Four-in-ten tech professionals plan to become freelancers

New data reveals that more than a third of tech professionals are considering a shift to contract work, aligning with the growing demand for freelance tech experts

New data suggests more than a third of tech professionals are poised to pursue contract work. In the context of recent reporting on the rising demand for freelance tech professionals in high-stress environments and a five-year high in the trend for contract tech job Google searches, it’s fitting that there’s also been a corresponding uptick in tech professionals gearing up to pursue freelance work.

To get a sense of this possible shift towards contract tech work, 1500 current tech professionals were surveyed*.  The results reveal that more than a third see freelance or contract work in their immediate future.

Responding to this new data, Tenth Revolution Group chairman and CEO James Lloyd-Townshend commented: “It’s interesting that we’re seeing a pretty even split between those who mark themselves as likely to undertake contract tech work in the near future, and those who don’t.”

“I think this speaks to an increasing preparedness on the part of tech professionals to navigate the shifting landscape of the labour market – including the much-reported decline of the long-term tech ‘dream job’. The other side of this, however, is the increasing appeal of the freelance lifestyle and both the flexibility and variety it can offer.”

“Ultimately, it’s not about a clear winner here, as contract and permanent roles will always co-exist, but this new data does give us a great snapshot of current attitudes amongst tech professionals.”

*Statistics were derived from the latest (2023-2024) Careers and Hiring Guides offered by Tenth Revolution Group

Read more

Latest News

Read More

Why so many smart leaders are terrible at leading people

29 July 2025

Talent Management

29 July 2025

Deepfake interviews. Synthetic faces. Tampered documents. As generative AI reshapes identity fraud, traditional screening methods are being put to the test. Giant Screening CEO Mathew...

Worklife Balance

28 July 2025

The issue isn’t just about time management; it’s about mental bandwidth. The cognitive load of managing multiple priorities can leave little room for self-care, creativity,...

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

Queen Mary University of London – IT Services DirectorateSalary: £54,617 to £60,901 per annum

University of Sussex – Human Resources Salary: £25,733 to £29,179. Grade 4, per annum, pro rata if part time

UCL – Chemistry Department / Faculty of Mathematical & Physical SciencesSalary: £54,172 to £63,752

University of Oxford – Department of PsychiatrySalary: £31,459 to £36,616 (discretionary range to £39,749) per annum. Grade 5

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE