How to Find Your Perfect Freelancing Niche

At some point in your career as a freelancer (or, perhaps, at its very start), you might think of finding a niche and working smarter, not harder. A niche that's too narrow may limit your client base, while one that's too broad can make it harder to stand out. Through years of freelancing and working with clients from Europe, Africa, and the USA, I learned that discovering the best niche takes time and experimentation. I spent months exploring different markets and styles to understand where my skills fit best. Now, I’d like to share insights from my journey to help you focus your talents and find your niche.

We also have our expert, Ivan Chayka, a web designer and Webflow development specialist. He will be chipping in with first-hand bits of advice on how he has been able to be this successful since he’s focused on one freelancing niche. With these recommendations, you can find a freelance niche where your skills can truly shine. 

What is a freelancing niche

Freelancing niches are particular sectors in which freelancers can work. 

For example, Elna Cain, a freelance writer who specializes in B2B and B2C content writing, succeeded at her job by concentrating all her efforts and skills within one niche. She is currently promoting her personally curated course of freelance writing from scratch. 

Jacob Cass is a successful freelance graphic designer who runs the blog Just Creative and works with clients globally. His creative span includes logo design, branding, and web design, to name a few. 

Neil Patel, who started out as a freelancer in the niches of digital marketing and SEO, is now a well-known consultant and the founder of Neil Patel Digital. 

There are many other examples of freelancers building their entire careers around a single niche. Passion, determination, and dedication to their craft are among the main components driving their success: if they really love doing something, getting public recognition and achieving a stable client base will be a breeze. 

Tips to find freelancing niche

No matter if you have been in the freelance sector for a while or just starting out, finding your niche can be equally difficult. 

Niches can be industry-specific, service-specific, and platform-specific. This classification is not something universal, but we will keep it to simplify things:

• Industry-specific niches are the ones divided according to the industry you work in. For instance, you can freelance in education as a private tutor or work out study plans for school, college, or university subjects so other teachers can use them to organize their classes. It is possible to specialize in tech by being a developer, QA tester, UI/UX designer, etc for specific one-time projects. Or, if you know how to sell, you can always take your rightful spot in the e-commerce niche. 
• Service-specific niches are more detailed than industry-specific niches and revolve around specific skills you have or tasks you can be useful in. For example, if you are a graphic designer and want to create brand identities, you can market yourself as a brand identity designer only. Similarly, if you are an AI tech specialist, you can limit your expertise, say, exclusively to AI testing and not any other AI-related job. This is the essence of a service-specific niche. 
• Platform-specific niches allow you to work for one single platform as a freelancer. If you feel like creating TikTok content is your true vocation, you can center your freelancer’s portfolio around the previous TikTok videos you filmed for your clients: advertisements for brands, short music videos, or even meme content, as long as it was created for and posted on TikTok. Basically, any platform you can think about needs freelancers, and if you are most comfortable working within one website or app, it is never too late to take up the niche. 

Once you know exactly what type of freelancing niche you are looking for, it will be way easier to narrow down your choices. However, the most important question still stands: how will you know what exactly you want to do? There are several approaches to defining this.

I began my career as a graphic designer and gradually transitioned into web design, eventually focusing on layout work. While design requires creativity, staying updated on trends, and having an artistic flair, I've always been drawn to systematizing and organizing—more of an engineering mindset. This natural inclination led me to layout work. Webflow aligns perfectly with this mindset, enabling me to merge design with technical implementation. As a result, I find great satisfaction in my current work. 

 {{Ivan Chayka}}

Assess yourself

The right way to start looking for your own freelancing niche is to assess your skills, preferences, and future aspirations in your career. You can find your niche by honestly answering three essential questions.   

1. What am I passionate about?

The primary thing in self-assessment is to ask yourself what you genuinely want to do and only then dive headfirst into the niche search. 

