There is an increasing number of professionals in the United States who are pursuing nontraditional employment through the gig economy. Around 64 million Americans are embracing this alternative work arrangement, according to data from Upwork Research Institute.
The gig economy refers to a labor market characterized by short-term contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent employment. Independent contractors working gig jobs generally serve four primary sectors: asset-sharing services (property rentals), transportation services (ridesharing), professional services (consulting and freelancing), and handmade goods and miscellaneous services.
More Americans are becoming drawn to the gig economy for its numerous benefits, which include flexibility and autonomy, expansive work experiences, high earning potential, high job satisfaction and work-life balance.
Moreover, gig opportunities allow some professionals to earn extra money on top of their primary job, as a side hustle. While for others, these short-term stints are the sole basis for their income. These jobs can be incredibly lucrative, as independent contractors can set their own rates and charge considerably more for their services, if they possess in-demand skills.
Well-Paying Jobs In The Gig Economy
The key to succeeding in the gig economy is to leverage your existing skills and expertise to find the right high-paying opportunity that fits your schedule, interests and financial needs. Researching the best platforms and optimizing your profile can help maximize your earning potential.
Here is a list of 10 high-paying gig jobs for white-collar professionals, citing salary data from online freelance marketplace Upwork:
1. Market Researchers
A market researcher collects, analyzes and interprets data about a market, product or service to help businesses make informed decisions. They conduct surveys, focus groups, interviews and observations to collect data on consumer behavior, preferences and opinions.
To become a market researcher, a bachelor’s degree is typically the minimum educational requirement. There are several relevant undergraduate majors that could put you on this particular career path, such as marketing, economics, business administration, psychology and sociology.
You must possess an in-depth understanding of the fundamental concepts of market research analysis, including consumer behavior, target audience identification and strategic planning.
Hourly Rate: $15-50 per hour
2. Content Creators
A content creator produces and publishes digital content for the purpose of building an audience and generating revenue. Common types of content creators include social media influencers, bloggers, vloggers and podcasters. The goal is to build a following and monetize the content through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, online courses, memberships or donations.
To become a content creator, there is a low barrier to entry, as there is no educational requirement. That’s the beauty of content creation—anyone can do it! However, the foundational steps you must take include identifying your niche and audience, developing your personal brand and deciding what format is optimal for your preferred content.
Hourly Rate: $25-$55 per hour
3. Artificial Intelligence Engineers
An artificial intelligence engineer is a professional responsible for developing, programming and training complex algorithms and systems to enable AI capabilities.
To become an AI engineer, many employers require, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. The most common areas of study for this career path are computer science and information technology.
You must cultivate your technical skills, learning programming languages such as Python, R, Java and C++. As an AI engineer, you’ll be working extensively with vast quantities of data. To effectively manage and process this data, you’ll need to be proficient in several key technologies, including Apache Spark, Hadoop and MongoDB. It is also essential to know machine learning algorithms, as well as deep learning.
Hourly Rate: $35-$60 per hour
4. Art Directors
An art director is responsible for overseeing and managing the visual aspects of a project, such as advertisements, films, video games, publications or web designs. They play a crucial role in ensuring that the artistic vision and aesthetic direction of a project are effectively communicated and executed.
To become an art director, a bachelor’s degree in an art or design-related field is typically required, along with relevant work experience. The specific path to becoming an art director can vary depending on the industry, but often involves progressing from roles such as graphic designer, illustrator, copy editor, photographer or other art and design occupations.
Hourly Rate: $33-$67 per hour
5. Cloud Engineers
A cloud engineer is an IT professional responsible for building, maintaining and optimizing cloud infrastructure and applications. They play a crucial role in helping organizations leverage the benefits of cloud computing, such as scalability, cost savings and business agility.
To become a cloud engineer, a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field is typically the minimum educational requirement. Many professionals who work in cloud computing roles often begin their careers in various IT positions that involve concepts and skills applicable to cloud work, such as systems engineer, network engineer, DevOps engineer and database administrator.
Cloud engineers possess a deep understanding of cloud platforms (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and IBM Cloud), programming, networking, security and databases.
Hourly Rate: $30-$68 per hour
6. Influencer Marketer
An influencer marketer specializes in leveraging the power of social media influencers to promote brands and drive marketing objectives.
While attending a four-year university is not required, a bachelor’s degree in marketing is strongly preferred. To be successful in this field, you must possess foundational knowledge about influencers, social media platforms, content formats and metrics.
These professionals are up-to-date on the latest social media trends and best practices to deliver effective influencer marketing strategies that drive measurable results for brands.
Hourly Rate: $40-90 per hour
7. Business Consultant
A business consultant provides expert advice and guidance to organizations to help them improve their operations, achieve their goals and solve complex business problems.
Many business consultants begin their career journey by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business, economics, management or a related field. This broad-based education provides a solid understanding of how various industries operate, laying a strong foundation for a consulting career.
However, pursuing a specialized degree in your target industry, such as information technology, marketing, human resources or finance, can give you a competitive edge. A specialized degree allows you to delve deeper into the intricate aspects of that particular field, equipping you with in-depth knowledge that can be leveraged when offering specialized advice to clients.
Hourly Rate: $28-$98 per hour
8. Brand Consulting Specialist
A brand consulting specialist provides expert guidance and strategies to help businesses build, manage and strengthen their brand identity.
To work in brand consulting, a bachelor’s degree is typically required in fields like marketing, business, communications, design or psychology to cultivate a strong foundation in areas like research, analysis, strategy development and brand management.
These consultants often start out working in a brand-building discipline, such as graphic design, copywriting or social media marketing, to gain hands-on experience.
Hourly Rate: $50-98 per hour
9. Agile Coach
An Agile coach helps organizations adopt and implement agile methodologies to improve their processes, increase efficiency and deliver better products or services.
To become an Agile coach, a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering or project management is required.
To be successful in this role, it is essential to have a deep understanding of Agile methodologies and their various frameworks, such as Scrum, Kanban and SAFe, as well as knowledge of Extreme Programming and Lean principles.
Hourly Rate: $50-$120 per hour
10. UX Strategist
A UX strategist specializes in designing and implementing high-level strategies to improve the user experience of products and services. Their primary goal is to ensure that a user’s interaction with a product or service is as intuitive, efficient and enjoyable as possible.
They are typically required to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering.
The standard languages that UX strategists should be familiar with include Java, JavaScript, CSS, Python and PHP. These languages provide UX designers with the tools they need to create engaging and interactive user interfaces, as well as develop efficient programs. UX strategists have a deep understanding of cloud-based platforms, user interface design, data analysis, creating wireframes and web testing.
Hourly Rate: $60-$120 per hour
Source: Forbes
