Last Updated on May 8, 2024 by Katie
What are the most in-demand freelance skills today? This article is going to answer that question and give you details on how to get started.
Freelancing is a top way to earn money and after the pandemic, many are looking to work from home, rather than go back to the office.
But knowing where to start is tough. If you have freelance-related skills, then great! If not, the good news is that skills can be learned, often for free online.
The internet is not going away anytime soon. Just about every business has a website and online presence.
This means there are a ton of things businesses and entrepreneurs will pay for help with.
Throughout this article, we will detail the most in-demand freelance skills, how much they pay and where to get affordable training.
Let’s get into it.
Most In-Demand Freelance Skills
- Freelance Writing
- Copywriting
- Editing and Proofreading
- Graphic Design
- Website Design
- Transcription
- Social Media Marketing
- SEO Specialist
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Virtual Assistant
- Video Creation, Editing and Marketing
- Mobile App Development
- Audiobook Narration
Top 13 Most In-Demand Freelance Skills + Where to Learn Each One
Looking to jump into the freelancer world this year?
If so, take a look at the most in-demand freelance skills to help you decide the best work from home career path.
1. Freelance Writing
Every business these days has a website and that website needs content.
Freelance writers offer this service to create blog content, website copy and more.
Writers can specialise in a certain niche such as business or travel, or be generalist writers – there is no right or wrong.
According to statistics, the term ‘’freelance writing’’ gets over 2,000 hits per month in the UK and this is continuing to rise.
How Much Do Freelance Writers Earn?
Freelance writers either charge by the word or per amount of words.
The average rate per word ranges from $0.03 up to $1 per word. What you charge depends on your experience and who you are working for.
When charging per amount of words, the rate for 500 words can vary from $5 up to $100.
Again this depends on your experience and the type of project.
Where to Learn Freelance Writing Skills?
The best way to become a writer is to write often.
Start writing for free on your own blog or a free content site like Medium.
Take a look at these best free online writing courses featured in one of my blog articles.
Alternately, this Udemy course, The Complete Freelance Writing Course gives you 7.5 hours of detailed lectures on how to turn a profit from writing.
Further reading:
- Is Freelance Writing a Good Career for You?
- 9 Cold Pitching Tips for New Writers to Get High Paying Clients
- How to Get Freelance Writing Experience as a New Writer: 5 Ways to Build Your Skills
- 22 Hugely Profitable Writing Niches (+How to Get Started)
- How to Market Yourself as a Writer: 7 Highly Effective Strategies
- 15 Best Freelance Writing Websites to Find Paid Work
2. Copywriting
Copywriting is another in-demand freelance skill.
While content writing focuses heavily on education and entertainment, the main goal of copywriting is to persuade and sell.
Copywriting work includes writing emails, product descriptions, newsletters and advertisements.
How Much Do Copywriters Earn?
Copywriters are seen as specialists and can therefore charge a higher rate than general freelance writers.
According to Reed, the average copywriter salary in the UK is £31,667 up to £84,500 in London.
As a freelance copywriter, you can charge a rate that suits you.
A general guide of what to charge is:
- Entry-level: $50 – $80 per hour
- Mid-level: $80 – $120 per hour
- Experienced: $120 – $200 per hour
Where to Learn Copywriting Skills?
To learn about copywriting, check out The Complete Copywriting Course: Write to Sell Like a Pro.
This course is taught by some of the world’s most successful copywriters and teaches you how to write effective sales copy and grow a sustainable copywriting business.
3. Editing and Proofreading
Website content is continually growing, which means the demand for proficient editors and proofreaders is also increasing.
Editors are hired to work on core issues like sentence re-structuring, language clarity and flow.
Proofreaders are needed to correct errors in the writing such as spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Both editors and proofreaders have important roles.
If the writing is not clear before publication, it may scare readers off instead of creating fans that turn into leads and sales.
How Much Do Editors and Proofreaders Earn?
The average editor’s salary in the UK is £54,280 according to Reed.
As a freelance editor, you could charge $5 – $10 per 500 words depending on the complexity of the work.
To charge hourly, start at $25 and move up to $75 an hour as your experience grows.
