Don’t use just any website to find freelance tech jobs. Some have freelancers bid against one another, which can push rates way down. But plenty of freelance sites offer reasonable to excellent pay. You don’t need a fancy college degree to make great money if you happen to have tech skills. If you can code, provide help with websites or test software, you may be able to earn a six-figure income. Experience and references are helpful, but no degree is required. Even if you don’t have the relevant skills today, if you’re willing to learn tech, you could earn plenty. “Tech provides a comfortable living and can have huge upsides depending on career choices,” says Chris Kolmar, co-founder of Zippia and editor of its career advice blog . Learning skills If you don’t already have mad tech skills, you may need training to get into this field. Those training opportunities increasingly involve certificate programs that you can do online . Coursera, for instance, offers classes on user experience, web design, cybersecurity and data analytics. Most of these programs can be completed in six months of independent study that demands less than 10 hours a week. Coursera charges $39 a month for unlimited access to these classes, and Google offers some scholarships for those who can’t afford the cost. The money Google estimates that annual earnings of people who complete its certificate programs start at $50,000. Zippia estimates that information systems managers earn a median salary of $131,000, while information security directors pull in a median of $173,000. And those at the top of their craft earn considerably more. Google says that there are hundreds of thousands more tech jobs than workers to fill them and that more than 100 big companies are committed to finding full-time jobs for graduates of its certificate training programs. One of the benefits of tech careers is that demand is so great, people can work remotely, part time and freelance while earning five- and six-figure incomes. There are dozens of freelance sites vying for seasoned tech experts. Finding gigs When it comes to finding tech work in the freelance world, choose your agent carefully. Several big sites that promise to connect tech experts with work, such as Freelancer and Upwork , expect workers to bid against one another for jobs. That can push rates way, way down. But plenty of freelance sites offer reasonable to excellent pay. Here are some of the best: Working Not Working and Creatively are both geared toward artists and designers. The positions these sites advertise are increasingly digital, so if you’re a designer of beautiful websites or a user-experience expert who can make websites and apps both intuitive and attractive, these are great places to post a portfolio and look for work. Neither site takes a commission from creatives who find work here. If you have at least five years of experience, you can apply to join Braintrust. All freelancer members of the tech cooperative get a piece of […]
