The workplace is evolving, and one of the most fundamental shifts that is poised to revolutionize the economy is the prevalence of freelance workers.
In fact, Upwork’s recent In-Demand Skills of 2025 report noted that employed professionals now rely on freelance workers to help them accomplish their tasks, while 48% of companies plan to increase hiring of freelance workers this year.
Specifically, “nearly half (49%) of full-time workers now rely on freelancers to address critical gaps to help them do their work, with 41% turning to freelancers for technical skills such as web design, data analytics, product management, generative AI, and video production.’’
But perhaps most notably, the report notes that “76% of executives—and 78% of CEOs—assert that their top freelancers contribute more value than degree-holding employees. This view is supported by the fact that 74% of executives say degrees are irrelevant when hiring freelancers, focusing instead on proven expertise.”
While gaining certifications and participating in ongoing training are certainly beneficial so you can feel confident in your expertise, the traditional degree route that you might need if you were applying for a job as an employee is ignored and seldom considered as a prerequisite for being hired for the same role as a freelance worker. This means that freelancing as a career choice is highly accessible, granted you have proven skills through demonstrated results and a portfolio.
Why Start Freelancing In 2025?
In summary, the benefits of being a freelancer now in 2025, more than at any other point in history, include:
- Surge in companies pivoting to hiring skilled freelancers, especially for filling specific talent and skills gaps in their organizations.
- It’s projected that more than 50% of the U.S. workforce (85.6 million professionals) will be freelancing in 2027.
- Technology is accelerating rapidly, enabling more professionals to join the freelance workforce, making them more productive and reducing manual tasks or the length of time they would’ve spent previously on business-related tasks and processes. The biggest example of this is the widespread implementation of AI and specifically generative AI since November 2022 when ChatGPT was released.
- Freelance marketplaces and platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn have features that are always being updated and make it easier for you to find clients and make money as a freelancer.
- Freelancing is the easiest and fastest way to find a remote job because you have control over where and when you work, and your exact hours, while having the opportunity to work at renowned companies through a client relationship with them.
31 Companies Hiring Remote Freelance Jobs In 2025
So who are the companies at the forefront of freelance hiring in 2025? What businesses most frequently recruit freelance talent to fill the expertise and skills gap in critical situations or for short-term projects?
Recent analysis by FlexJobs in mid-2024 revealed that these are the key players when it comes to hiring remote freelance professionals (the first 30 are from FlexJobs):
- Robert Half International
- Kforce
- Kelly
- LHH – Lee Hecht Harrison (formerly Accounting Principals)
- LHH – Lee Hecht Harrison (formerly Ajilon)
- Randstad
- CyraCom
- Collabera
- Bilingual Therapies
- Planet Group
- Profit Factory
- Motion Recruitment
- Welocalize
- BELAY
- Solomon Page
- Beacon Hill Staffing Group
- CSI Companies
- Stride, Inc.
- ModSquad
- Expert Business Development
- Stage 4 Solutions
- VIQ Solutions
- Aquent
- FlexProfessionals
- Tava Health
- Russell Tobin
- Avispa Technology
- Study.com
- 24 Seven Talent
- Varsity Tutors
- Archetype (the PR agency)
If you’re considering whether or not you should start freelancing in 2025, this is your sign. The world needs you. They need your talent and expertise, and you deserve to be able to set your pay rates, hours, and location of work in a way that suits your lifestyle and enables you to achieve your goals. With more professionals like you joining the freelance workforce, both parties achieve the best of both worlds.