the most in-demand freelancing skill. [2]
  • Upwork alone links 3.6 million client businesses with over nine million freelancers from 180 countries. [4]
  • Upwork Global Inc.’s 2022 Freelance Forward survey shows that the percentage of freelancers of the total U.S. workers grew by 3% from

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