How Much Do Freelancers Earn? [REPORT]

2020 REPORT: We Take a Look Inside Freelancers' Wallets

The number of freelancers taking home more than 5,000 PLN per month increased by as much as 43% this year vs. 2019. The number of freelancers earning over 10,000 PLN is the highest in 4 years. Among them, it is not uncommon to find people earning 15 or even 20,000 PLN net per month. How are wages broken down by gender? How has the coronavirus affected freelancers and their earnings?

Freelancing is an increasingly attractive way to earn a living, develop professionally, and simply a lifestyle. The ability to genuinely influence your earnings, the hours in which you perform your duties, or take vacation time—the ability to be captain, helm, and ship—appeals to a growing number of Poles. These conclusions come from the latest research conducted in June 2020 by Useme.com, Central Europe's largest remote work platform and settlement tool. It is worth emphasizing that this is a cyclical survey carried out by the portal annually for four years.

- The number of freelancers working in the area of electronic business services grew this year to a quarter of a million people, with growth of 15% compared to 2019 – says Przemysław Głośny, CEO of Useme.com. - The biggest contributor to this is the 11% increase in the number of entities and sole proprietorships connected with programming and broadly understood IT. It is also worth noting that over the past 12 months, when we last surveyed Polish freelancers, the percentage of people supporting themselves exclusively from this profession increased to around 140,000 individuals and companies. – adds Głośny.

They Earn More

Freelancers Earn More

Polish freelancers earn more and more each year. This applies both to those who treat freelancing as their main source of income and to those for whom it is a way to supplement a regular salary. This year's research shows that for nearly half (49.5%) of respondents, freelancing is their only form of earning, while for the remaining 50.5% it is a way to supplement a full-time job or other main professional activity.

- It is worth emphasizing that compared to last year, there was dynamic growth of as much as 43% in the number of people earning over 5,000 PLN. In 2019, the percentage of freelancers earning 5,000 or more per month stood at 8.53%, and in 2020 it is already 12.3%. – says Przemysław Głośny, CEO of Useme.com. - It is also worth adding that in this group, 9% of respondents take home between 5,000 and 10,000 PLN, and 3.2% of freelancers earn over 10,000 PLN per month. Among freelancers we also have quite a large group of professionals for whom earnings of 15 or even 20,000 per month are not unattainable or unusual. – summarizes Głośny of Useme.

As the research results show, the group earning the most are freelancers offering programming and IT services. Nearly four out of ten respondents in this group receive remuneration above 5,000 PLN per month. It is worth noting that this is more than twice as much as across all freelancers. As many as 17% of IT specialists earn more than 10,000 PLN net per month, while the average for such earnings across all respondents is 4%.

Among freelancers earning increasingly better are also professional creators of websites and online stores, graphic designers, including those who design in 3D, SEO and SEM specialists, and translators. This year, freelance architects and consultants/strategists also joined the top ranks.

Female Freelancers Earn, But Less

Female Freelancers Earn Less

Unfortunately, women working in this profession receive lower wages, just as in other branches of the Polish economy. In the group of 6% of freelancers earning over 10,000 PLN, only 1% are women, while men account for 5%. In the 5,000–10,000 PLN bracket represented by 18% of respondents, women make up only 7%, men 11%. Meanwhile, in the group where freelancing is only a supplement and a way to earn extra alongside a steady job, earning up to 1,000 PLN per month, women account for as much as 44%, and men up to 31%.

Did the Pandemic Affect the Freelance Market?

Pandemic vs. the Freelance Market

Freelancer Earnings in the Report – Who Gains the Most?

How Much Do Freelancers Earn in 2020? Key Report Data

As the results of research conducted by Useme.com show, COVID-19 and the several-week lockdown had a significant impact on freelancers in Poland. As many as two-thirds (64.29%) of freelancers believe that the overall situation in the industry has worsened or significantly worsened. For 6 out of 10 respondents (57.89%), the number of commissions or overall work decreased. For one in four (28.2%), it remained unchanged. Consequently, for more than half (57.14%) of respondents, income decreased during the pandemic. For nearly half of freelancers (48.12%), the pandemic reduced employment stability, and for 42.48% it negatively affected the pricing of the projects they carried out. However, for more than half (51.88%) of respondents, the coronavirus had neither a negative nor a positive effect on the level of project pricing.

It is worth emphasizing that the pandemic did not affect the decisions of freelancers running businesses regarding suspending or closing them. Only 5.3% of respondents are considering such an option, while nearly 95% of respondents want to continue it.

The survey was conducted in June 2020 using the CAWI method and involved 1,076 freelancers. Responses were given by 51.8% women and 48.2% men, coming primarily from large (35.1%) and medium-sized cities (21.8%).

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About Useme.com
Useme is Central Europe's largest remote work platform and settlement tool (FINTECH). The portal is currently Europe's fastest-growing e-service for specialists in IT, media, and graphics and design. So far, over 100,000 users have registered on it, including over 75,000 freelancers and 25,000 companies—clients.

Summary

The Useme.com report shows that Polish freelancers are earning more and more—the number of people with income above 5,000 PLN increased by 43% year over year. IT specialists and programmers are the best paid, with one in six earning over 10,000 PLN per month. At the same time, a pay gap is visible—women make up only 1% of freelancers earning above 10,000 PLN.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the industry: 57.14% of respondents recorded a drop in income, and 57.89% – fewer commissions. Nevertheless, almost 95% of respondents do not plan to suspend their activity. The survey was conducted in June 2020 on a sample of 1,076 people, making it one of the more current pictures of the market during the crisis.