If you like writing and publishing texts, SEO copywriting might be the niche for you. If you are an artist passionate about aesthetic website layouts, why not try yourself out in web design? The opportunities are inexhaustible and once you truly know what you want to do, finding a job becomes a breeze. 

2. What skills do I excel in?

Just loving a certain job is not enough, you need a sufficient skill set to perform it well. Look for the niches you already have some experience in, even if it is very limited. 

For example, if you strive to be a freelance writer for websites but have never written anything of the sort, you can review the works you had back at college or university. Try to remember your best essays or academic papers: which subjects did you excel at? For instance, if you were good at literature essays, you might want to try freelance ghostwriting and take on projects from authors or publishers.

3. Who is my ideal client? 

It is as important to focus on your client as on oneself. Of course, this doesn’t mean running after potential clients frantically while begging them to consider your candidacy for their project. On the contrary, your research must be calm and well-organized, where the more you study the market in your particular niche, the more you realize what your ideal client looks like.

Take your time studying the open and finished projects on different freelance platforms. Pay attention to what is required of freelancers most often in the niche you are planning to work at. What are the clients’ demands? What are they looking for in different project types? What are the deadlines and paychecks? Here’s how you can determine this on a real example of two different job postings from Upwork. 

This posting for the position of an AI agent's workflow tutor requires an advanced understanding of AI tools and systems, coupled with the ability to communicate and teach others. It involves both practical development experience and a strong background in integrating AI technologies into functional systems. This is a serious task with a high level of involvement, and not every AI expert will be able to meet the expectations of such a client.

On the other hand, let’s look at another job posting from the same niche:

This project related to IA Flux/Replicate is certainly less demanding compared to the previous AI job in terms of overall complexity and required skills. It is concentrated on the development of one single product and involves a narrower scope of work. 

This example proves that you can select clients based on how much expertise and time allocation their project requires. Having the required skill set for different jobs means that you get to decide which client you want to work with. 

Do market research

Once you have several options as to which field you want to linger in, it’s time to conduct market research. Take a look at the existing niches within your field and evaluate the most common requirements of freelancers for different projects and the current level of competition.

You can also connect with potential customers and genuinely listen to their responses. They will share insights into their needs, the challenges they face, and what they envision as the ideal service. Your responsibility is to ask the right questions and propose tailored solutions that meet their expectations.

Here’s an approximate list of questions to guide your discussions:

•  What specific challenges are you currently facing in your business or daily life?
•  What solutions have you tried in the past, and how did they work for you?
•  What features or services do you consider most valuable?
•  How do you envision the ideal service helping you overcome your challenges?
• Are there any particular frustrations or pain points that you encounter with existing solutions?
• What is your budget or investment range for this type of service?
• What would make you choose one service provider over another?
• Are there any additional services or features that you believe could enhance your experience?

By asking these questions, you can gain valuable insights that will help you craft solutions specifically tailored to your customers' needs.

Understanding the industry you’re working in, even at a basic level, is essential. This knowledge is particularly valuable during the design phase, as it enables you to create user-relevant designs. Furthermore, an industry background allows you to provide suggestions for improvements or identify missing elements based on established user experience patterns.

 {{Ivan Chayka}}

When a certain niche catches your eye, you can identify market demand in several ways. 

Keyword research

• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs to discover what people are searching for in your niche. This helps identify high-demand services or products. For instance, if you want to find a job as an UI/UX designer, you can use keywords like “hire UI/UX designer” or “UI/UX designers for IT” the last is actually the keyword I used when I was searching for my first project and, believe it or not, it is still working! 
• Look for keywords with high search volume and low competition to find underserved areas where you can stand out. You can specify the area and region. As a designer, I would search for “UI/UX designer for CEO LinkedIn account in Germany.” 

Competitor analysis

Begin by using the Upwork search feature to look for keywords relevant to your services, such as "content writer" or "graphic designer." Apply filters to refine your search based on:  

• Earnings Level: Choose from Entry Level, Intermediate, or Expert.  

