Blaze your career path with these 7 high-tech freelance jobs

Now, more than at any other time in history, people are finding there is no need for a long commute or to punch a clock every day. The gig economy and technology now make it easy to embrace the freelance life. 

In 2019, 57 million Americans lived the freelance life, which was 35% of the workforce. In computers and mathematics fields, that percentage was even higher at 42%. 

Why have so many workers embraced freelance work? There are plenty of reasons. 

You get to work from home or wherever you may be. As long as you have Wi-Fi, you can get your work done. If your spouse has a conference in Hawaii, you can tag along. Want to work in your sweats or get household chores done while you work? The freelance life offers that flexibility too. The best part is, you don’t have to sacrifice great pay to have all of this freedom.

Here are seven great high-tech freelance jobs that offer freedom and great pay.

Web Development and Design

Average Hourly Rate: $61-$80

Useful Certifications: 

• Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) $60
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) $450

There are new websites cropping up all the time, and many companies prefer to bring in a freelancer developer instead of shelling out a salary for a full-time employee. If you know how to code and have experience developing or designing websites, there is a big market out there for you. 

You’ll need to know HTML, coding and some Javascript. It also doesn’t hurt to invest some time and money into a few certificates, including the Microsoft Technology Associate and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer certificates. The more you can put on your resume, the more gigs you can land. 

Internet Security Specialist

Average Hourly Rate: $40-$55

Useful Certifications:

• CompTIA Security+ $349
• Certified Informations Systems Security Professional (CISSP) $699

If you are looking for an in-demand position, look no further. Securing data, networks and computer systems is a top priority for companies of all sizes. Some may prefer to bring in a freelancer rather than keep a full-time person on the books. If you have skills in networking and security, this could be a great niche for you.

If you have a CompTIA Security+ certification or are a Certified Informations Systems Security Professional, you will find it even easier to land a high-paying freelance gig. 

Mobile App Developer

Average Hourly Rate: $61-$80

Useful Certifications: 

• Associate Android Developer $149
• GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB) $769

We all have and use mobile apps regularly, and it’s still a growing field. Statista expects there to be as many as 258 billion mobile app downloads in 2022. That means that there is a lot of demand for talented, reliable mobile app developers. 

Due to the nature of mobile apps, many businesses don’t feel the need to invest in a full-time developer. They just need the app built and the ability to reach the developer for troubleshooting. 

This is a gig that’ll keep you on your toes and on the cutting edge of modern technology.

3D Modeling and CAD

Average Hourly Rate: $40-$60

Useful Certifications:

• AutoCAD Levels 1 & 2 $995

If you are the creative techie type and thrive on variety, working as a freelance 3D modeler could be your dream gig. 

You could use your skills to help create movies, video games, website animations and more. The best part is these skills are in high demand, so you could have a steady stream of work. 

Variety, fun and a steady income. That’s the freelance trifecta right there.

Game Development

Average Hourly Rate: $40-$50

Useful Certifications: 

• Programming in C# $165
• Unity Certification $150-$349

If you like to sit down and lose yourself in an incredible video game, why not make a career of it? 

Freelance game developers use their skills to help plan, design and produce video games for computers, mobile and gaming devices. You get to work in a field you love, and there’s always hope that the game you help create will be the next Angry Birds or HALO.

Software Developer

Average Hourly Rate: $81-$100

Useful Certifications:

• Javascript $120
• Developing ASP.NET MVC Web Applications $165.00

Are you a programmer who is always thinking of better ways to do things? 

As a software developer, you could create applications that help people do specific functions easier and more efficiently. It may be a program for chiropractic patient record-keeping one day and a fantasy football draft organizer the next.

Individuals and companies always have new ideas for software that can make our lives easier. Freelance developers make those ideas a reality.

IT Project Manager

Average Hourly Rate: $40-$50

Useful Certifications: 

• PMP (Project Management Professional) $405-$555
• PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Professional) $435-$495

If you pride yourself on your organization, leadership skills and resourcefulness, you may want to think about becoming a freelance IT project manager. 

As an IT project manager, you’d be in charge of planning, organizing, budgeting, allocating resources for and executing specific IT goals for individuals or companies. It could be a network upgrade, the rollout of new software or upgrading cybersecurity protocols. 

IT project managers can see a lot of variety and have a lot of responsibilities, but if you’re good at it, you’ll stay in high demand.

Methodology

We curated this list from a number of surveys and reports on high-paying freelance jobs for 2020. Because freelancing is highly dependent upon landing projects regularly, we focused on tech-related freelance jobs that pay well and are in high demand. 

We pulled hourly wage data pulled from various sources, including ZipRecruiter and Arc. Freelancers can set their own rates based on their skill level and ability, but the rates represent an average range.