Where to Learn Editing and Proofreading Skills for Free?
Check out my free guide How to Become a Proofreader with No Experience. Inside you’ll learn the 7 simple steps to success, plus get access to a free workshop.
To learn more about editing, try this course on Udemy – Editing Mastery: How to Edit Writing to Perfection.
The course has launched over 5,244 people’s careers in editing and you can benefit from over 6.5 hours of detailed training.
4. Graphic Design
Graphic design is one of the most in-demand freelance skills that you can learn online.
The work includes creating visual media for blogs and social media, plus creating things like infographics, websites and logos for example.
Knowledge of using graphic design software like Canva and Adobe Photoshop is a plus, but this can be learned.
To get freelance design work, you’ll need to have a strong portfolio to show off.
Host your creations on your own blog or on a creative marketplace such as Dribbble.
How Much do Graphic Designers Earn?
According to Payscale, the average yearly wage in the UK is £23,543 going up to £31,000 with more experience.
To get started as a freelance graphic designer, offer a lower fee on a platform like Fiverr to build your portfolio.
As your experience and happy reviews build, increase your rates.
Where to Learn Graphic Design Skills?
If you fancy a career in graphic design, start with this Graphic Design Masterclass – Learn GREAT Design.
This course has been taken by over 182, 171 students, has a 4.7 star rating and gives you 29 hours of in-demand video training.
5. Website Design
Web designers and developers are hugely in-demand.
Without a great website, a business will miss out on a huge chunk of leads and revenue.
If you have decent tech skills, or you’re willing to learn them, website design could be a great freelance career for you.
The good news is; you don’t even need to learn how to code these days.
There are many drag-and-drop softwares such as Wix and Elementor anyone can use to build beautiful websites relatively easily.
How Much Do Web Designers Earn?
The average web designer salary in the UK is £23,508 going up to £42,000 at the higher end.
As a freelance web designer, you could charge by the hour or per project.
Once you know how to create a website in Elementor for example, you can charge a set fee for a website with 5 pages, extra for 10 pages and so on.
Where to Learn Web Design Skills?
There are a ton of great web design and development courses on Udemy.
One that stood out to me was the bestseller course – Complete Web Design: from Figma, to Webflow, to Freelancing.
This course has a 4.8 star rating, is ideal for all levels and features over 201 lectures.
6. Transcription
Transcriptionists listen to audio files and type what they hear into text.
Many professionals use transcribers such as Youtubers, podcasters, lawyers, marketers, medical professionals, business owners and more.
This is one of the most in-demand freelance skills with little barrier to entry.
You don’t need any formal qualification to get work, although taking a course will fast-track your success.
How Much Do Transcriptionists Earn?
Entry-level transcriptionists can expect to earn between $3 to $11 per audio hour.
With more experience, you can charge up to $40 per audio hour.
As a freelancer, you can set your own rates. Again, it’s worth setting your rates a little lower to gain reviews and increase them with time.
Where to Learn Transcription Skills?
Check out this free training from TranscribeMe: 7 Lesson Mini Course to Jumpstart Your Transcription Career.
This is perfect for people wanting to start their own online business using their writing, editing and listening skills.
Further reading:
- How to Become a General Transcriptionist: Step by Step Guide for Beginners
- Is General Transcription a Good Job?
- How to Find High Paying Transcription Clients Fast as a Beginner
- 10 Essential Skills Needed to Be a High Paid Transcriptionist
7. Social Media Marketing
With 60% of people checking their smartphones within 10 minutes of opening their eyes in the morning, there’s never been a better time for businesses to invest in social media marketing.
If you fall into this category and love scrolling social, why not make money as a freelance social media manager?
This is one of the most in-demand freelance skills and it will only keep on growing.
How Much do Social Media Marketers Earn?
Freelance social media marketers can earn between $15 to $50 per hour.
This rate can go up to $100 an hour for experienced marketers and if you work with a big brand client.
According to Payscale, social media experts in the UK earn around the £25K mark.
Where to Learn Social Media Marketing Skills?
To learn social media marketing skills for free, take the time to build up your own accounts.
