This research is sponsored by my book, The Autonomous Freelancer. In 2023, after making $1m of freelance income over the last 5 years, I compiled everything I know about being a freelance marketer.
The result? A comprehensive and actionable guide to becoming a freelancer who works on your own terms, in your own time, and at your own rate. Get my book here.
Main takeaways
As you work through the state of freelance marketing, you’ll find that freelancer marketers think they have more job satisfaction and higher productivity than office-based, full-time employees.
But does this come at a cost?
The alarmingly high number of freelance marketers earning in the lowest bracket is a reflection on both the diversity of respondents and the lack of awareness of things like pricing theory, per project billing, and charging what you’re worth.
It could also be down to freelancers working less.
With the average freelance marketer working 5-6 hours a day and 5 days per week, this is less than the traditional full-time employee.
Freelancers charging by the hour may be taking an unnecessary hit.
That said, does a freelance marketer need to work more to earn more?
⛔ Absolutely not.
However, within the freelance marketers earning $150,000+ per year, the average number of hours worked per day is 7-8. So, while they may not need to in theory, there is certainly a correlation.
Methodology
310 freelance marketers completed a survey answering multiple choice questions.
Respondents include job titles like:
- Content marketer
- Copywriter
- Content writer
- Graphic designer
- SEO consultant
Respondents vary in terms of experience, ranging from freshly freelance to 20+ years plus.
Respondents vary in terms of location, including Nigeria, India, Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Romania, and Philippines to name but a few.
These questions surrounded four major criteria:
- Time worked
- Income
- Productivity
- Happiness
In some commentary, rounding has been applied for readability.
The state of freelance marketing 2024
Here are the results of each question, one by one. In the section that follows this, we draw some conclusions based on cross-referencing the data.
52% of freelancer marketers work 5 days a week
Freelance marketers haven’t quite adopted the 4-day working week just yet.
In fact, the second most popular answer is 6 days per week.
When asked what’s stopping her moving from 5 to 4 working days, Holly Stanley, a freelance B2B writer, said it was the schedule she has crafted for herself.
“I do deep writing work in the AM then take a long break every afternoon after lunch to go outside and do sport. I then do edits or lighter work in the evening if I need to. If I cut down to 4 days I would probably find I don’t have enough time to get everything done since I don’t use the afternoons much.”
41% of freelance marketers work 5-6 hours a day
Perhaps down to being subject to fewer office politics and the admin that comes with working in larger teams, freelance marketers work less than the average 9-5 employee.
Whatever the reason, working slightly less may be a contributing factor to the high rate of job satisfaction reported.
One respondent said they work 1-2 hours a day, 4 days per week, and love their job.
Who wouldn’t?!
Lily Snyder, a Freelance Writer, raises a point that must be taken into consideration.
“I'm not the main breadwinner in the family. I'm a mom first and a freelancer in my spare time.”
59% of freelance marketers feel they work less than others
While there is something to celebrate about freelance marketers working fewer hours than their full-time counterparts, they’re also aware they have the privilege of working shorter days compared to others.
Of the freelancers working fewer than the average 5-6 hours a day, 89% recognized that they work fewer hours.
That doesn’t mean there’s any guilt, though. And there doesn't need to be.
As we become accustomed to deliverable-based work, taking regular breaks, and working when we’re productive, it’s refreshing to see some freelancers recognizing this.
Megan Hettwer, a Freelance Content Writer and Strategist, says she feels no guilt whatsoever.
“Some weeks, I barely work. My lifestyle is a bit unconventional and I've purposefully designed it to prioritize flexibility, experiences, and the occasional work sabbatical. I wouldn't turn down the right 9-5 job in the future but I don't need to work 9-5 to meet my current and future financial goals.”
Freelancers aren’t always on holiday
Contrary to some freelance myths, freelance marketers take around the same amount of time off as full-time employees.
38.7% of respondents said they take 3-4 weeks off. 35.5% said they only take 1-2 weeks off.
Shout out to the 8.4% taking 7+ weeks per year off.
One such person, Maria-Cristina Muntean, a Freelance Content Strategist, laid out how she achieves this.
“I take on a few clients at a time. Generally, a maximum of five and charge enough to take the time off guilt-free. I don't charge per deliverable, but rather per result. I do have a set of deliverables monthly (3 pieces of content, links, etc.), but most of my clients don't care what I do behind the scenes as long as I bring them results.”
18% of freelance marketers never take their laptop on holiday
There’s always the temptation if it’s with you, sure.
But that means there’s always the possibility to get some work done if you have some downtime.
There’s only so much time you can spend on a sun lounger!
Out of the respondents in the highest income bracket, only 33% said they take their laptop on holiday all the time, proving there’s no correlation between being always-on and high earnings.
Anna Sonnenberg, a Freelance B2B Content Writer, says she takes her laptop on holiday but without the intention of working all the time.
“I typically work during transit. On the plane or train or while waiting. Having my laptop is also handy during flight delays.”
Only 7% of freelance marketers earn $150,000+
In fact, the majority (65%) are at the other end of the earnings scale.
So, count yourself lucky if you fall into the top bracket.
Of course, some exceptions must be made for pay parity and freelance marketers who choose to work fewer hours in favor of parenting or caring for family members.
Money is only one part of why people choose a freelance career path.
