With 45% of jobs predicted to be freelance positions by 2028, this working style is becoming increasingly popular in the US. Currently, there are an estimated 5.6 million skilled freelance workers in creative, technical, or professional positions across the country, according to Fiverr’s Freelance Economic Impact Report released on Thursday.

SEE: The gig economy: An insider’s guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Using data from the US Census Bureau and more than 20 million tax returns, the report found that the total amount of freelancers in the US generated approximately $135 billion in the 2018 tax year.

“Highly skilled freelancers are an understudied and often overlooked segment of the workforce,” Brent Messenger, Fiverr’s vice president of public policy and community, said in a press release. “By analyzing the data around these digital workers, we’re able to get a clear picture of the types of jobs they’re doing, the amount of revenue they’re generating and the cities in which they’re having the most impact.”

To help guide aspiring freelancers toward the best markets for their skills, the report identified the following 10 best US cities for these professionals:

  1. New York, NY
  2. Los Angeles CA
  3. Chicago, IL
  4. Washington, DC
  5. Miami, FL
  6. San Francisco, CA
  7. Dallas, TX
  8. Atlanta, GA
  9. Boston, MA
  10. Philadelphia, PA

While many myths around the reliability and profitability of freelancing still swirl in the enterprise, New York is home to more than half a million freelancers, earning approximately $25 billion per year, the report found.

For more, check out TechRepublic’s article on The 20 hottest freelance skills that will help you land a gig.

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