50+ Female Freelancer Statistics to Consider in 2022 and Beyond

Female freelancers have made some serious headway in the past decade. (If they were around today, I’m sure our ancestors would have balked at the concept of working for ourselves.) It’s becoming an increasingly popular career path for women to take, with the United States having one of the largest representations of female freelancers globally. In the last couple of years alone, millions of women across the globe transitioned from in-office jobs to gig or contract work after the COVID-19 pandemic, and have found that they prefer the job flexibility over stability. Yet, there’s still work to be done when it comes to both job satisfaction and gender equality in the freelance world for women. While they enjoy the aforementioned flexibility, a quarter of them feel lonely when working remotely. And North America has the largest freelancer gender pay gap, with women earning only 64% of the pay their male peers do. If you’re just getting started as a female freelancer, or thinking about making the career switch, it certainly comes with some great benefits. But you’ll want to keep in mind the pay gap discrepancy and some other challenges that women tend to face when working for themselves. This is why we’ve rounded up more than 50 female freelancer stats for you—so that you can be fully prepared (with both the good and not-so-good) as you embark on this exciting new journey!

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50+ Female Freelancer Statistics To Consider In 2022 And Beyond

Demographics

It’s interesting to see just how widely female freelancer stats vary depending on where you’re located in the world. For example, while the United States’ freelancer population is 52% female vs. 48% male, those numbers in Europe drop to just 35% and 65% respectively. Check out the stats below for some more compelling female freelancer stats when it comes to demographics.

1. In the United States, 52% of freelancers are female vs. 48% male. (Statista, 2022)
2. In Europe, only 35% of freelancers are female vs. 65% male. (Malt + Boston Consulting Group, 2021)
3. In the United Kingdom, 16% of the total freelancer population are mothers. (IPSE, 2020)
4. In Europe, although there are more men in the freelancing industry, women continue to gain traction with time. (Malt + Boston Consulting Group, 2021)
5. Female freelancers are more likely than men to have an advanced degree: 31% women vs. 22% men. (Payoneer, 2020)
6. In the UK, only 33% of women in self-employment claimed their Maternity Allowance, while 30% did not claim it at all. (IPSE, 2019)
7. In the UK, the number of female freelancers increased by 63% from 2008 to 2018. (IPSE, 2018)
8. In the UK, freelancing women are less likely to work in SOC1 occupation (managers, directors, and senior officials) based on the 37% drop between 2008 and 2018. (IPSE, 2018)
9. In the UK, women in self-employment are more likely to work from home than men. (IPSE, 2018)
10. 56% of women prefer a gig job as a secondary source of income. (Edison Research - Marketplace, 2018)
11. Newly independent American workers in 2021 were 55% female. (MBO Partners, 2021)
12. One study found that female freelancers are clearly outnumbered by men: 17% women vs. 83% men. (Freelancermap, 2022)
13. Female participation in tech freelancing is more pronounced in India than in the U.S. and UK. (Online Labour Index (OLI), 2020)
14. The largest population of the female online workforce is found in writing and translation jobs. (Online Labour Index (OLI), 2020)
15. In Ukraine, 38.9% of the online workforce are women. (Online Labour Index (OLI), 2020)
16. In Kosovo, an overwhelming population of jobless women (86%) are willing to work as freelancers. (Baraku, Ema - Rochester Institute of Technology, 2020)
17. In India, online freelancing is considered a great opportunity for a lot of women to engage in the labor force. (Rajat Kathuria et al, 2017)

 

Job Satisfaction

While being a female freelancer definitely has its perks (see #21 below), it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Following are some things you’ll want to keep in mind as you set out on this new path so you can go into your freelance career with a realistic mindset.

18. In the UK, 46% of female freelancers are satisfied with their financial wellbeing. (IPSE, 2019)
19. Women who transitioned from in-office jobs to gig or contract work after the pandemic now prefer flexibility over stability. (Indeed, 2020)
20. In the U.S., 70% of women say workplace discrimination and the corporate glass ceiling factor into the decision to work for themselves. (FreshBooks, 2018)
21. A majority of women believe that self-employment gives them more control over their career than being a traditional employee. (FreshBooks, 2018)
22. Women are more satisfied doing freelance work than men. (Payoneer, 2022)
23. About half (49%) of freelancing women worry about their financial well-being compared to 37% of men. (IPSE, 2019)
24. Although 62% of women enjoy the flexibility of freelancing, 25% of them feel lonely working remotely. ( IPSE, 2019)
25. More than half of female freelancers worry about irregular income and lack of statutory benefits. (IIPSE, 2019)
26. Having time with their children is one of the main reasons why 20% of women opt to become independent workers. (MBO Partners, 2014)
27. Women are more likely than men to pursue freelance work. (Dunn M, Munoz I and Sawyer S, 2021)
28. Female journalists are more likely than their male counterparts to consider freelancing as a compatible work set-up for raising kids. (Dunja Antunovic, Jenna Grzeslo & Anne Hoag 2017, 2017)
29. Women working as freelance photojournalists are also doing additional work, including marketing, legal, and accounting—which often translates into hours of unpaid labor. (Briscoe, Andrea Grace , 2021)
30. Women are less likely to feel positive about workload, financial success, and job satisfaction while freelancing. (Agile Talent Collaborative, 2021)
31. Women freelancers are more likely to give negative assessments to clients than men. (Agile Talent Collaborative, 2021)
32. 64% of female freelancers are happier as self-employed vs. 55% of their male peers. (Ed Gandia, 2012)
33. Female freelancers reported reduced flexibility and increased earning uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Michael Dunn et al, 2021)
34. In Northern and Southern Europe, female freelancers who started working from home because of the pandemic reported higher life satisfaction than men. (Ana Ramos and Jose Maria Garcia-de-Diego, 2022)
35. Progressive gender attitudes pull married women into self-employment, while household and parenting responsibilities push them into self-employment. (Carlianne Patrick et al, 2016)
36. Women in self-employment are more physically active (80.4%) compared with women who are not self-employed (72%). (Sedina Dzodzomenyo & Kimberly Danae Cauley Narain, 2022)
37. Female freelancers receive fewer client reviews than men. (Aniko Hannak et al, 2017)
38. In Russia, 84% of women feel comfortable working remotely vs. 81% of men. (Statista, 2022)

