Software Development Freelancers: Rates, Demand and Trends
Market data for Software Development freelancers – calculated from 1,807 real project and job postings of the last 90 days. No survey, no guesswork without data.
- Listings (90 days)
- 1,807
- IT job postings of the category in 90 days
- Share of the IT market
- 16 %
- Share of all IT job postings, 90 days
- Demand share vs. previous quarter
- ▼ 20 %
- Share of the IT market, 90 days versus the 90 days before
- Median hourly rate
- €75
- 65 data points (hourly rates)
- Remote possible
- 83 %
- of which 29 % fully remote · stated in 81 % of the postings
Share of the IT market: share of the category's job postings in all IT job postings, last 90 days versus the 90 days before (not growth in number)
Software Development: 1,807 projects in 90 days with 16% market share
Software Development encompasses the conception, implementation, and maintenance of applications and systems for diverse requirements. Organizations of all sizes and industries engage freelancers in this field to expand development capacity, integrate specialized expertise, or execute time-limited projects. Startups rely on external developers for product creation, while established enterprises use them for modernizing existing systems or implementing new features. Demand spans backend and frontend development through database design and system architecture.
Python, Java, and TypeScript define the technical profile of this category and serve different purposes across projects. SQL and PostgreSQL are central to database work, while REST API development and Spring Boot frequently support backend system creation. Git enables version control and team collaboration, often organized according to Scrum methodologies. Freelancers typically combine these technologies to build scalable applications, design APIs, and optimize databases.
The market shows 1,807 projects over a 90-day period, representing 16% of all IT job postings. Python ranks as the most requested skill with 871 postings, followed by Java with 777 and Scrum with 768 postings. Median hourly rates stand at €75, with 83% of postings offering remote work and 29% fully remote arrangements. Freelance contracts dominate at 70% of offerings, while permanent positions account for 25% and temp agency work for 5%.
Hourly rates
- Median
- €75
- Middle 50 %
- €65 – €85
- Data points
- 65
Basis: 65 hourly rates from job postings (no converted salaries); the middle 50 % lie between €65 and €85.
Work location and contract types
Work location
- Remote possible
- 83 %
- of which fully remote
- 29 %
Contract types
Most in-demand skills
Skills in this category: 120
Biggest risers
Often requested together
- PythonCI/CD300 listings
- GitCI/CD279 listings
- JavaKubernetes278 listings
- JavaCI/CD265 listings
- ScrumSAFe230 listings
- JavaDocker222 listings
Most active recruiters
Market data comes from Nexus. Links marked ↗ open the public view in Nexus (new tab) – read-only.
Methodology: Calculated from the IT job postings of the last 90 days; the category is the one of the posting. Hourly rates only from real hourly figures and only from 30 rates, shares only with enough data.
Basis: 11,175 IT listings in the window
More on the methodology →How does your profile look in the Software Development market?
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