A lot of people want to freelance, and many of them would be happy to earn a few hundred dollars a month extra. But the jobs that pay enough to really quit your day job are often hard to get.
For example, writing jobs on Upwork — which has a reputation for being the best site for remote work — have a reputation for being filled by people from the Philippines or India who will do the work for pennies compared with what an American would charge.
Many Americans compete for these gigs, but the competition is fierce. It’s hard to get noticed when desperate job-seekers from other countries will do the same work for less money than you would take as pocket change.
However, there are freelancing skills that can help you make more money working at home, and they don’t necessarily have so much competition from other countries. Many of these skills involve things that are specific to Americans or require speaking English well enough to not scare clients away with bad grammar.
Here are some options:
Key Takeaways |
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1. Identify in-demand freelancing skills for 2022. |
2. Focus on skills with lower competition levels. |
3. Prioritize learning skills that align with your interests. |
4. Consider the potential for high hourly wages. |
5. Explore online courses and resources for skill development. |
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your online content so that a search engine likes to show it as a top result for searches of a certain keyword.
When it comes to SEO, there’s you, the search engine, and the searcher. If you have an article about how to make vegan lasagna, you want the search engine (which, in 90% of all cases, is Google) to show it as a top result to anyone who searches for the phrase “vegan lasagna.”
SEO is the magic you have to work on your article in order to make Google very likely to include your post as one of the top results whenever someone searches for that keyword.
This is one skill that’s in high demand here and abroad, but there are still plenty of companies that want their SEO done by real Americans — especially if they’re wanting their website optimized for U.S.-based viewers.
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2. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing enables users to share resources over the Internet. They can access software, servers and various other types of IT services via the Internet, either for free or for a fee.
Cloud computing is a huge deal in the freelance world, especially for those who work in digital marketing and web development. Many clients will ask you to use their cloud computing services for projects.
If you want to work in the cloud computing field, you’ll need to be knowledgeable about how it works and how it can benefit your clients. The more comfortable you are with various cloud platforms, the easier it will be to find and land new jobs in this field.
If you’re not working in cloud computing yet, we encourage you to consider adding this skill to your resume ASAP!
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3. Big Data
What is big data? It’s basically just a fancy way of saying “a lot of data.” Big data is information that can be used for analysis. It’s not about one specific thing, but rather what you do with the information you have. That information could come from anywhere — like your phone or your car or your credit card — and it can be used by businesses and organizations to make better decisions.
Big data is a growing field. Businesses are constantly looking for ways to use data to improve their operations or gain a competitive edge over their competitors, so they’re constantly creating new opportunities for people like me who know how to work with big data.
Most people don’t have the expertise or budget to implement big data solutions in-house. That’s why it can be a great opportunity for freelancers like you to position themselves as an expert in this area.
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4. Mobile Development
Mobile has become the leading platform for apps and, therefore, software developers. With this shift to mobile also comes development for wearables and other smart devices such as IoT.
As new platforms continue to emerge, the need for high-quality talent will only increase. If you want to get into mobile development, start building your skills now because it’s one of the most competitive areas in freelancing right now!
What’s more, by learning mobile development, you’re also setting yourself up for success in the future. According to a report from Business Insider, the number of smartphone users will surpass 6 billion in 2022 — that’s nearly 30% of Earth’s population.
Many companies are just starting to realize the importance of mobile development in their business operations. If you have this skill, you’re well-positioned to take advantage of these opportunities as they arise.
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5. Software Development
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for software developers is projected to grow by 22% between 2018 and 2028, a rate that’s much higher than the average across all industries, which is 5%. What’s more, there are other areas of IT where demand is even greater: data scientists, for instance, are in particularly high demand.
So it doesn’t take a genius to see that software development is a good choice for freelancers.
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6. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new hot topic in the freelancing world. It’s a skill that can be sold for high prices and companies are willing to pay a lot of money for it. However, it’s a very new technology and thus there are not many freelancers who have it in their skillset. Freelancers who have this skill can make a huge amount of money.
It’s quite clear from the Google Trends report below that the number of searches for AI has skyrocketed since the year 2000. And it’s not going to stop anytime soon because more and more products are getting created with AI day by day and thus people are more interested in learning about it.
If you’re looking to become an AI expert, you should definitely consider learning Python first. Python is the most popular programming language for machine learning. It has several open-source libraries that can help you develop machine learning algorithms. You will also find a lot of resources online to learn Python.
Once you have a good grasp of Python, you can choose a specialty to focus on within the field of AI. There are many different types of problems that AI can solve — from autonomous cars to medical diagnosis — so it’s important to pick a specialty that matches your interests and goals.
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7. Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual Reality (VR) is still in its infancy, but it’s only a matter of time before every home has access to VR technology.
If you’re not familiar with VR, you may be confused about what it is. You may have heard of VR headsets like the Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR and wondered what they are used for. Maybe you’ve played a game that offered “virtual reality” and wondered how it compared to the real thing.
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Final Thoughts
The freelancing world has grown shockingly over the years. If competition is something that you are worried about, then my personal advice would be to find a niche of your own. This way you can avoid having to compete with the millions that freelance from their homes and you can spend more time in enjoyable activities than buried in spreadsheets.
Further Reading
Freelancing Skills You Can Learn Quickly: Explore a list of freelancing skills that can be quickly acquired to jumpstart your freelance career.
Top In-Demand Freelance Skills to Learn: Discover the most sought-after freelance skills in the market and equip yourself with valuable expertise.
7 Highest Paying and Low Competition Freelance Skills: Learn about seven freelance skills that offer high earning potential and face less competition.
Freelancing Skills With Less Competition FAQ
What is the best way to set prices for any job?
This is a bit of a tricky question because the answer is different for everyone. I’ve had jobs that paid me $5 for five hours of work. I’ve had jobs that paid me $35 for 15 minutes of work. Some people make $25 an hour, and others make $1,000 an hour. The only way you can figure out your worth is with experience.
What skills should I learn if I want to be a freelancer?
If you are considering becoming a freelancer, you likely already have skills that are in demand, but you may need to learn new ones. For example, if you’ve always worked as an employee and wrote content for your employer’s website, consider learning some basic search engine optimization (SEO) techniques that will help you write more effectively for the web. You can also take courses in copywriting or editing.
Can I freelance if I have no experience?
Yes! A lot of freelancers have no experience when they start out and they build their skills as they go along. The key is to get some paying work under your belt and then use those samples to land more work down the road.
What are the best places to find work?
You want to look for job sites that cater specifically to freelancers because jobs posted there tend to pay better than what you’d find on other job boards like Indeed or Monster. Some popular freelancing platforms include Upwork, Freelancer, and Guru.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.