• Ratings: Focus on profiles with 4+ star ratings.  

• Location: If relevant to your services, consider geographic factors.  

Take a closer look at your competitors’ profiles and pay attention to the following elements:  

• Profile Title: Examine how they craft their titles to attract potential clients.  
• Description: Identify what they highlight — is it their experience, skills, or work approach?  
• Portfolio: Analyze the projects they showcase and assess the professionalism of their presentation.  

Note the skills they emphasize. If applicable, consider adding similar qualifications to your own profile. Research the hourly rates that competitors are charging within your niche. Look into the payment ranges for comparable projects and assess how different levels of experience impact service pricing.  For example, a graphic designer offers logo design for a flat fee of $300, but they don’t include any branding guidelines or multiple design concepts. You could charge $400 for your logo design service while providing three initial design concepts and a brand guide that outlines color schemes, typography, and usage guidelines. This could appeal to clients looking for a more comprehensive branding solution.

A promising niche typically features a high volume of orders and an active professional community. For example, Webflow boasts a Telegram group with over 2,000 members and a robust English-speaking community on Discord. Additionally, Webflow's growing popularity in Europe and the US creates excellent opportunities for growth and attracting new clients.

 {{Ivan Chayka}}

Read through the feedback left by clients for your competitors. Pay attention to the qualities and methods they commend, as well as any issues mentioned in negative reviews — this can help you avoid common pitfalls.  Take time to study the proposals submitted by your competitors. This will provide insight into how they present their services and negotiate with clients, ultimately giving you ideas on how to enhance your own proposals. Pay attention to the services they offer, what marketing tools they use, and which keywords they target. 

Online forums and communities

• Join platforms like Reddit or Quora to see what questions people have and what problems they need to solve with the help of freelancers. 
• Note the most popular trends in discussions. Try to identify which pain points occur most often and how they can be solved with your services. 

By following these practices, you will stay on track with the current developments in your chosen freelance niche. Knowledge is the best weapon and when you have enough expertise, you will be able to find the place you belong to in the blink of an eye. 

Test ideas

If you have a bunch of niche ideas, the best way to make them a reality is to start with small, manageable gigs at freelance platforms. For example, take projects from Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer: find job postings that have minimal requirements and time commitment as they are usually the most suitable for beginners. At Upwork, you can filter relevant jobs according to the experience level, project length, hours per week, and the overall job duration. Look for “Entry Level” projects and see which ones you could take up on the spot.

Experimenting in a studio environment allows you to try different roles within various projects. For one project, you might manage data organization; for another, create design layouts; and for a third, focus on coding. This hands-on experience is invaluable in helping you discover your preferences. Additionally, you could explore different development tools, like frameworks and libraries, to see what suits you best.

 {{Ivan Chayka}}

Once you complete your pilot project, seek feedback from clients. The information you get from clients allows you to polish up what you already do well and reach the best possible level of your skill. When you actively seek and listen to customer feedback, you can also better tailor your qualifications to the needs of your niche over time. 

Continue learning

If you have already established yourself in a certain niche, it doesn’t mean that you have to stay in it until your qualifications get moldy. Freelance is all about dynamism: 

• A freelance developer specializing in WordPress can learn JavaScript frameworks (for example, React) as more clients demand highly interactive web applications.
• A graphic designer can expand their skills in Figma to provide UI/UX services in addition to traditional branding work, meeting the rising demand for digital design.
• A freelance content writer can learn SEO and start offering keyword research and optimization services to clients.
• A freelance digital marketer regularly attends webinars or takes courses to stay current on changes to Google Ads policies or social media advertising trends, ensuring their strategies remain effective.
• A freelance translator who initially worked with local clients in the U.S. starts taking on projects from European companies by learning basic German or French, making them more competitive for international clients.

Think of something you can do to develop your expertise in your own niche. Then, act on it by learning new skills, picking up a thematic book, attending a webinar, or communicating with fellow freelancers. In this way, you will grow professionally while fueling your interest in the work you do. 

