BENGALURU: From young professionals to experienced developers, technologists are increasingly taking on freelance tasks to supplement income and build alternative career paths as the industry grapples with a hiring slowdown, rapid advances in artificial intelligence and growing uncertainty about traditional tech roles.
For some, these jobs are side hustles alongside full-time jobs – reflecting an increase in overtime – while others view them as a potential path to full-time freelance work if the labor market further weakens. For Sharon Suresh, an engineering analyst with nearly a decade of experience, freelancing has become a steady source of income. She earns around Rs 2,000 per hour on automation projects, working with clients as far away as Australia and Texas.
Many of these tasks last for several months, allowing her to plan her workload and income more predictably.“When getting into temporary work, it’s important to know where the opportunities exist. I found a platform called Superprof when I was in college and initially signed up just to earn some pocket money,” Suresh said. “Through this, I realized that many companies need help with digital transformation but don’t always know where to find the right talent.
They turn to such platforms for freelancers and there are plenty of well-paying projects available.
” She says the flexibility of freelancing makes it attractive to experienced developers as well.
At the other end of the spectrum, young professionals enter the labor market through self-employment projects. DS Chinmayi, a final-year mechanical engineering student, started taking on freelance IT assignments to build her portfolio even before graduating.
During the past year, I completed five projects.Meanwhile, hourly rates for IT workers vary widely depending on the skills and complexity of the project. On student-focused platform TimbuckDo, the average pay for skilled workers ranges between Rs 850 and Rs 1,500 per hour. Roles that involve deeper technical expertise or specialized tasks such as cybersecurity or testing tend to dominate the higher end of the pay spectrum.
In contrast, entry-level design or basic development tasks typically fetch around Rs 450 to Rs 550 per hour as AI tools increasingly automate routine work.Globally, freelance rates are up 11% year-on-year, according to human resources consulting firm ManpowerGroup.India’s tech business economy is expected to see strong growth in 2026, with employment expected to rise nearly 60% from last year as companies rely more on project-based talent, according to Randstad Digital.