The 7 most in-demand tech skills for freelancers—many pay more than $125 an hour

Tech companies have been making headlines for mass layoffs of late. Google, Microsoft and Amazon all announced they’d be letting go of tens of thousands altogether and Twitter and Meta both announced layoffs in the fall. But demand for tech skills remains high. “The skills gap is still sharp, it’s still a significant gap,” says Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster. “Employers are struggling to find labor in this tight labor market” that can fill various tech needs. While employers won’t always be looking for full-time experts, some may be looking for part-time or contract work. If you have tech expertise and are seeking opportunities, here are seven skills that will likely be in-demand for freelancers this year according to freelancer platform Upwork, along with descriptions of what each entails and how much freelancers on the site are charging. Mobile app development A mobile app developer is a software engineer who specializes in creating apps for smartphones, tablets and computers. They know coding languages, fix any bugs that arise in the software and work with graphic designers and data scientists to build their apps. They charge as much as $155 per hour. Web design Web designers build websites, creating the appropriate functionality and look using programming languages like HTML and JavaScript and graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop. Web designers on Upwork charge as much as $250 per hour. UX/UI design These designers focus on creating user-friendly experiences on websites and apps. They plan the structure of their sites, develop its content, create prototypes and test for bugs. They charge as much as $120 per hour. CMS development A content management system, CMS, is a software that helps its users manage their various content, from creating it to publishing it. It also stores content in its database for later use. CMS developers are responsible for developing both the back and front end of the software. CMS developers charge as much as $105 per hour. Manual testing These professionals test the functionality of a software without the help of automated tools. They ensure the software works correctly in various scenarios and note any bugs or issues along the way. Manual testers charge as much as $50 per hour on Upwork. Script and automation Automation scripts are a list of commands for software that help automate tasks like sending an email to a customer. Specialists write them in coding language such as Python and JavaScript. Scripting and automation specialists charge as much as $350 per hour. “We use technology every day,” says Margaret Lilani, vice president of talent solutions at Upwork. “We use it to work, we use it to learn, we use it to communicate, we use it to transact.” That’s especially true of the last three years, as people leaned more and more heavily on their devices to connect. “That genie is not going back in the bottle,” she says, adding that, “in terms of businesses and their digital presence, they have to have that.” If you’re looking to gain these skills, Salemi suggests looking at online certificate programs, MBA programs or community college courses.