Independent professionals generated an estimated $319 billion in projected revenue in 2024, according to the 2025 Freelance Economic Impact Report by Fiverr. The 30 largest metropolitan areas represented $208 billion of that total. All figures are based on projections derived from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Non-Employer Statistics and Illuminas modeling.
New York recorded the highest projected freelance revenue at $34.6 billion, followed by Los Angeles at $26.3 billion and Miami at $16.0 billion. Washington, D.C. ranked fourth with $10.4 billion. Dallas reported $9.79 billion, and Chicago reported $9.04 billion.
San Francisco generated $8.90 billion, Houston $7.86 billion, and Atlanta $7.44 billion. Philadelphia and Boston each reported slightly more than $7.29 billion.
Several mid-sized markets reported revenue totals close to larger metropolitan areas. Nashville generated $4.32 billion, placing it 16th in revenue and 22nd in workforce size. Its revenue closely aligns with Seattle at $4.37 billion, Austin at $4.43 billion, and Denver at $4.19 billion. Las Vegas reported $3.51 billion, ranking 18th and exceeding Minneapolis and Detroit, which both reported approximately $3.43 billion.
San Diego, Austin, and Seattle each reported between $4.36 billion and $4.44 billion. Tampa, Orlando, and Minneapolis recorded totals between $3.35 billion and $3.49 billion. Detroit reported $3.43 billion.
Riverside, San Jose, Baltimore, Portland, and Charlotte reported projected revenues ranging from $2.26 billion to $2.81 billion. Sacramento, San Antonio, and St. Louis completed the top 30 with totals between $1.88 billion and $2.11 billion.
The projections reflect receipts for independent professionals across creative, technical, and professional services, covering 26 NAICS codes included in the Census Bureau’s Non-Employer Statistics. Illuminas applied GDP and labor-force adjustments to the most recent available year of Census data to estimate 2024 totals.
Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.
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New York recorded the highest projected freelance revenue at $34.6 billion, followed by Los Angeles at $26.3 billion and Miami at $16.0 billion. Washington, D.C. ranked fourth with $10.4 billion. Dallas reported $9.79 billion, and Chicago reported $9.04 billion.
San Francisco generated $8.90 billion, Houston $7.86 billion, and Atlanta $7.44 billion. Philadelphia and Boston each reported slightly more than $7.29 billion.
Several mid-sized markets reported revenue totals close to larger metropolitan areas. Nashville generated $4.32 billion, placing it 16th in revenue and 22nd in workforce size. Its revenue closely aligns with Seattle at $4.37 billion, Austin at $4.43 billion, and Denver at $4.19 billion. Las Vegas reported $3.51 billion, ranking 18th and exceeding Minneapolis and Detroit, which both reported approximately $3.43 billion.
San Diego, Austin, and Seattle each reported between $4.36 billion and $4.44 billion. Tampa, Orlando, and Minneapolis recorded totals between $3.35 billion and $3.49 billion. Detroit reported $3.43 billion.
Riverside, San Jose, Baltimore, Portland, and Charlotte reported projected revenues ranging from $2.26 billion to $2.81 billion. Sacramento, San Antonio, and St. Louis completed the top 30 with totals between $1.88 billion and $2.11 billion.
The projections reflect receipts for independent professionals across creative, technical, and professional services, covering 26 NAICS codes included in the Census Bureau’s Non-Employer Statistics. Illuminas applied GDP and labor-force adjustments to the most recent available year of Census data to estimate 2024 totals.
Where Are Freelancers Generating the Most Revenue Among America’s Largest Cities? Freelance Revenues by Market, 2024 (Projected)
| Market (MSA) | Independent Professionals (2024) | Rank (Workers) | Revenues (2024) | Rank (Revenues) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 589,388 | 1 | $34,572,649,585 | 1 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 429,675 | 2 | $26,340,172,732 | 2 |
| Miami, FL | 270,559 | 3 | $15,975,539,319 | 3 |
| Chicago, IL | 211,137 | 4 | $9,040,406,363 | 6 |
| Dallas, TX | 194,352 | 5 | $9,794,007,660 | 5 |
| Washington, DC | 191,352 | 6 | $10,386,474,345 | 4 |
| Atlanta, GA | 178,546 | 7 | $7,439,430,320 | 9 |
| Houston, TX | 167,999 | 8 | $7,863,010,591 | 8 |
| San Francisco, CA | 146,664 | 9 | $8,898,985,016 | 7 |
| Boston, MA | 137,251 | 10 | $7,291,857,433 | 11 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 135,317 | 11 | $7,338,367,786 | 10 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 104,425 | 12 | $5,276,248,472 | 12 |
| Seattle, WA | 93,155 | 13 | $4,369,489,153 | 15 |
| Denver, CO | 90,254 | 14 | $4,185,631,262 | 17 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 88,165 | 15 | $3,427,038,999 | 20 |
| San Diego, CA | 86,082 | 16 | $4,442,664,806 | 13 |
| Detroit, MI | 83,483 | 17 | $3,426,862,507 | 21 |
| Austin, TX | 81,915 | 18 | $4,429,118,879 | 14 |
| Orlando, FL | 76,759 | 19 | $3,351,115,495 | 22 |
| Tampa, FL | 76,262 | 20 | $3,494,403,627 | 19 |
| Riverside, CA | 71,477 | 21 | $2,813,623,970 | 23 |
| Nashville, TN | 70,179 | 22 | $4,320,817,068 | 16 |
| Portland, OR | 65,720 | 23 | $2,645,044,129 | 26 |
| Baltimore, MD | 64,369 | 24 | $2,695,573,285 | 25 |
| Charlotte, NC | 57,029 | 25 | $2,258,210,921 | 27 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 56,609 | 26 | $3,514,425,441 | 18 |
| San Antonio, TX | 49,792 | 27 | $2,018,948,511 | 29 |
| St. Louis, MO | 48,253 | 28 | $1,884,949,056 | 30 |
| San Jose, CA | 45,715 | 29 | $2,786,775,428 | 24 |
| Sacramento, CA | 45,436 | 30 | $2,105,782,537 | 28 |
Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.
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