 

Earnings

At first glance, the female freelancer stats below are discouraging. It’s 2022 and yet men are still able to charge 48% more than women for doing similar freelance work and the average hourly pay rate is $5 less for women. (What?!) But don’t let some of these statistics deter you—women are positioned to be extremely successful working for themselves. Not only are female freelancers less likely to get stiffed by clients, but those working in marketing, web and graphic design, and multimedia production earn more than men. Below are some more earnings-related stats that will be of interest to you as a female entrepreneur.

39. Self-employed men charge an average of 43% more for their work than self-employed women, compared to a 17% gender pay gap among employees. (IPSE, 2019)
40. Almost half of female freelancers earn less than $25,000 annually. (Fiverr Workspace, 2020)
41. Men charge 48% more than women for doing similar freelance work. (ZenBusiness, 2022)
42. On average, women doing freelance accountancy and business analysis make $20 less per hour than men. (ZenBusiness, 2022)
43. Female freelancers' invoices are often paid later than their male peers’ invoices. (Bonsai, 2021)
44. The average hourly rate of female freelancers is $23/hour vs. $28/hour for men. (Payoneer, 2022)
45. Women who do freelance writing work charge almost the same as men, except for business writing. (ZenBusiness, 2022)
46. Women in freelance DevOps engineering charge $30/hour—a $70/hour pay gap compared to men. (ZenBusiness, 2022)
47. 35% of female freelancers find it very challenging to know how much to charge. (IPSE, 2019)
48. Women are more concerned than men financially when it comes to taking a break while freelancing. (IPSE, 2019)
49. Female freelancers in marketing, web and graphic design, and multimedia production earn more than men. (Payoneer, 2020)
50. North America has the largest freelancer gender pay gap, where women only earn 64% of what their male peers do. (Payoneer, 2020)
51. Female freelancers are less likely to get stiffed by clients: 49% of men have had negative payment issues vs. 38% of women. (Fiverr Workspace, 2020)
52. Female freelancers, despite being more educated and completing more projects, earn less than their male counterparts. (HoneyBook, 2019)
53. Women are less likely to lower their rates while negotiating freelancing jobs than men. (HoneyBook, 2019)
54. Nearly half of freelancing moms (47%) feel that their parenting responsibilities will affect their earnings. (HoneyBook, 2019)
55. Women freelancers are more likely to reduce working hours than men due to caregiving and domestic responsibilities. (Dunn M, Munoz I and Sawyer S (2021), 2021)
56. Female freelancers charge lower and are more likely to win contracts than their male counterparts. (Estrella Gomez-Herrera and Frank Müller-Langer, 2019)
57. Female freelancers earn more than their male peers for hourly rates of $20-$99. However, for above $100 hourly rates, men earn more than women. (Ed Gandia, 2012)
58. Women are less likely than men to experience pay increases after going freelance. (Ed Gandia, 2012)

 

Let’s shatter the glass ceiling together.

There’s certainly a ton of promise for female entrepreneurs in today’s world, but based on a majority of these statistics, there’s also a lot of work that needs to be done when it comes to the opportunities and pay for men vs. women freelancers. That’s where we come in. Fresh Scribes is here to help raise up your business and make your life easier with our collection of templates, workbooks, and lead magnets. Our templates are an amazing tool for growing your company’s audience, attracting leads, and generating income. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, or you’re not sure which asset will best help you grow your business, get in touch—we’re here to help you succeed!

 

Sources (in alphabetical order):

Agile Talent Collaborative, 2021; Alpana Dubey et al, 2017; Ana Ramos and Jose Maria Garcia-de-Diego, 2022; Aniko Hannak et al, 2017; Baraku, Ema - Rochester Institute of Technology, 2020; Bonsai, 2021; Briscoe, Andrea Grace, 2021; Bruce, D., 1999; Carlianne Patrick et al, 2016; Chan et al, 2015; Dunja Antunovic,Jenna Grzeslo & Anne Hoag, 2017; Dunn M, Munoz I and Sawyer S, 2021; Ed Gandia, 2012; Edison Research - Marketplace, 2018; EFIP & Malt, 2019; Estrella Gomez-Herrera and Frank Müller-Langer, 2019; Fiverr Workspace, 2020; Freelancermap, 2022; FreshBooks, 2018; HoneyBook, 2019; Indeed, 2020; IPSE, 2018; IPSE, 2018; IPSE, 2019; IPSE, 2019; IPSE, 2019; IPSE, 2020;Malt + Boston Consulting Group, 2021; MBO Partners, 2014; MBO Partners, 2021; Michael Dunn et al, 2021; Online Labour Index (OLI), 2020; Payoneer, 2020; Payoneer, 2022; Rajat Kathuria et al, 2017; Sedina Dzodzomenyo & Kimberly Danae Cauley Narain, 2022; Statista, 2022; Statista, 2022; ZenBusiness, 2022