The U.S. Is the World’s #1 Freelance Market: Here’s How to Cash In

If you live in the U.S. and are on the fence about starting a career as a freelance professional, you need to act now. You already live in one of the most desirable locations in the world for freelance workers and independent contractors.

Here are some reasons why:

First, the United States dominates the global freelance hiring market, boasting more employers hiring freelancers than any other country in the world, a recent JobLeads study reveals, ranking it as the number one country for freelancers. Coming in at second third, fourth, and fifth place are Spain, Mexico, the U.K. and Columbia.

Second, Upwork’s Freelance Forward report released in late 2023 which analyzed the microeconomic and industry trends surrounding freelancing, found that 64 million Americans (the equivalent to about 38% of the U.S. workforce) are already freelancers. Projections by Statista researchers point to a future of work where freelancers dominate the U.S. job market, leading to more than half of the American workforce (86.5 million) working as independent businesses rather than working under a job title granted by their employer, by 2027.

This freelance boon is due to several factors such as:

• Employers ramping up freelance hiring (as mentioned above)
• AI tools and technology opening up doors to more business ideas and removing barriers to starting a solopreneur business
• Innovation is creating new job titles that never existed or were needed before
• Thanks to the AI revolution, new skill sets are in high demand and are needed quickly
• Online e-learning providers like Coursera and Codeacademy make it easier to integrate professional development into your lifestyle and acquire a new monetizable skill without needing to get a degree or spend a significant amount of money

And with all these developments, the U.S. stands as the epicenter of freelancing and gig economy growth, with its prime hubs for innovation and tech and forward-thinking startups.

And let’s not forget, your capacity for earning more as a freelancer in the U.S. can sometimes be significantly more than in some other geographical markets.

So where do you fit into all of this growth and development, and how can you cash in?

1. Learn What Specific Locations Favor Freelancing And Side Hustles

If your work has an in-person element to it, or if you’re trying to target a highly specific niche audience/market (which you should), you should research what U.S. cities favor your work and service offer. TurboTax recently issued a report on the top 45 cities for side hustles in the United States, and you can go through the full list and see what cities are best for your specialism. For example, if you’re a freelance photographer or planning to start a photography business, the three best U.S. cities by demand are Elmira, NY, Rapid City, SD, and Charlottesville, VA, which actually share a tie.

If your business is mainly remote, you can target lucrative areas with your ads and marketing efforts.

2. Build Specialized Skillsets

The key skills currently required by U.S. companies (who would be your corporate clients for B2B freelancing projects and contracts) include analytical thinking, AI and big data, creativity, and UX (user experience), according to World Economic Forum data. You can check out the full list of 20 in-demand skill sets needed in the U.S. today, in this article.

These skills lead to high-income opportunities such as digital marketing, AI consulting, and data analysis projects.

What’s even better is when you make your skills more niche. The more specialized you become in a highly specific field, the more you can make money from it and it will be easier for you to build credibility and trust with potential clients.

3. Be Visible On Top-Tier Platforms

Join freelancing platforms for niche expert talent, such as Contra or TopTal, so you can secure the best-paying contracts from U.S. companies who take hiring freelancers seriously. Position yourself for exclusive access to these marketplaces by building a robust portfolio and gathering evidence of your results through case studies and testimonials.

It’s clear that the freelance economy in the U.S. is buzzing with opportunities, but it will only make a difference for you if you take action and move from thinking to doing. Even if you just start with setting up your LLC, optimizing your LinkedIn, or creating a freelance profile on Toptal, you’ll still be miles ahead of the next professional who only dreams but never gets it done. Make your presence visible in the U.S. freelancer market and online.

Welcome to the new way to work.