The Most Profitable & Desirable Freelance Careers In A Digital Age

With the number of freelancers on the up from 3.3million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017, according to the Office Of National Statistics, it’s clear to see the perception of job insecurity in freelancing has faded away, with more people finding the idea of the flexibility it brings more appealing. As well as this, there has been significant press around the ‘gig economy’, with it being revealed that currently, 2.8 million people in the UK are selling their labour through apps according to the Online Labour Index.

Many are embracing the world of freelancing and enjoying the flexibility it gives them with their work and personal life, whereas some still see the world of freelancing as the great unknown and a scary place to be. So with this in mind, how profitable are some of the freelance careers we see these days, and just how desirable do people find them?

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Protectivity Insurance has analysed how profitable some of these freelance careers are, and furthermore, how desirable they are to the everyday person, by conducting a survey to over 1000 UK residents in full time employment.

When it comes to the desirability of the careers, 68% consider a photographer to be a desirable career with a Musician closely behind on 64%. Interestingly, in a generation and time that is so focussed on social media and digital platforms, the careers that came out at the bottom were Bloggers and Social Media Marketer’s with only 38% believing these to be desirable. Similarly, although becoming a Yoga Instructor proved itself to be a profitable career to embark upon, many did not believe this path to be a desirable one with only a 41% vote.

Whilst it may not come as a surprise that the likes of a freelance career as a Lawyer, Investment Consultant and an Architect, came out in the top five most profitable, there were also some less obvious results that interesting came within the top ten; a music teacher, yoga instructor and interior designer all made their way in, earning between £37,000 to £40,000 per annum.

For the animal lovers among us it will also come as no surprise that both Pet Sitting and Dog Walking made it into the top 20 of the most desirable freelance careers.

The top ten most profitable freelance careers are:

The top ten most desirable freelance careers are: