REST API freelancers:
What the market really pays and wants.
Demand, rates and trends for REST API – calculated from 573 real project and job postings of the last 90 days. No survey, no guesswork without data.
- Listings (90 d)
- 573
- Rank 11 of 531 skills
- Trend (90 d)
- ▼ 1 %
- Market share compared with the 90 days before. IT postings overall: ▲ 42 %
- Of which must-have
- 19 %
- Rated for 573 postings (AI analysis), otherwise “nice to have”
- Median hourly rate
- €80
- 47 data points, incl. converted salaries
- Remote possible
- 91 %
- 33 % fully remote · stated in 87 % of postings
In demand and stable.
REST API is among the most in-demand skills, at rank 11 of 531. Its market share is stable (▼ 1 %).
What is REST API – and why do companies hire REST API freelancers?
The postings that mention REST API fall into these types of project (share of the classified postings):
Typical roles
The roles hired most often are Backend Developer (34 %), Fullstack Developer (18 %), Frontend Developer (10 %) and Software Architect (7 %). Of the postings that state an experience level, 68 % explicitly ask for senior profiles.
Demand over the last 12 weeks
new listings per weekWeekly postings for REST API are rising: from an average of 33 to 65 per week (+96 %).
What do REST API freelancers earn?
The median is €80 per hour. The middle 50 % of all figures lie between €75 and €90.
| Segment | Median | Middle 50 % | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|
| All figures | €80 | €75–90 | 47 |
| Senior | €80 | €75–94 | 37 |
| Mid-level | – | not enough data | 7 |
| Junior | – | not enough data | 1 |
| Fully remote | – | not enough data | 9 |
| Partly remote | €80 | €78–95 | 37 |
| On site | – | not enough data | 1 |
Basis: 47 figures of the last 90 days – 28 hourly rates from postings and 19 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 REST API is wanted with – and which ones pay off
Java appears in 37 % of REST API postings.
Often named together
Java37 %(opens in new tab)CI/CD33 %(opens in new tab)Git30 %(opens in new tab)TypeScript28 %(opens in new tab)Docker28 %(opens in new tab)Spring Boot27 %(opens in new tab)Kubernetes24 %(opens in new tab)Scrum20 %(opens in new tab)Share of REST API postings that also name the skill.Who wants REST API – and under which conditions
Seniority
Senior dominates (68 %). Pure junior roles are rare (4 %).
Stated in 98 % of listings
Industries
logistics grows the most (+41 % vs. the previous quarter).
Stated in 62 % of listings
Contract type
Freelance dominates (78 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Workplace
Partly remote dominates (58 %). Anyone working fully remote only reaches 33 % of postings.
Stated in 87 % of listings
Regions (on site)
Frankfurt am Main grows the most (+117 % vs. the previous quarter).
Stated in 57 % of listings
Project language
German dominates (81 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Market dynamics: how contested is REST API?
Who posts REST API projects
Postings of the last 90 days.Current REST API projects
- Do you fit? CheckJava/Angular Developer mit Spring-Boot/OpenShift-Erfahrung (m/w/d) - 100% Remote(opens in a new tab)Frankfurt am Main · fully remote · 3 months · 03.11.2026, gerne früher
- Do you fit? CheckHannover · fully remote · 3 months · 01.01.2027
- Do you fit? CheckGilching · 60 % remote · ASAP
- Do you fit? CheckHamburg · 80 % remote · asap
- Do you fit? CheckMünchen · 80 % remote · 24 months · Januar 2027
- Do you fit? Checkfully remote · 19.10.2026
Frequently asked questions about REST API freelancing
How much does a REST API freelancer earn per hour?
The median is currently €80 per hour, with the middle 50 % between €75 and €90.
How many REST API projects are there right now?
In the last 90 days, 573 projects and jobs mentioning REST API were posted. That is around 45 per week. The market share changed by ▼ 1 % compared with the previous quarter.
Is REST API still in demand for freelancers?
REST API ranks 11 of 531 skills.
Are REST API projects possible remotely?
91 % of REST API postings allow remote work. 33 % are fully remote.
Which skills should I learn as a REST API freelancer?
Java (37 %), CI/CD (33 %) and Git (30 %) are most often required together with REST API. What actually pays off for your profile is shown by the free CV check.
Who posts REST API projects?
The 6 most active recruiters account for 34 % of all REST API postings of the last 90 days.
Methodology: We count IT postings of the last 90 days that mention REST API. 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 REST API market.
Now let the jury judge your profile.
Your CV against 573 REST API listings – with findings, strengths and an hourly-rate check.