11 Highest Paying Freelance Jobs to Boost Your Income

If you’re looking to start a new freelance career, you might be wondering what the highest paying freelance jobs are. The answer is – it depends! Lots of different factors come into play to determine the average earnings for a specific job.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at some of these factors before examining 11 freelance jobs that are typically well paid. At the end, we’ll even provide you with an opportunity to pursue some of those jobs.

What Makes a Freelance Job High Paying?

Many factors can impact how much you earn as a freelancer, including:

• Experience. As in most career paths, the more expertise and proven experience you can demonstrate, the more you can get paid.
• Specialization. If you’re highly skilled and offer a more specialized service, you can be justified in charging more money.
• Market demand. The demand for your skills can help you get an idea about how much you’ll get paid. If the demand is high, you can get paid more. If the market is saturated, you may have to settle for a lower wage.
• Location. The demand for certain services isn’t the same across the globe. Unless you’re working 100% remotely, where you live can affect how much you’ll get paid.

The amount you earn can also vary from project to project. Different types of clients – for example, large corporate clients vs. small businesses or individuals – may have different budgets. And if you take on a particularly complex project or a project with a tight turnaround time, you may be able to command a higher rate. Negotiation skills come in handy here!

11 of the Highest Paying Freelance Jobs

Considering the variability of the factors listed above, determining the highest paying freelance job can be difficult. But here are 11 jobs that consistently appear at the top of salary lists.

1. Accountant

Accountants keep and maintain the financial records for companies of all sizes. This responsibility may involve analyzing profits and losses, preparing invoices, doing payroll, creating reports, filing taxes, and more.

To be proficient in this job, you need the ability to communicate effectively and work well as part of a team, and you need to have good time management skills. You’ll also need the ability to analyze data and proficiency in some form of accounting software.

A freelance accountant can make an average of $38 per hour.

If you think this career could be right for you, check out this seven-step guide on how to become a freelance accountant.

2. Web Designer

Web designers create functional, attractive websites and web pages for businesses and individuals. Tasks can include wireframing, creating graphics and selecting images, testing navigation, and working with clients to decide on branding elements, such as color schemes and fonts.

To be a successful web designer, you’ll need to be creative and detail-oriented, with an eye for visual design. This means being familiar with design principles such as color theory, typographic hierarchy, and user experience (UX) best practices. You’ll need to be comfortable using design software, including Adobe XD, Figma, and Sketch. Increasingly, web designers are also expected to have some knowledge of programming languages (e.g., HTML, JavaScript, and CSS).

There is a high demand for web designers; they can expect to make $15–$30 per hour.

Here’s how to start a career in web design.

3. Video Editor

Video editors review, trim, edit, and arrange raw video footage to create a final piece of video or film. Along with sequencing clips, video editing involves adding visual effects, voiceovers, and audio to the footage. Freelance video editors can work by themselves or as part of a team. They can work on a wide range of projects, such as:

• Films
• TV shows
• YouTube videos
• Social media content 
• Commercials 
• Training videos 
• Interviews 
• Marketing videos (e.g., testimonials, product guides)
• Corporate presentations

Like web designers, video editors need to be creative and possess a great eye for detail. They also need to be good at visual storytelling (using video to engage, entertain, educate, or inspire their audience).

To find work as a freelance video editor, you’ll need to own a camera, microphone, and video editing software and know how to use them. It’s essential to build a demo reel or portfolio to showcase your skills and attract potential clients.

Video editors can expect to make around $31 per hour.

Intrigued? Take a look at this article on starting a career as a video editor.

4. Translator

Freelance translators play an important role in international communication and can find work in academics, politics, and business. The job requires translating written or recorded content from one language into another. If you’re fluent in more than one language, freelance translation could be a great career choice.

You need a number of skills to succeed as a translator. These include excellent reading comprehension, listening, research, and writing capabilities. It’s not just a case of understanding both languages – you’ll also need deep cultural knowledge to fully comprehend the significance of the material you translate.

Freelance translators can expect to make around $27 per hour.

Sound good? Find out how to land your first gig as a freelance translator.

5. Podcast Host

More and more people are starting (and listening to) podcasts. According to Exploding Topics, there are 504.9 million worldwide podcast listeners. That’s 23.5% of all internet users! So if you like to entertain or educate others by telling stories, sharing insights, or conducting interviews, hosting your own podcast can be a great way to make money.

You’ll need to prepare for your show by gathering information, finding guests, and making notes or scripts. If you want to work alone, you’ll also need the skills to edit your podcasts after recording them.

Depending on the number of listeners they have, podcasters normally earn money through sponsorships. Estimates vary, but several sources (including Podcastle) say 10,000 downloads per episode – the minimum usually required to qualify for sponsorship – equates to around $500–$900. If you have a really successful show, with lots of downloads, the amount you make per episode will increase over time. As of 2024, the biggest podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, brings in $100K in revenue per episode!

Here is a simple plan you can follow to start a successful podcast.

