If you’re a freelancer looking to make some extra money in your spare time or even hoping to make a full-blown career out of your passions, congratulations! Taking that first step takes a lot of courage. However, it’s also to remember that this is an extremely competitive and saturated market to be in.

With this in mind, it’s time to find the ideal industry for you to spread your entrepreneurial wings. By focusing your efforts on hot markets that are looking for new and engaging content, this allows for less competition and possibly higher rates at the same time.

The only problem with this process, is knowing where to start. The good news is, we’ve already started that process for you and are highlighting four hot sectors that are not only making big money for freelancers, but they also look like they are going to thriving for the next several years as well.

If you’ve already rifled through the other five industries for freelancers we’ve highlighted, this guide will walk through another four amazing fields where you can let your freelance flag fly.

Let’s get started!

#1 New Age—Astrology and More!

These days, plenty of people have embraced alternative lifestyles and ways of thinking, attempting to step outside of traditional American or Western ideals. 

People enjoy the amazing aesthetic and cultural values surrounding:

• Astrology
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Crystals (reiki, etc.)
• Eastern medicine

And it’s not just personal—there are tons of businesses seeking to cater to this growing market, which means there are business opportunities out there for any of the following freelance types:

• Writers
• Graphic Designers
• Videographers
• Life Coaches
• Artisans
• And more! 

With goods like astrology-themed crystal sets bridging the gap between several new-age favorites, there’s no limit to what you can do with your unique talents and skills. Even if it’s not your cup of tea (or kombucha), why not consider tapping into this revolutionary industry?

And with most ecommerce and product sites already having hundreds of products to sell through their sites, one of the most common tasks for such sites to hire freelancers for, is to write the actual product description and sales copy for their audiences. Sure, it’s one thing to sell online, but it’s another to be able to write winning content that actually sells. This is where a huge opportunitity for freelancers lie.

Not only could such new jobs and opporrtunities prove lucrative, that could also be quite enlightening as well.

#2 Legal Cannabis and CBD

Another somewhat unorthodox (but promising) trend that’s blooming into a booming industry? 

To put things bluntly: Cannabis, baby (and CBD).

While marijuana is not fully legalized in every location in the US, it has become an incredibly lucrative industry in the areas where it’s legit.  

CBD enjoys an even further reach, as it is legal in more parts of the country. Whether you’re a writer, business consultant, or a CBD connoisseur yourself, what better industry than that of delicious and relaxing CBD vape juice and other magical concoctions? 

Outside of just traditional article writing, many freelancers are finding work in writing product descriptions, reviews, tutorials and FAQs for content on such sites as well. You can see a perfect example of this in the screenshot below.

Cannabis, CBD, and other related products are all part of a broader trend toward natural alternatives for healthy living. If you’ve already worked with wellness or lifestyle clients, it might be worth considering how much you can pack those experiences into this funky new joint.

#3 Personal and Business Management 

With the rising trend of entrepreneurship shifting the tides of the working world, freelance opportunities in business management—for both individuals and large corporations—are rapidly bubbling to the surface. If you have a skill, talent, or passion that you have yet to capitalize on, this industry could be just the place for your own business to blossom. 

Here are some ideas for making money with management gigs:

• Writers can apply their talents to legal writing, insurance contracts, email marketing campaigns, and web copy.
• Graphic designers can make a pretty penny revamping an influencer’s or business’s logo, website, or communications materials.
• Organizational experts can capitalize on Mari Kondo’s worldwide takeover and have a field day tidying up a busy parent’s cluttered office space. 
• Freelance computer programmers can find excellent opportunities optimizing a business’s website back-end, customer service app, or online store. 
• Business consultants can assist burgeoning startups with finding the right business insurance, drawing up contracts, and optimizing their workflow. 

And as highlighted in this legal writing tips article on FWG, you will soon realize that the opportunities within the world of legal, business and attorney work expands way beyond just technical writing. Such benefits and writing areas include.

#4 Technology and Cybersecurity

Whether you’re a Luddite or a total computer nerd, you know full well that the technology train is coming through, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon (chugga chugga, CHOO CHOO).

With this rapid explosion in technological progress comes an equally impactful boom in cyber-related problems, like national and personal security, privacy, and data storage. 

The demand for cybersecurity, data management, and information technology experts grows with every passing year—and that’s where you come in.

Here are some ways to take your freelancing skills into the virtual realm:

• Use your hardware and computer programming skills to reinforce a company’s network and streamline their data storage systems.
• Use your finance skills to implement new bookkeeping and supply chain software into a startup’s dashboard. 
• Use your legal and business skills to ensure regulatory compliance on the part of an older corporation trying to catch up to the times.
• Use your consulting skills to teach a local business how to better train, manage, and empower their small team.

When it comes to writing about anything in the technology and cybersecurity space, it’s not just the traditional concepts and methods that you might be thinking of. For businesses, security and tech is completely different than what it might mean for average internet users or site owners. Below you can see some of the most interesting and hot topics in the world of regulatory compliance, which are often getting passed along to high-end and well-trained freelancers that have experience in this space.

Improve Your Expertise and Writing to Secure More Freelance Gigs

Any one of these industries could be a great place to start or expand your business as a freelance writer, programmer, artist, consultant, or whatever else makes your heart sing. 

To narrow down your options, dust off your student hat and do some research. Read a handful of articles about each industry, and see what seems to stick. When you’ve found an industry that really speaks to you, reach out to smaller companies in that field and see what work you can find. We promise they won’t bite (unless they’re a Venus flytrap company—in that case, we can’t make any promises).  

Before long, you’ll have more work on your hands than you know what to do with.