Top 14 Highest Paying Freelance Jobs in 2025

Freelancers today make up 46.7% of the global workforce — that’s nearly 1.57 billion people working independently. If you’re thinking of joining them, you might be wondering what top-paying freelance jobs you could do. 

Whether you want to start a full-time freelancing career or try a new industry or a profitable side hustle, this article will provide helpful insights and expert tips. 

Before we dive in, here’s a reminder: when you just go solo, it takes time to grow your income. Unless you already have a large network and projects lined up, you’ll need time to establish yourself on the market. 

How would I start my freelance career from scratch now?
First, I would create a longlist of niches that would both interest me and benefit from professional graphic design solutions. Then, I would shortlist the most profitable ones — both in the short term and the long term. I would dedicate about 2/3 of my attention and networking efforts to short-term profit clients and projects, and 1/3 to long-term profitable ones.
Then, I would start networking and building connections with potential clients. And yes, I would rely on my Magic Freelance Pricing Formula: multiplying the estimated project time by my hourly rate. 

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Now that you have a strategy example, let’s explore the highest paying freelance jobs together. 

Top paying freelance jobs in tech

The median rates provided in the article are based on Upwork’s data and reflect the average pay. They may vary depending on several aspects you’ll also learn about today. Now, let’s see what jobs can bring you the most cash in 2025. 

Starting off strong with the tech industry. Is anyone surprised? 

Cybersecurity developers

Cybersecurity developers — aka security software engineers — are like digital locksmiths. They create programs that protect systems from cyberattacks, data breaches, and other digital threats. Cybersecurity developers can make between $40 and $90 per hour. 

Freelance projects may include automating security reports, providing remote assistance, conducting penetration testing — simulating cyberattacks to check the security of a system, or vulnerability assessment. 

AI engineers

AI engineers use artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop applications and systems that can learn and make decisions. 

They can be hired for building AI-powered chatbots, recommendation systems (these are behind You might also like sections in online stores, for example), custom ML models, or consultations. AI engineers’ services are in demand, with the hourly rate being somewhere between $35 and $60.

Web developers 

Web developers get paid $15–$50/hr by creating websites and web applications and making the Internet a prettier place (sometimes). 

As a web developer, your projects might look like developing a WordPress website or fixing responsive design problems. 

Blockchain developers

Blockchain developers typically earn about $30–$59 an hour. Gigs can be around writing or auditing smart contracts for NFT collections, creating a crypto payment gateway for an online shop, writing code, and building blockchain infrastructure. 

Blockchain developers work with blockchain-based technology, including cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin and Ethereum), smart contracts (these help agreements execute automatically without third-party involvement), NFT (non-fungible tokens that are used to certify ownership and authenticity of unique items, typically art), and even smart voting systems. 

UX designers

Last but not least, as a UX Designer, one can earn about $25–$39 per hour. UX designers are responsible for how users experience products. They make sure the final product, be it an app or a webpage, feels intuitive and easy to use. 

UX freelance jobs might include building wireframes and prototypes for apps, creating user personas and journey maps, conducting usability testing, and so on. 

You’ve probably noticed there were mostly software developers on this tech jobs list. I don’t mean to scare you, but if you’re not in software development yet and considering this career path, do your research to see if you have the time, discipline, and mindset for it.

It’s not all big paychecks and fun projects — and these are definitely not the kinds of jobs where you get paid to do nothing. Freelance or not, being in software development often means debugging your code until 3 a.m. and constantly learning new technologies to stay relevant on the market. 

Not everyone wants to code all day. The good news is, some of the most lucrative salaries are actually in marketing and creative industries. Bonus point: they typically take less time to break into, unlike tech roles.  

Highest paying freelance marketing jobs 

Media buyers 

Media buyers purchase advertising space on various platforms, including Google, Facebook, Pinterest, or TikTok. They’re responsible for identifying the right target audience for campaigns, negotiating terms with vendors, and tracking how well placed ads perform. 

Media buyers get paid $50-$100/hr and can work on projects like setting up and running ad campaigns, providing ad audits, or setting up electronic management systems. 

Public relations specialists 

PR managers make $18–$60/hr. For the longest time, I found PR to be one of the most ambiguous industries out there. Those in PR basically help build clients’ reputation through communication and storytelling. 

They write and distribute press releases, pitch customers for interviews, create PR strategies for brands, or manage crisis communication to protect/build a client’s reputation. 

