Also called: Contract Developer, Independent Software Consultant
Builds apps, websites and tools for different clients as their own boss.
One month you build a booking app for a dentist, the next you fix a startup's payment system. You find clients through referrals and platforms like Upwork, write estimates, and juggle deadlines. You set your own hours but also chase invoices and find your next project.
Depends on rates and how many hours are booked; experienced contractors bill $100-$200/hour.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 3 years after high school. Degree optional; a strong portfolio of shipped projects is what wins clients.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college, 2-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Information Technology.
Growing much faster than average (about 15% over 10 years). Tracks software developers.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Small clients can now build simple apps with AI builders, squeezing freelance work; complex custom builds stay human.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, Business, Computer applications.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1252.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.