If you gain a big following on any of the main social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram or YouTube, people will pay you to help them do it.
To get in-depth training, try out this course on Udemy – The Social Media Management and Masterclass 2023.
Over 2,377 students have gone through this course and it contains 314 lectures on how to build massive followings on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
8. SEO Specialist
I had no idea about SEO (search engine optimisation) when I started my first blog. And that is why it failed!
Today, I have a better understanding, because I took the time to read up and take an SEO course from someone who knew what they were doing.
Without SEO, a website will never get onto the first page of Google and get traffic.
This is why freelancing as an SEO specialist is a great way to make money online, as many businesses need help with this.
How Much do SEO Specialists Earn?
SEO agencies and freelancers charge anywhere between $50 up to $150 an hour, depending on experience.
This fee can rise if working with a large online brand.
It’s typical for SEO specialists to charge monthly retainers or packages that include additional services such as content and link-building campaigns for example.
Where to Learn SEO Skills for Free?
A popular course I saw on Udemy was The Ultimate SEO Training 2022 + SEO for WordPress Websites.
Taught by an SEO agency owner, you’ll learn how to rank websites on the first page of Google.
9. Accounting and Bookkeeping
Got a way with numbers? Then accounting and bookkeeping could be a great remote career for you.
Nowadays, it’s a lot cheaper to hire a freelance bookkeeper rather than having one in-house and paying for an office, sick pay and holidays for example.
To get started as a bookkeeper, a certificate is not essential, but you’ll need to learn the basics.
How Much Do Bookkeepers Earn?
As a beginner bookkeeper, you can get clients through an agency and earn from $20 – $30 an hour.
When you have experience and get referral clients, you can charge up to $100 an hour, depending on the budget of the client and the complexity of work.
Where to Learn Bookkeeping Skills?
FreshBooks is a popular accounting software and has six free online bookkeeping courses with certificates here.
To get more in-depth training, take a look at this Accounting and Bookkeeping Masterclass: For Beginners and Advanced.
This course contains over 14.5 hours of in-demand video and has a 4.6 star rating from over 86,876 past students.
10. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistance is one of the most in-demand freelance skills, especially after the pandemic pushed everyone home from the office.
Businesses started to re-think how their staff worked and realised some jobs could actually be done just as good remotely and save them on costs.
Virtual assistants are the new receptionists, personal assistants and secretaries.
Work can include making travel arrangements, email management, answering the phone, social media management, research, answering blog comments, website maintenance and more.
How Much do Virtual Assistants Earn?
Virtual assistants charge $15 – $20 an hour on the lower end and up to $50 an hour or more when they have experience or if they are specialised.
Where to Learn Virtual Assistant Skills?
There are a ton of free and paid virtual assistant resources online.
Check out the latest virtual assistant jobs hiring today. All the jobs have been screened for beginners.
To learn more about this career, take a look at this Must Have Skills (Training) for Virtual Assistants in 2023.
11. Video Creation, Editing and Marketing
Video creation and marketing are important tactics for businesses with 86% of marketers saying it’s been effective for generating leads.
Thousands of hours of video are consumed each day, so there is a huge demand for skilled video creators, editors and marketers.
If you love watching videos yourself, this could be a great part-time or full-time career.
How Much Do Video Creators and Editors Earn?
Video creators and editors can work on a per-project basis or on a monthly retainer.
Entry-level video creators and editors earn around $25 to $50 an hour.
With experience, this rate can climb to $150 an hour or more.
Where to Learn Video Creation and Editing Skills?
To learn video editing for free, create and edit your own videos with this step by step guide on how to make money with YouTube.
If you need help, check out this bestseller Udemy course – Adobe Premiere Pro Masterclass: Video Editing in Premiere.
12. Mobile App Development
Mobile app development is the process of building software applications that run on mobile devices.
A day in the life of an app developer could include designing, coding, troubleshooting, monitoring developments and providing user support.
If you love tech, or are willing to get the right skills, mobile app development is a lucrative field to work in.
How Much do Mobile App Developers Earn?
Freelance app developers can charge on a per-project basis or hourly.
