10 Facts About Freelancers

February 10-16 is Freelance Writers Appreciation Week!

When I left my job to pursue freelance writing full-time, I got a lot of questions, especially about finding consistent work, having a flexible schedule, and so on. For Freelance Writers Appreciation Week, I took a look into the freelancing world to see how my experience compares to other freelancers.

What does a typical freelancer look like?

• The average freelancer is a female gen Xer who works in the writing, marketing, editing, and creative career fields, according to a 2018 survey.

• Gen Xers and baby boomers use freelancing as their sole source of income, more so than millennials.

• Writing is the most common freelancing field, followed by customer service and administrative roles.

• Clients are usually small companies or individuals.

• 83% of freelancers work at home, rather than a coffee shop or coworking space. (That's one of the best parts!)

And some quick overall stats:

• 45% of freelancers chose to freelance rather than have a traditional job.

• Top factors in deciding to freelance include work-life balance at 70%, the ability to make your own hours at 62%, and freedom at 56%. Agreed!

• On the other hand, the biggest challenges of freelancing are finding clients and having a predictable income flow.

• About 25% make more money as a freelancer than they did at a traditional job, while 21% make similar amounts.

• However, most freelancers said that freelancing has had a positive impact on their life: 60% said it has helped them become healthier, and 66% feel less stressed.

Take a look at the rest of the survey stats by FlexJobs.

If you're a freelancer, do these stats this match your lifestyle?