Freelancing turns a nine-to-five into a set-your-own-hours situation that allows workers to be their own bosses—a working proposition that's only grown more appealing, and lucrative, for Americans in the last year.
According to gig work platform Fiverr's latest economic study of the top 30 markets for freelancers, the workforce grew 2.4% in 2023 compared to the year before, and their earnings rose by 6%.
Those burgeoning job markets, now including more than 4 million freelancers, have been good to workers by Fiverr estimates. In 2023, around 2 in 5 (43%) freelance professionals said they were able to increase their revenue, according to the report.
Younger, Gen Z freelancers saw the most earnings growth across all generations, with almost 2 in 3 (65%) reporting an increase in revenue. That may be due to being early in their careers with more room to increase their rates. However, other studies suggest Gen Z workers, born between 1997 and 2012, are particularly attracted to the gig work arrangement. A survey from gig work platform Upwork earlier this year found that half of Gen Z workers dedicate full-time work hours to freelance projects.
Netspend analyzed the latest economic impact study from Fiverr to compile this list of 10 cities where freelancers report the highest average annual earnings. The data is estimates based on 2013-2020 nonemployer establishment statistics from the Census. The analysis uses gross domestic product and labor market growth to estimate the freelance professional market for 2023. It includes all establishments without employees that reported at least $1,000 in earnings. This includes independent professionals who work full- and part-time.
In all fields Fiverr studied, the revenue earned by the freelance workforce was consistently highest in 2023 in some of the country's biggest metros, including Los Angeles and New York. Freelancers in the creative fields, however, also saw high earnings in Nashville, Tennessee, and Miami for cities their size. In technical fields, freelancers in the Miami and Washington D.C. areas had some of the highest earnings. In professional fields, Miami and Washington D.C., as well as Houston and Dallas ranked high for earnings.
While Sunbelt metro areas don't feature the highest earning trends for these workers, earnings growth has been growing the fastest there over the past five years, according to the study. Those areas include Jacksonville, Florida; Miami; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix; and Tampa, Florida.
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#10. Philadelphia metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $50,536
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 124,708
- Top freelance sector: Technical (#13 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 6.2 million
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#9. Boston metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $52,598
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 132,348
- Top freelance sector: Technical (#7 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 4.9 million
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#8. Las Vegas metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $52,744
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 61,912
- Top freelance sector: Creative (#4 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 2.3 million
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#7. New York metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $52,794
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 574,989
- Top freelance sector: Creative (#5 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 19.5 million
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#6. Los Angeles metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $53,147
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 417,685
- Top freelance sector: Creative (#2 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 12.8 million
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#5. Miami metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $53,851
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 291,321
- Top freelance sector: Professional (#2 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 6.2 million
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#4. Nashville metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $54,559
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 69,301
- Top freelance sector: Creative (#1 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 2.1 million
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#3. Washington DC metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $54,759
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 176,560
- Top freelance sector: Technical (#5 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 6.3 million
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#2. San Francisco metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $59,979
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 156,085
- Top freelance sector: Technical (#2 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 4.6 million
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#1. San Jose metro area
- Average annual freelance revenue per worker: $60,135
- Estimated freelance professional workforce: 48,268
- Top freelance sector: Technical (#1 among ranked cities)
- Total metro population: 1.9 million
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Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.