Of the 86% of freelancers earning less than $50,000, 83% said they feel they have more job satisfaction than a full-time employee.
This, again, reinforces that there’s more to freelancing than money.
Andie Coupland, a Freelance Marketing Consultant, says she didn’t go freelance because of the money.
Instead, she puts (mental) health over wealth and prefers the ability to work on things that deliver greater value.
“Working in-house, I got fed up with having to deal with random acts of marketing and unrealistic expectations. No amount of money was worth what it was doing to my general sense of wellbeing. Since going freelance, I make enough of a living, doing things I enjoy, on my own terms.”
Freelance marketers are optimistic about their future income
58% of freelance marketers say they think they’ll earn more money next year.
In fact, only 13% said that they think they’ll earn less.
With the spate of marketing layoffs experienced in 2022 and 2023, 2024 appears to be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Another factor when considering freelance income is the gaps people take for all sorts of reasons. While freelancers are on career breaks, there is nothing coming in (except for those who’ve diversified their income through other means).
Sarah Gates, a Freelance Content Strategist, for example, expects to earn more next year.
“I had a baby in 2022 so took some time to get ramped back up after maternity leave. I expect I’ll simply have more hours and bandwidth to work next year, so I will earn more.”
No freelance marketers hate their job!
Actually, the complete opposite is true.
While 8% of freelance marketers are struggling at the moment, nobody checked the I hate my job box.
39% of freelance marketers love their job. Another 39% say they aren’t where they want to be but are optimistic.
Of the 39% of freelance marketers who are optimistic, only 6.5% said they think they will earn less next year.
Allam, a Freelance Brand Designer, says his strategy for next year centers on improving positioning.
"A few tactics I have in mind are: keep a small roster of clients, raise margins for each new project, and use my positioning statement as a vetting tool."
82% of freelance marketers think they have more job satisfaction than full-time employees
It’s such a big part of being a freelancer that the results had to show this, right?
Yet, 18% of freelance marketers don’t feel this way.
Of the respondents who don’t feel they have more job satisfaction, 64% did at least say they think they’ll earn more next year.
Of the 82% who think they have more job satisfaction, 89% selected home as their primary work location.
The correlation between working from home and job satisfaction is clear.
That’s the feeling for Nicola Scoon, a Freelance Content Writer:
"It plays a huge role! I've considered working from other places and tried coworking spaces but it's so hard for me to find that initial focus that it's much more effective for me to just stay home, put my headphones in, and write. I also like being able to pick up other tasks when I need to refocus. I like being able to make (and eat) lunch in peace, and I enjoy the space and quiet that working from home gives me.”
88% of freelance marketers work from home
Very few people are spending money on external premises as their primary location for work.
In fact, only 1% of freelance marketers rent office space.
Of the home workers, 68% have a dedicated space for working.
Of those freelance marketers who have a dedicated home office space, 78% also said they find this their most productive working environment.
Some freelance marketers even suggest that not working from home would have an adverse impact. Take Douglas Paton, a Freelance Content Writer, who was actually “hiding out in the mountains” when he said how critical working from home was.
“I'd very likely be miserable if I wasn't at home, even if I was doing the exact same thing. I could probably make a coworking space work, but not long term.”
What conclusions can we draw?
1 - Freelance marketers are happy!
With 82% citing they think they have more job satisfaction than full-time employees and not even one freelance marketer hating their job, this is a safe conclusion.
Conclusion certainty: ✅✅✅✅✅
2 - Freelance marketers could be earning more
While the sentiment is that money isn’t everything, there’s a gaping chasm between the lowest and highest earning brackets. Some freelancers choose not to earn as much as they can due to other commitments, but the exception doesn’t outweigh the rule.
Conclusion certainty: ✅✅✅
3 - Freelance marketers are optimistic about 2024
It would be fair to say that 2022 and 2023 haven’t been easy on anyone—freelancers and full-time employees alike. But with 58% of freelance marketers thinking they’ll earn more in 2024, and 52% of freelance marketers who are predicting similar years already earning more than $50,000 per year, the future is bright.
Conclusion certainty: ✅✅✅✅
4 - Freelance marketers work less than full-time employees
But only by a little. That said, how much time do full-time employees spend working versus pottering around the office? With countless interruptions from co-workers (online and in-person), the output versus presenteeism debate rages on.
Conclusion certainty: ✅✅✅
5 - Freelance marketers love working from home
Not quite a unanimous decision but 78% do. And there are some considerations to unpack here. If you don’t have a dedicated workspace at home, productivity suffers. Other common blockers to getting work done include childcare and isolation. Both of which are also seen as positives by other freelancers.
Conclusion certainty: ✅✅✅✅
Thanks for reading The State Of Freelance Marketing 2024. It was fun and enlightening to compose the data, discuss opinions, and discover how other freelancers work.
Small plug from me: So many freelancers asked me about doing some mentoring/coaching last year that I’ve opened my calendar up for freelance AMAs.
When writing The Autonomous Freelancer, I dug deep into common freelancer questions and learned a ton myself. In some cases, I was too skilled to enter the freelance market as a novice. In other cases, I was still unaware of many complexities and tribulations freelancers come across.
Today, I am in a position where I can help fellow freelance marketers and writers take their careers to the next level.
If you think a mentor is the right approach for you and you’re looking for an online freelance coach, book a Freelance AMA with me.
