A big wage disparity between male and female workers!
Even in the face of increased representation and higher rates of education among women, the gender pay persists, with women making $23/hour on average to men’s $28/hour.
At 82% of the average man’s hourly rate, this is a slight widening of the gap since our 2020 Freelance Income Report which showed women earning, on average, 84% of what male freelancers earn.
This report is from the Payoneer freelance income survey 2022.
As seen in the chart below, the gap differs according to region. It should also be noted that where the female hourly rate is higher than men’s, for example, in South America, it is likely influenced by the higher paid industries that are more in demand in these regions.
This trend was also witnessed on an international level, with the World Economic Forum reporting that the Global Gender Gap has widened slightly since 2020. Overall, they note that the wage gap between female and male workers is 37%, significantly higher than the disparity in freelancing. This suggests that, while women have yet to gain equal access to economic opportunity, the playing field is more level in the freelancing market than in traditional employment markets.
Despite the pay gap, women report higher satisfaction from freelancing than men. Women that work exclusively as freelancers are particularly satisfied, suggesting that a full-time freelance position may provide autonomy that’s highly valued.
Payoneer freelance income survey report 2022
Freelancers are highly satisfied and excited for the future
Reflecting well on the industry is that a clear majority of respondents reported being satisfied with the freelancing lifestyle. Impressively, over one-third of the respondents said they are very satisfied, 83% said they were satisfied or very satisfied, and only a mere 3% feel unsatisfied.
Even more impressive is how positive freelancers are about the future of their work. Close to 75% of respondents believe demand will continue to grow and allow them to expand their business, while only 3% predict their business will slow down.