Advantages of working in a freelance niche

A specific niche can bring you numerous benefits. According to our expert, by focusing on a single niche yields the highest quality of work. Concentrating efforts on one specific area allows for deeper expertise and more refined skills, rather than spreading oneself too thin across various unrelated projects. 

You reduce competition

When you work in a specific niche, you naturally reduce competition because you're not trying to compete with every freelancer out there. Instead, you position yourself as an expert in a specific area, which makes you stand out to clients who value specialized skills. Imagine you're a graphic designer. If you market yourself as someone who can "design anything," you're competing with thousands of generalist designers. But if you specialize in creating branding packages specifically for tech startups, you'll compete with a much smaller group of experts who are laser-focused on that niche. 

By narrowing your focus, you become the expert clients turn to for your specific niche. It's like when you need heart surgeryᅳyou wouldn't go to a general doctor; you'd choose a cardiologist. The same principle applies to freelancing. 

You can find a customer base faster 

Finding a niche can help when you prefer to attract clients instead of looking for them manually. When you job hunt across multiple niches, you surf through dozens or even hundreds of job postings daily. Once you find your own niche and concentrate on it, you can tailor your resume and portfolio according to the most common client requirements.   

Say, you are looking for a freelance job in the SEO copywriting niche and come across this job posting for a Content Writer for Website Flipping and Online Business Acquisition. The requirements are as follows:

By analyzing what is required for a niche you are looking for, you can turn these criteria into your own skills (of course, only if you really have them!) and add them to your resume. This will increase the probability of the right clients finding your candidacy fast. For instance, here it would be beneficial to mention that you are not just a copywriter, but a SEO expert. You can add it to your CV, but from my experience, it is better to highlight such things in your cover letter. 

You start working more efficiently

The narrower your scope of offerings is, the more efficiently you can execute your tasks. Staying in your niche can help you build on the skills you already have and learn more about the requirements and price distribution for different projects. 

For example, instead of offering general graphic design services, you decide to focus on designing book covers for independent authors who self-publish on platforms like Amazon.

I observe the types of companies using Webflow. Large corporations or news platforms tend to avoid it due to its limitations. However, small to medium-sized businesses frequently choose Webflow, indicating steady work and reasonable budgets. While it may not lead to massive wealth, it offers a sustainable income.

{{Ivan Chayka}}

Additionally, by staying in this specific niche, you gain the following benefits. 

• Efficient process. You become familiar with the specific dimensions, requirements, and trends in book cover design for self-publishing, allowing you to streamline your workflow. You can create templates and reusable assets for different genres.
• Client referrals. Self-published authors often form communities or networks. If you specialize in book cover design and offer outstanding service, satisfied clients are likely to refer you to other authors, helping you gain more business without extra marketing effort.
• Niche authority. As you build a portfolio of book covers, you gain a reputation within that community, allowing you to attract more high-quality clients and charge premium rates.

Top 10 niches for freelancers in 2024 

Still figuring yourself out? No problem: I have compiled a list of the most beneficial freelance niches in 2024 based on the information and job postings from credible freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. Here’s a list of 5 great platforms where you can learn new skills:

• Coursera 
• Udemy
• edX
• LinkedIn Learning
• Khan Academy

These platforms cater to different learning styles and areas of interest, so you can choose the ones that best fit your goals and preferences! I have analyzed and compared the most common requirements for some of the most popular niches, as well as the average pay for different types of jobs.

Software development

For the majority of software development freelance jobs, you will need to work in the preferred programming language of your client, know how to use IDEs, work with APIs, and be knowledgeable in different algorithms and data structures. To get the required education and skill set, you can take online courses at Udemy, Coursera, or edX, as well as use interactive web development learning platforms like freeCodeCamp, Codecademy, or LeetCode.

