“Only 46% of computer experts are in-house for IT projects” is one result of a study, “IT Freelancers in 2019 ”, conducted by IDG Research Services in cooperation with employment agency Experis (ManpowerGroup). Despite high demand, hourly rates for IT freelancers initially dipped in 2018: They sank from 88.41 euros on average in 2017 to 86.73 euros.

However, this has not had the same effect on all IT pros: “Certain IT professionals are treated almost like pro soccer players,” says Sonja Pierer, managing director at Experis. These individuals are managed by their own agents, allowing them to focus entirely on their work. “Anyone who has immense expertise in emerging, rarer programming languages or in-demand areas has their pick of employers and fees,” Pierer continues. As the study shows, experts in IT security, digitization, cloud computing and artificial intelligence will be especially in demand in the coming years.