Top 6 Fastest Growing Freelance Verticals

Over the past few years the Freelance Economy has been exploding. Did you know that 1 in 3 people in the US are earning money from freelance jobs*, which amounted to approximately $42 million in 2013? In fact, a recent Global Online Employment Report posted by Elance shows 600,000 new jobs, 600,000 new freelancers, and over $130 million earned on Elance – just in the first 6 months of 2013!

The concept of traditional full-time employment  being the most secure and consistent is becoming obsolete thanks to technology’s role in today’s flexible global economy. Rather than leaving your home country to seek new employment opportunities, technology has made it possible for you to stay at home and work remotely. You can view an interesting infographic showing reasons why people choose to become freelancers here.

More and more companies are realizing the benefits of hiring freelance workers to complete projects. Whether it’s a one-time project, the company is short on budget, or simply is not in a position to hire a full-time employee, freelancers bring a lot to the table.

If you’re a freelancer, now is the time to take advantage of this rapidly growing economy and make money! The first thing you need to decide is where to focus your efforts. Payoneer provides global payment solutions to freelancers across the globe, and we recently asked them what kind of work they do. We found that the majority of freelancers work in the creative fields of Graphic Design, Content Writing and Video and Animation – below are the full results:

Next you’ll want to promote your services and find new clients. Social media is certainly a powerful tool, and services like Wix, WordPress, and Tumblr can help you easily set up your own website. Developing your profile and portfolio on major Sites like Elance, oDesk, Fiverr, 99Designs, Freelancer.com, and Envato is also a great way to promote yourself and find new jobs. Not sure which to focus on? Perhaps this infographic comparing some of the major freelance marketplaces can help:

Are you a Freelancer and want to share your experience and tips with us? Perhaps you’d like to write a guest post on our blog? Let us know in the comments below!

*Statistic according to the Freelancers Union