Because this is a highly skilled field, rates usually start at $50 and can go up to $100 or more an hour.
Where to Learn Mobile App Development Skills?
The Code Academy is a good place to look for free mobile app development courses.
They offer a wealth of free resources on coding, website design, app design and more.
Alternatively, sign up for the course iOS & Swift – The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp.
This course has had over 319,250 students and has a 4.8 star rating!
13. Audiobook Narrator
Do you love to read and talk? Then reading audiobooks for money is the ideal freelance job for you.
According to a study, the average number of audiobooks listened to each year by participants was 8.1. And this number is only going to rise!
Audiobook narration or voice acting work is a fun way to make side hustle cash or even a full-time income.
Work can include commercials, explainer videos, audiobook narration, video games, podcast intros, corporate training videos, commercials and more.
How Much Do Audiobook Narrators Earn?
Audiobook narrators can choose to be paid in a variety of ways:
- Per audio hour (flat payment for the whole book)
- Spit royalties 50/50 with the author
- A combination of the two
Payment per audio hour depends on your experience and who you are working for. But expect around $100 for each finished audio hour.
If you have experience, the pay can jump up to $500 for each finished audio hour.
Where to Learn Audiobook Narration Skills?
While there is no need to get official training to work as an audiobook narrator, a short course will inform you what is expected.
Get more information in The Audiobook Production and Narration course.
Here you can learn about different narration techniques and what it takes to make quality audiobooks.
What is Freelancing and How Does It Work?
A freelancer is self-employed and hired to work on a specific task or project.
Freelancers can work for one client or multiple clients at a time.
Jobs are usually paid after completion or an invoice is sent monthly if multiple projects have been finished for the same client.
How Can I Start Freelancing with No Experience?
The best way to start freelancing with no experience is to take time to learn the right skills.
Have a think about what you enjoy. If you’re creative, a freelancing career as a writer or graphic designer could work well.
If you’re organized with an eye for detail, becoming a virtual assistant or proofreader could be ideal.
Once you know which freelance skill you want to pursue, take a course that teaches you the business and how to get clients.
What is the Easiest Skill to Learn for Freelancing?
There are many easy freelancing skills that you can learn quickly, detailed in this article. A few of the easiest include:
- Freelance writing
- Virtual assistance
- Editing and proofreading
- Transcription
- Customer service
- Video creation and editing
How Can I Start Freelancing Fast?
Even if you’re working a full-time job, you can start a freelancing side hustle pretty quickly.
Spend time in the evenings learning a new skill and within a few months you will be ready to find clients. Follow these steps to start freelancing fast:
- Choose a freelancing niche
- Learn the relevant skills
- Identify where dream clients hang out
- Create a website and social media accounts
- Set your freelance rates
- Create a portfolio of work
- Start pitching to clients
- Network with other freelancers
- Stay persistent in applying for freelance work
What Are the Pros and Cons of Working as a Freelancer?
Freelancer life is not for everyone. Finding out the pros and cons of freelancing can help you work out if it’s right for you.
Freelancing Pros
- Work from anywhere
- Control how much you work
- Choose the clients you work with
- Be your own boss
- Enjoy working on a variety of topics and projects
Freelancing Cons
- No benefits
- Time off is unpaid
- Responsible for your own taxes
- No guarantee of consistent work
- You are totally responsible for your business
I personally love working as a freelance writer. It took a little time for me to make it a career, but the struggle was worth it in the end.
When you’re starting out in the freelancing world, know that clients won’t fall in your lap.
Stay persistent in applying for work and improving your skills and it’s possible to make a full-time freelancing career.
Final Thoughts on the Most In-Demand Freelance Skills
Now you know the most in-demand freelance skills for 2023.
Whichever one you decide to focus on, you’ll make a healthy income once you get the right skills and build up your client base.
It’s also important to build a portfolio to show prospective clients that you can deliver.
The freelancer life isn’t always easy, but it’s well worth it in the end. Once you’re set up, you can work when you like and from wherever you like.
No more boring office cubicles!
Have you tried out any of the freelancing careers mentioned? I’d love to know your experiences in the comments.
Top 13 Most In-Demand Freelance Skills
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
