Freelance Radar Q4 2023

In our "Freelance Radar" survey from the fourth quarter of 2023, 492 members of our community answered our questions about their current project situation, their hourly rate, their current skills and their business prospects.

The results show that the current project situation remains relatively poor for many freelancers: 41% of respondents say that things are worse than at the same time last year, while only 22% say that the project situation is better.

When asked about their current hourly rate, it is clear that the majority of respondents (65%) charge between €80 and €109 per hour. The average is around €92, a slight increase of €1 compared to the last quarter.

In terms of the skills and technologies that freelancers currently use in client projects, React.js (18%), TypeScript (15%), PHP (13%), Java (11%) and Vue.js (11%).

When asked where they have mainly done their work recently, 78% of respondents answered "mainly at home". Only 12% work mainly in a coworking space or a shared or own office, 2% at the client's premises, and for 8% it is a mix of the different options.

When asked about project acquisition, more than a quarter of respondents (28%) stated that they had not acquired any new clients in the last 3 months. 26% found their clients via their own network, 19% via recruitment agencies and 14% via online platforms. Only 2% cite direct approach as their main acquisition channel and for 10% it is a mix of several options.

39% of respondents see their business prospects as very or somewhat positive and 29% as very or somewhat negative, with the remainder of respondents expecting the business situation to remain the same. This was not the case last quarter, when 57% stated a very or somewhat positive business outlook and only 15% a somewhat negative outlook. There are therefore many more freelancers who are rather pessimistic about the next 6 months, which could have something to do with the crisis in the Middle East, which has intensified considerably since the last survey.