Earlier last year, freelancing jobs are seen as a side hustle. However, the pandemic changed everything suddenly. Businesses begin to implement working from home. Organizations hire freelancers, and the market of freelancing skyrocketed from what it used to.
According to Thimble, freelancing job postings have risen to 41% in the second quarter of 2020, partially due to the pandemic. But even if the pandemic slowly subsides or vaccines are being given, the rise in freelancing will continue.
Most work as a freelancer due to the freedom they get as compared to working on an office.
As technology progresses, businesses are slowly moving online. With organizations moving their business online, they’ll require freelance workers. Remote work all over the work will continue to grow as technology continues to expand and support the needs of organizations.
Now is the time you need a freelancer job or take a remote job. But you might wonder, what skill do you need to get hired?
In-demand Technology for Freelancers 2021
As technology is advancing, freelancers’ skills depend on it, and so are businesses. Therefore, if there’s anything you should learn, pick a skill that can go along with changes or one that can adapt as technology changes over time.
Below we will list five freelancing skills you should develop. If you are a newbie, you can get online classes in any of these fields to acquire the necessary skills and be hired instantly.
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Developers
Since everything and everyone is going digital, there is no doubt cryptocurrency is becoming a thing. Instead of keeping cash or saving money in banks, cryptocurrencies make transactions faster and easier. Furthermore, it is far more secure than most online banking we know.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency go hand-in-hand. Blockchain technology stores all transactional records of the public in various databases. It is located in a network via peer-to-peer nodes. It serves as a digital ledger.
Blockchain technology has seen an increase in demand in 2021. About 24% of companies are expected to invest $5-10 million in the technology. It has also seen an increase in adaptation in more than 20 countries, and there are a total of 72.995 million users of blockchain wallets.
As more and more businesses invest in this technology, the demand for programmers’ increases.
Blockchain developers can be classified into two types: Core Blockchain Developer and Blockchain Software Developer.
The Core Blockchain Developer is responsible for designing the security and architecture of the blockchain system. They create the foundation. Meanwhile, the Blockchain Software Developers use the architecture built by the Core developers and incorporate it on the apps or software they make.
Developers earn an annual income of $127,000, with an hourly wage of $150.
Since the market for developers is not yet exhausted, you can find ways to learn how to become one and get hired.
There are multiple courses offered online for beginners. Get to know the basics and develop your skills to earn more this 2021.
Mobile App Developers
As of January 2021, there are 5.22 billion people who use mobile devices. That accounts for about 66.6% of the world’s population. The increase in usage of mobile devices increases the demand for mobile apps and software. Therefore, more mobile app developers are being hired.
Companies often hire freelancers to create software or apps for their businesses. They require skills in designing, coding, and testing apps.
If you want to learn how to develop mobile apps, you must have knowledge of coding. There are multiple languages used in coding an app. But most developers use a programming language that is specific to an operating system.
iOS apps use the Swift coding language. Meanwhile, Android apps are built using Java and C++.
Artificial Intelligent Developers
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are the most advanced technology in computing. Its popularity rises over time. Hence, it creates trillions of business values across organizations.
Almost everything nowadays is integrated with AI. Productivity software like Adobe Acrobat Pro, online marketing tools like Hootsuite, a home-automated device like Alexa, and more have AI technology into their system.
As AI simplifies life from home to work, the demand for AI developers also increases. Businesses from small to large enterprises hire AI engineers for their companies.
In 2025, the AI field is predicted to grow by 71%. Currently, there are around almost 200,000 job openings in AI and machine learning fields.
Becoming an AI tech requires in-depth learning of skills for the job. Python is the main programming language you need to learn if you want to delve into AI.
AI engineers roughly earn around $134,168 / year or $65 / hours.
Website Developer and Web Designer
Web developers and designers are lucrative jobs. As people go online to shop, watch, pay, and order, plenty of websites are being built. Hence, web developers and web designers are frequently hired by businesses.
Web Developers consists of 3 areas: front-end developers, back-end developers, and full-stack specialists.
- Front-end developers: They create items that are often seen by the visitors of the page. It includes click buttons, login pages, forms, and more. They are responsible for making everything on the website clickable.
- Back-end developers: They work on the core of the website. It includes the structure, databases, and servers of the website. Furthermore, they fix issues like glitches or bugs.
- Full-stack specialists: They are equipped with both front-end and back-end developer skills.
Regardless of your skill in web development, the field pays a fair amount. The more skilled you are and have a better portfolio, the higher your rate.
Top developers can earn more than $130,000 a year.
Web designers are different from web developers. They are responsible for the design and layout of the site and each page. Furthermore, they conduct researches on trending designs and are skilled in using editing software such as Photoshop. Also, web designers have skills in coding languages such as HTML and CSS.
Similar to web developers, web designers have different specialists.
- User Experience (UX): They make the site look appealing for customers to continue browsing or return to the page.
- User Interface (UI): They take care of the website’s navigation and function. They make sure that it is easy to use for visitors.
- Visual design: Include both UX and UI skills.
Freelance web designers’ annual income average to $55,810.
Cybersecurity or Online Security Specialists and Ethical Hackers
As businesses shift to running everything online, the number of cyberattacks increases. Hackers are becoming sophisticated, and they have even employed advanced technology to steal valuable data from companies and individuals.
As threats increase, organizations try to hire cybersecurity specialists. They protect sensitive data and work with ethical hackers. A cybersecurity specialist consists of different areas too.
Ethical hackers hack into the company’s system to check for any suspicious activities. They ensure that the company’s data is protected.
Learning to become an ethical hacker and online security specialist requires detailed training. Cybersecurity is a field that’s not easy to learn, but as the demand increases, there is a higher chance you can get hired.
In general, a freelance cybersecurity specialist’s annual income is $101,324/ year.
Conclusion
There are other fields of freelancing that are popular and are thriving in the market. However, as technology progresses, the fields mentioned above are becoming in-demand. Furthermore, while the industry hasn’t reached its peak, freelancers who work early on are paid higher and better.
If you want to work in the fields mentioned above, take online classes to develop your skills. Apply on jobs that will allow newbies to practice what they know. Eventually. You’ll become an expert freelancer in your chosen field.
