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IT skill · Domain· AI & Machine Learning

Machine Learning freelancers:
What the market really pays and wants.

Demand and trends for Machine Learning – calculated from 116 real project and job postings of the last 90 days. No survey, no guesswork without data.

As of: week 41/2026 · updated weekly
Listings (90 d)
116
Rank 144 of 531 skills
Trend (90 d)
▼ 11 %
Market share compared with the 90 days before. IT postings overall: ▲ 42 %
Of which must-have
49 %
Rated for 116 postings (AI analysis), otherwise “nice to have”
Remote possible
92 %
29 % fully remote · stated in 80 % of postings
The jury's verdict on Machine Learning

A shrinking market.

Machine Learning sits at rank 144 of 531, in the solid middle of demand. Its market share is falling (▼ 11 % vs. the 90 days before).

Solid demandRank 144 of 531 skills, 116 postings in 90 days.
Shrinking marketMarket share ▼ 11 % vs. the 90 days before.
Remote possible92 % of postings allow remote work.
And how does your Machine Learning profile look?Check it for free

What is Machine Learning – and why do companies hire Machine Learning freelancers?

The postings that mention Machine Learning fall into these types of project (share of the classified postings):

Data and AI71 %
Data platforms, analytics and AI solutions with Machine Learning.
New development14 %
Building new applications, platforms and products with Machine Learning.
Consulting and design9 %
Consulting, concept work, architecture and project leadership around Machine Learning.

Typical roles

The roles hired most often are Data Scientist (45 %), Data Engineer (18 %), Backend Developer (11 %) and Software Architect (9 %). Of the postings that state an experience level, 68 % explicitly ask for senior profiles.

Demand over the last 12 weeks

new listings per week
W29W40
▼ 11 %
Market share vs. previous quarter
▲ 26 %
Postings vs. previous quarter
144 / 531
Rank among all skills

Weekly postings for Machine Learning are rising: from an average of 8 to 14 per week (+80 %). Volume is developing more weakly than the IT market overall (▲ 42 %).

Which skills Machine Learning is wanted with – and which ones pay off

Python appears in 65 % of Machine Learning postings.

Often named together

Python65 %(opens in new tab)SQL27 %(opens in new tab)Share of Machine Learning postings that also name the skill.

Who wants Machine Learning – and under which conditions

Seniority

Senior68 %
Mid-level22 %
Junior5 %

Senior dominates (68 %). Pure junior roles are rare (5 %).

Stated in 100 % of listings

Industries

it_software37 %
manufacturing23 %
retail_ecommerce6 %
banking_finance6 %
logistics5 %

it_software leads (37 %).

Stated in 67 % of listings

Contract type

Freelance72 %
Permanent27 %

Freelance dominates (72 %).

Stated in 100 % of listings

Workplace

Partly remote63 %
Fully remote29 %
On site8 %

Partly remote dominates (63 %). Anyone working fully remote only reaches 29 % of postings.

Stated in 80 % of listings

Regions (on site)

Köln15 %
Berlin8 %
Frankfurt am Main8 %
München6 %
Baden-Württemberg6 %

Köln leads (15 %).

Stated in 56 % of listings

Project language

German76 %
English24 %

German dominates (76 %).

Stated in 100 % of listings

Market dynamics: how contested is Machine Learning?

Full time required81 %Share of postings stating a workload that expect full time.Basis: 32 postings with this information (28 % of all postings).

Who posts Machine Learning projects

FERCHAU GmbH15
Postings of the last 90 days.

Current Machine Learning projects

Frequently asked questions about Machine Learning freelancing

How many Machine Learning projects are there right now?

In the last 90 days, 116 projects and jobs mentioning Machine Learning were posted. That is around 9 per week. The market share changed by ▼ 11 % compared with the previous quarter.

Is Machine Learning still in demand for freelancers?

Machine Learning ranks 144 of 531 skills.

Are Machine Learning projects possible remotely?

92 % of Machine Learning postings allow remote work. 29 % are fully remote.

Which skills should I learn as a Machine Learning freelancer?

Python (65 %) and SQL (27 %) are most often required together with Machine Learning. What actually pays off for your profile is shown by the free CV check.

Who posts Machine Learning projects?

The most active recruiter accounts for 13 % of all Machine Learning postings of the last 90 days.

Methodology: We count IT postings of the last 90 days that mention Machine Learning. 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. 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 Machine Learning market.
Now let the jury judge your profile.

Your CV against 116 Machine Learning listings – with findings, strengths and an hourly-rate check.

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