• Average pay: Across multiple programming languages, the average freelance programmer makes $60-70/hr, with an annual salary of around $120,000

AI services

Although it might overlap with software development, AI service is a whole new type of freelancing niche that is getting more and more popular with the spread of AI technologies. This niche includes such professionals as AI writers, AI artists, AI training, or even developing new AI models, to name a few. 

• Average pay:  The average hourly cost for AI development typically ranges between $25 and $49.

UI/UX design 

UI/UX design is the process of creating tools for convenient and attractive user interaction with a digital product or service. This niche is breaking records in popularity thanks to its substantially higher paycheck rates compared to other design jobs out there. A must-have skill set includes HTML, Web/Graphic design, Mockups, Adobe Photoshop, Figma, and CSS.

• Average pay: The estimated total pay for an Ui\Ux Designer at freelance is $45 per hour.

Data entry

Data entry involves manually inputting, updating, and managing data in systems such as spreadsheets, databases, or CRMs. To excel in data entry, you need proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and data management systems, along with basic knowledge of typing tools and accuracy techniques. 

• Average pay: Depending on your experience level, you can get paid around $5.00-25.00 per hour. 

Data analysis 

Data analysts are valued by businesses of all types and sizes. Your job is to collect, filter, and analyze data, picking up insights that can help a company improve its operations. 

• Average Pay: According to Ziprecruiter, on average, freelance data analysts can charge $32.93 an hour. 

Audio production

Audio production involves creating, editing, and mixing sound for various media, including podcasts, music, commercials, and films. Freelancers in this field handle tasks like sound design, voiceovers, music production, and post-production audio editing. 

Key skills include proficiency in Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools, Ableton Live, or Logic Pro, along with sound mixing, mastering, and audio editing techniques. 

• Average pay: The hourly rates charged range from $25 to $500, with an average rate of $150 per hour.

PR & marketing 

Freelancers in PR & marketing help businesses build brand awareness, manage crises, and engage with target audiences to drive growth. They must maintain a company’s public image, craft communication strategies, and promote products via various channels. 

Key skills include content creation, social media management, press release writing, SEO, and digital marketing tools like Google Analytics and MailChimp. 

• Average pay: The average hourly pay for a PR job in the US is $21.58 an hour. Hourly salary range is $13.46 to $30.77 per hour.

Voice acting

The freelance position of a voice actor involves dealing with voice-overs and voice acting, specifically in dialects and accents required by clients. For example, this Upwork ad is searching for a Voice Actor for a short video in Swiss language; the job is for native speakers. 

In addition, you can practice by recording yourself with a basic USB microphone and free editing software like Audacity. 

• Average pay: Your paycheck as a freelance voice actor can start from $22.97 per hour.

Online education 

Freelancers in education are not just private tutors. The scope of what you do can go way wider than this. For instance, you can create personalized word cards and interactive learning material on platforms like Quizlet, Kahoot, or Word Wall. The most important thing is to have a specific subject knowledge. So if you want to freelance by making ESL lesson plans, your English must be well above average. 

• Average Pay: A freelance tutoring job can pay around $17, 91 per hour on average, depending on the platform you use to promote your services. 

Legal experts

Legal experts in freelancing can work in drafting and compiling legal documentation for their clients: corporate contracts, applications, privacy policies, and other industry-specific legal documents. If you have a degree in law and a strong knowledge of the law of a particular country, as well as sufficient legal writing skills, you can freely take up a project like Civil Rights Violation Complaint Filing Expert. 

• Average pay: The average payment per hour is $26.64 and higher depending on the project’s difficulty and involvement. 

Both approaches have their merits. Working across diverse projects helps develop a broad skill set and prepares you for more challenging tasks in the future.

What will your niche be? 

Finding your own freelancing niche is not a task for one day. In order to successfully establish your brand as a freelancer, you need to understand clearly what you want to do and how your particular skills can make your niche better. Got a couple of ideas? Nice, then hop on your pilot project and see whether being a niche freelancer is your cup of tea. 

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