ABAP freelancers:
What the market really pays and wants.
Demand, rates and trends for ABAP – calculated from 293 real project and job postings of the last 90 days. No survey, no guesswork without data.
- Listings (90 d)
- 293
- Rank 41 of 531 skills
- Trend (90 d)
- ▼ 3 %
- Market share compared with the 90 days before. IT postings overall: ▲ 42 %
- Of which must-have
- 75 %
- Rated for 293 postings (AI analysis), otherwise “nice to have”
- Median hourly rate
- €90
- 98 data points, incl. converted salaries
- Remote possible
- 89 %
- 28 % fully remote · stated in 90 % of postings
In demand and stable.
ABAP is among the most in-demand skills, at rank 41 of 531. Its market share is stable (▼ 3 %). Combining ABAP with SAP S/4HANA puts you €7 per hour higher at the median.
What is ABAP – and why do companies hire ABAP freelancers?
The postings that mention ABAP fall into these types of project (share of the classified postings):
Typical roles
The roles hired most often are Backend Developer (53 %), Consultant (29 %) and System Administrator (5 %). Of the postings that state an experience level, 63 % explicitly ask for senior profiles.
Demand over the last 12 weeks
new listings per weekWeekly postings for ABAP are rising: from an average of 24 to 34 per week (+40 %).
What do ABAP freelancers earn?
The median is €90 per hour. The middle 50 % of all figures lie between €85 and €100. Senior profiles are €6 above mid-level.
| Segment | Median | Middle 50 % | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|
| All figures | €90 | €85–100 | 98 |
| Senior | €94 | €86–100 | 42 |
| Mid-level | €88 | €81–93 | 34 |
| Fully remote | – | not enough data | 11 |
| Partly remote | €90 | €85–100 | 85 |
| On site | – | not enough data | 2 |
| Senior · Partly remote | €96 | €88–100 | 34 |
| Mid-level · Partly remote | €88 | €83–93 | 30 |
Basis: 98 figures of the last 90 days – 9 hourly rates from postings and 89 converted annual salaries from job ads (salary ÷ 1,000). We do not show segments with fewer than 30 data points. Figures in CHF are not included.
Which skills ABAP is wanted with – and which ones pay off
SAP S/4HANA appears in 49 % of ABAP postings. In terms of rate, SAP S/4HANA pays off the most: €7 more at the median.
Often named together
SAP S/4HANA49 %(opens in new tab)SAP Fiori22 %(opens in new tab)SAP BTP18 %(opens in new tab)SAP MM15 %(opens in new tab)ABAP Objects12 %(opens in new tab)SAP SD11 %(opens in new tab)Interface Development11 %(opens in new tab)SAP UI511 %(opens in new tab)Share of ABAP postings that also name the skill.Combinations with the biggest rate premium
Who wants ABAP – and under which conditions
Seniority
Senior dominates (63 %). Pure junior roles are rare (1 %).
Stated in 92 % of listings
Industries
it_software grows the most (+2 % vs. the previous quarter).
Stated in 74 % of listings
Contract type
Freelance dominates (56 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Workplace
Partly remote dominates (61 %). Anyone working fully remote only reaches 28 % of postings.
Stated in 90 % of listings
Regions (on site)
München leads (10 %).
Stated in 64 % of listings
Project language
German dominates (88 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Market dynamics: how contested is ABAP?
Who posts ABAP projects
Current ABAP projects
- Do you fit? Check24 months · 02.11.2026
- Do you fit? Check
- Do you fit? CheckAugsburg · 80 % remote · 9–18 months · 01.07.2026
- Do you fit? Check
- Do you fit? CheckDarmstadt · 40 % remote · asap
- Do you fit? CheckHamburg · 80 % remote · 3–6 months · Mitte Oktober
Frequently asked questions about ABAP freelancing
How much does a ABAP freelancer earn per hour?
The median is currently €90 per hour, with the middle 50 % between €85 and €100. Senior profiles are at €94, mid-level at €88. With SAP S/4HANA, the median rises by €7 per hour.
How many ABAP projects are there right now?
In the last 90 days, 293 projects and jobs mentioning ABAP were posted. That is around 24 per week. The market share changed by ▼ 3 % compared with the previous quarter.
Is ABAP still in demand for freelancers?
ABAP ranks 41 of 531 skills.
Are ABAP projects possible remotely?
89 % of ABAP postings allow remote work. 28 % are fully remote.
Which skills should I learn as a ABAP freelancer?
The biggest effect on the hourly rate comes from SAP S/4HANA (+€7). What actually pays off for your profile is shown by the free CV check.
Who posts ABAP projects?
The 6 most active recruiters account for 39 % of all ABAP postings of the last 90 days.
Methodology: We count IT postings of the last 90 days that mention ABAP. Projects posted several times that are detected as duplicates count once; postings without an assignable IT category are missing, so the figures are a lower bound. The trend compares the share of all IT postings with the 90 days before and only appears with enough comparison data. We do not show figures based on fewer than 30 data points. The rating “must have” or “nice to have” comes from an AI analysis of the posting texts. Hourly rates come from postings and from annual salaries in job ads that we convert into hourly rates (salary ÷ 1,000); we state the basis for each analysis. The rate premium of a combination is a simple comparison of the medians with and without the partner skill and is not adjusted for seniority. Distributions only refer to postings that state the respective attribute; we state the coverage alongside. Recruiters are the posters of the listing according to the source, only above a minimum number of postings. An AI assigns the project type and role of each posting from its title, category and skills; the shares are counted postings, not estimates, and only appear with enough classified postings.
Basis: 10,565 IT listings in the window
You now know the ABAP market.
Now let the jury judge your profile.
Your CV against 293 ABAP listings – with findings, strengths and an hourly-rate check.