Digital marketing consultants

Digital marketing can bring freelancers from $15 to $45 per hour. This is an umbrella term widely used to describe professionals who help companies boost their online presence and get leads and sales. For example, these are specialists who can navigate performance, email, and content marketing, SEO, create ad campaigns, or track metrics — they often have a broad expertise in a range of marketing domains. 

Content writers 

Content writers typically charge $15–$40/hr. The range of projects they can take on is pretty broad. Freelance gigs may include crafting blog posts, email copy, white papers, product descriptions, and social media posts. 

There has been a lot of talk about how AI would kill content writing jobs — yet here we are. The reality is, brands that care about quality communication with their audience won’t rely on ChatGPT alone. Content writers who can inject creativity and brand personality in their writing are still highly sought-after. 

SEO specialists

SEO specialists help clients rank higher on search engines such as Google. They make $25–$50/hr and provide services like website audits, keyword reports, link building, and tracking tools setups. The more technical SEO knowledge you possess, the higher you can charge. 

Social media marketers 

Freelance social media marketers plan, craft, and post content across social media platforms for brands. As with many other jobs on the list, it often requires cross-competences — a bit of content writing and planning, a bit of design, some influencer marketing, and the ability to track and analyse data. As a social media marketer, you can make $15–$45 per hour.

High-paying creative roles 

Videographers

Videographers shoot and edit videos. Their hourly rate can be around $10–$53, but more often than not, they charge per project/shooting day. 

Videographers can work on all types of advertising videos for brands and influencers, YouTube content, shooting interviews, or music videos. Oftentimes, they have to be present on site, making it a less flexible work option, and the same goes for photographers. 

Photographers

Photographers usually charge per session, but their hourly rate would be somewhere about $25–$45. They make commercial shots, shoot at events like weddings or company events, and get hired by individuals for family/portrait photoshoots. 

Technical writers 

Similar to content writers, technical writers also produce written content. So, what’s the difference? 

While content writers work to promote products and engage the audience, technical writers explain how products work. On average, they get paid $20–$45 per hour. Gigs may include writing user manuals, API documentation for developers, FAQs and support content. 

Factors that can affect your rates 

Freelancing gives you the freedom of setting your own prices and that’s one of the reasons we love it so much. However, even if you start one of the jobs above, expecting to earn in the upper range right away is probably not the best idea. It’s important to keep in mind several factors that will affect your market value.

Experience and network

Just like with regular employment, the more skills and experience you have, the higher you can charge. Similarly, your personal brand and network also play a huge part in your earning potential. Luckily, with the opportunities the Internet offers and the right expertise, you can build connections and, subsequently, a successful online career from scratch. 

My first step would be to prepare a basic service proposal and create a list of interesting companies and people I’d like to work with. Then, I would start building connections with them.
The first contact points would be professional groups and communities, where I would observe discussions about their needs, challenges, and goals. I wouldn’t pitch my services right away — instead, I’d take my time to listen and understand. I would also answer questions related to my expertise and share useful professional insights to help break the ice and build trust.

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Specialization

If you have a niche expertise, it can be easier for you to find clients and charge more. Companies are ready to pay top dollar for highly specific skills. Take writing, for example — let’s compare two job postings in different niches. 

First, we have a technical whitepaper writing job. $900 is not bad for a single project, is it?

Now, let’s compare it to a writing job in a much broader niche this time — general content writing. Both employers seek freelancers on the Expert experience level — the only difference is specialization. 

Offering skills and services that are rare/knowing your freelancing niche through and through can increase your value significantly. Sometimes, all you have to do to get paid more is narrowen your specialization. 

Location

Your performance and work quality directly influence your earning potential. However, your location can also play a role in how much businesses are willing to pay. For example, if you’re a freelancer based in India, a US employer might offer you a rate that is more attractive locally but lower than what they’d pay in their own market. 

That said, you can overcome location biases via positioning yourself as a true expert. When you’re able to demonstrate your skills, you can set your own rates regardless of where you are. 

Speed of work

Employers on tight deadlines are usually willing to pay extra for rush work. This arrangement is often the case when you already have an established relationship with a client. There are different approaches to how high you should set your rush fees. 

Before setting a rush fee, consider the scope and complexity of the project and your current availability. 

You have endless opportunities as a freelancer — whether you go for one of the top-paying jobs from today’s list or opt for something different. The earning potential is real but so is the competition. To stay ahead of the curve, focus on sharpening your skills, expanding your expertise, and growing a solid network. 

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