IT Security freelancers:
What the market really pays and wants.
Demand, rates and trends for IT Security – calculated from 435 real project and job postings of the last 90 days. No survey, no guesswork without data.
- Listings (90 d)
- 435
- Rank 23 of 531 skills
- Trend (90 d)
- ▲ 22 %
- Market share compared with the 90 days before. IT postings overall: ▲ 42 %
- Of which must-have
- 46 %
- Rated for 435 postings (AI analysis), otherwise “nice to have”
- Median hourly rate
- €73
- 122 data points, incl. converted salaries
- Remote possible
- 81 %
- 10 % fully remote · stated in 91 % of postings
In demand and growing.
IT Security is among the most in-demand skills, at rank 23 of 531. Its market share is rising (▲ 22 % vs. the 90 days before).
What is IT Security – and why do companies hire IT Security freelancers?
The postings that mention IT Security fall into these types of project (share of the classified postings):
Typical roles
The roles hired most often are System Administrator (32 %), Security Specialist (30 %), DevOps Engineer (11 %) and Software Architect (10 %). 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 IT Security are rising: from an average of 31 to 46 per week (+47 %). Volume is developing better than the IT market overall (▲ 42 %).
What do IT Security freelancers earn?
The median is €73 per hour. The middle 50 % of all figures lie between €68 and €82. Senior profiles are €8 above mid-level.
| Segment | Median | Middle 50 % | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|
| All figures | €73 | €68–82 | 122 |
| Senior | €78 | €70–85 | 75 |
| Mid-level | €70 | €65–75 | 41 |
| Junior | – | not enough data | 4 |
| Fully remote | – | not enough data | 4 |
| Partly remote | €73 | €68–80 | 110 |
| On site | – | not enough data | 7 |
| Senior · Partly remote | €78 | €68–85 | 66 |
| Mid-level · Partly remote | €70 | €65–75 | 38 |
Basis: 122 figures of the last 90 days – 5 hourly rates from postings and 117 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 IT Security is wanted with – and which ones pay off
Microsoft 365 appears in 11 % of IT Security postings.
Often named together
Microsoft 36511 %(opens in new tab)Active Directory11 %(opens in new tab)Compliance11 %(opens in new tab)Data Protection9 %(opens in new tab)Network Administration9 %(opens in new tab)Network Technologies9 %(opens in new tab)IT Infrastructure9 %(opens in new tab)Azure8 %(opens in new tab)Share of IT Security postings that also name the skill.Who wants IT Security – and under which conditions
Seniority
Senior dominates (63 %). Pure junior roles are rare (4 %).
Stated in 99 % of listings
Industries
it_software dominates (56 %).
Stated in 76 % of listings
Contract type
Permanent dominates (59 %). 38 % of postings are aimed directly at freelancers.
Stated in 100 % of listings
Workplace
Partly remote dominates (71 %). Anyone working fully remote only reaches 10 % of postings.
Stated in 91 % of listings
Regions (on site)
Frankfurt am Main leads (13 %).
Stated in 80 % of listings
Project language
German dominates (94 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Market dynamics: how contested is IT Security?
Who posts IT Security projects
Postings of the last 90 days.Current IT Security projects
- Do you fit? Check11 months · 01.11.2026
- Do you fit? Check
- Do you fit? CheckStuttgart · fully remote · 12 months · 02.11.2026 / ASAP
- Do you fit? Check12 months · 02.11.2026
- Do you fit? CheckHamburg · 60 % remote
- Do you fit? CheckHamburg · 60 % remote
Frequently asked questions about IT Security freelancing
How much does a IT Security freelancer earn per hour?
The median is currently €73 per hour, with the middle 50 % between €68 and €82. Senior profiles are at €78, mid-level at €70.
How many IT Security projects are there right now?
In the last 90 days, 435 projects and jobs mentioning IT Security were posted. That is around 35 per week. The market share changed by ▲ 22 % compared with the previous quarter.
Is IT Security still in demand for freelancers?
IT Security ranks 23 of 531 skills.
Are IT Security projects possible remotely?
81 % of IT Security postings allow remote work. 10 % are fully remote.
Which skills should I learn as a IT Security freelancer?
Microsoft 365 (11 %), Active Directory (11 %) and Compliance (11 %) are most often required together with IT Security. What actually pays off for your profile is shown by the free CV check.
Who posts IT Security projects?
The 5 most active recruiters account for 43 % of all IT Security postings of the last 90 days.
Methodology: We count IT postings of the last 90 days that mention IT Security. 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. 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 IT Security market.
Now let the jury judge your profile.
Your CV against 435 IT Security listings – with findings, strengths and an hourly-rate check.