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A brand new survey from Protectivity Insurance has revealed some of the most popular and profitable freelance jobs and trends of 2019.

There are now almost 5 million freelancers in the UK according to figures from the Office Of National Statistics. That’s up by around 50 percent in less than two decades – and the trend seems to be showing no sign of slowing down.

Over 50 freelance careers were taken into consideration by the Protectivity Insurance survey. And the opinions of more than 1,000 people across the United Kingdom were canvassed in order to get a pulse on what is popular and profitable in the freelance world at the moment.

Now, first things first…

Maybe not all of the freelance jobs flagged up in this report might be immediately relevant or obvious to UK students like yourself who are juggling study time with very real concerns about trying to make money in your spare time.

But, bear with us, there are some real gems highlighted by the survey which could help you earn some decent money and bolster the work experience section of your CV at the same time.

So, what jobs are freelancers most interested in this year? Well, apparently, these are now the 10 most popular jobs for freelancers at the start of 2019:

1. Photographer (learn how to make money from your photographs now)
2. Musician
3. Architect
4. Actor
5. Online Researcher
6. Lawyer
7. Interior Designer
8. Web Designer
9. Graphic Designer
10. Landscaper

 

All well and good. We all want to work in popular jobs, don’t we?

But, let’s forget popular for a minute and focus on where the good money actually lies…

What about those of you who are just interested in earning as much as you possibly can from freelance work?

Let’s look at the most profitable opportunities as things stand right now in February 2019 (with average annual earnings in brackets):

1. Lawyer (£57,293)
2. Investment Consultant (£50,000)
3. Software Developer (£42,500)
4. Architect (£42,500)
5. Music Teacher (£40,860)
6. Business Consultant (£38,256)
7. Yoga Instructor (£37,546)
8. Accountant (£37,500)
9. Interior Design (£37,500)
10. Web Designer (£37,500)

 

Obviously, if you are college or university student then your options could be a bit limited with some of those particular career paths.

For example, it would be pretty difficult to hold down a position as a freelance lawyer or architect while you are trying to study for a degree. But there’s no real reason why you couldn’t earn a bit of money on the side as a freelance web designer, music teacher or yoga instructor – providing that you have the relevant skill sets to make things happen, of course.

When broken down into the regional level, some more obvious freelance work for students was highlighted by the report.

For example, the people of Cardiff thought that being a Pet Sitter would be the most desirable freelance career. Also animal-loving were the Bristolians, who valued Dog Sitting as the best possible freelance career.

Freelance work in the tourism sector was very popular in both Edinburgh and Southampton, with both cities picking out Tour Guide as the best option.

Falling out favour in certain areas is traditional freelance work such as babysitting, which was thought particularly undesirable in both Cardiff and Plymouth. Working as a freelance blogger to make money was unpopular in both Belfast and Norwich.

Commenting on his company’s research into the freelance jobs market, the marketing manager of Protectivity Insurance, Sean Walsh, said:

“Joining the world of freelancing can be a scary prospect at first to some, but has worrying about job security become a thing of the past, with more people getting involved with the gig economy and taking on more freelance work than ever before?”

“There is often a negative connotation associated with freelancers when it comes to both job security and a regular income, but it’s great to see such a variation of careers making it into the most profitable and desirable.”

“Hopefully this research shows some interesting results that prove you can get out there on your own and make the jump into the freelancing world,” added Mr Walsh.

If you are ready to get out there on your own and make the leap into the world of freelancing work then the best place to start is our very own guide to Freelance Work For UK Students.