6. Digital Marketer

To make a profit, businesses need to attract and retain clients. This is where digital marketers come in. They help businesses build awareness of their brand and generate sales by using digital marketing channels to share content and engage with the target audience. For example, they might:

• Make recommendations for search engine optimization (SEO)
• Write copy for web pages and blogs
• Create and schedule social media content 
• Design email campaigns, newsletters, and promotional emails
• Manage online advertising campaigns (e.g., pay-per-click) 
• Monitor performance and generate reports based on key performance indicators

Digital marketers don’t need any particular qualifications but may benefit from having a relevant degree (e.g., in business or communications). It’s also possible to learn on the job via work experience, apprenticeships, and internships.

When you’re just starting out, you’ll need to learn the best practices for a variety of marketing channels – email, social media, web content, etc. – and ways to put together a marketing strategy and measure campaign results. As you gain experience, you may decide to specialize in a particular area.

The amount of money you can make will depend greatly on your experience. Although the starting wage might be around $15 per hour only, you could make as much as $75 per hour with experience.

Here is a six-step plan that will show you how to become a digital marketer.

7. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant helps clients with administrative tasks. This responsibility commonly involves managing emails, scheduling appointments, making phone calls, and entering data. It can also involve more specialist services such as bookkeeping or content creation. Basically, you make sure someone else’s professional life runs smoothly.

A good virtual assistant will need to have excellent organization, customer service, computer, and communication skills. You don’t need any previous experience to become a virtual assistant, but certifications can be beneficial if you want to offer specialized services.

The job pays an average of $24 per hour.

This is a useful guide to becoming a virtual assistant and landing your first job.

8. Tutor

A lot of people turn to the internet when they want to learn something new or get extra support with their education. This is where online tutors come in! Online tutors provide educational support for people of all ages, covering a countless number of subjects. Typically, a tutor will pick one or two areas to specialize in (e.g., math for high school and college students) based on their own educational or professional background.

Being a good tutor requires patience, empathy, and a positive mindset. You need to be an active listener and know how to communicate clearly and effectively with your learners. Most importantly, you need to have proficiency in the area in which you wish to tutor.

The average wage for a tutor is $28 per hour, but highly skilled tutors can make up to $60 per hour.

Here is an article discussing different tutoring jobs and ways to become an online tutor.

9. Proofreader

A lot of people think the jobs are the same, but there’s a difference between proofreading and editing. Both are ways to polish a piece of writing…and both can make for a rewarding, well-paid job!

First, let’s look at proofreading (more on editing later). A proofreader identifies and addresses mechanical errors in a document – spelling mistakes, incorrect grammar, punctuation errors, and inconsistencies in formatting. They also make sure that the document follows specific style guidelines. To succeed as a proofreader, you need excellent attention to detail, a strong grasp of the English language, and the ability to stick to a style guide.

A proofreader can work on any kind of document, including books, magazines, video and audio scripts, academic articles, legal documents, and all forms of business-related materials. The sky’s the limit!

According to the Editorial Freelancers Association, the average hourly rate for a proofreader is around $40–$65, depending on the document type.

You can even start a career as a proofreader without any previous experience.

10. Editor

Did you know that there are actually several different types of editing? The exact work you do will depend on the type of editing you specialize in and the type of document you’re working on. However, most editors will:

• Look at the overall flow and structure of a document
• Check that the content is appropriate for the intended audience
• Make changes to wording and sentence structure to improve clarity and readability

Like proofreaders, editors need to pay very close attention to detail, possess a strong grasp of the rules of language, and know how to stick to a style guide. They need to be able to spot surface-level errors and understand the deeper nuances of style and syntax. They also need good interpersonal skills to market their business and work effectively with clients.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the average hourly rate for an editor is $36 per hour.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips for starting a career in editing with no experience.

11. Content Writer

There are lots of different types of writing jobs, from content writers and copywriters to technical writers and ghostwriters. Here, we’re going to focus on content writing.

The goal of a content writer is to create content that educates, inspires, engages, or entertains others. A content writer can work on all kinds of materials: blog posts, social media content, email campaigns, digital and print advertisements, white papers…the list goes on! Many content writers choose a niche and focus their efforts in one area, for example, specializing in travel writing or food writing.

Writers need to know how to research, structure, and write engaging content. They need to be adaptable, know how to communicate effectively with their clients, and be able to check over their work to make sure it’s error-free. Other valuable skills for content writers include:

• Proficiency in planning and research 
• The ability to adapt to a brand voice 
• Knowledge of search engine optimization

The average hourly salary for a remote content writer in the US is $31.49.

Take a look at this blog post for more on becoming a content writer.

Becoming A Freelancer

If you want to get the skills required to pursue some of the highest paying freelance jobs, check out our CPD-accredited courses. We can help you kick-start a flexible, fulfilling, lucrative new career or side hustle in proofreading, editing, writing, and more.

Don’t worry if you don’t know which one of these options is right for you. Take advantage of our free lessons and start learning today!

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15 Freelance Job Ideas for Beginners How to Use Resume Keywords and Phrases Why Should You Take an Online Proofreading Course? What Is a Solopreneur? (And How to Become One)