

What are the most lucrative specialties for freelance software development? - wmnwmn

I&#x27;m finding that making $80-$100&#x2F;hr is reasonably easy as a freelancer, doing standard things like client&#x2F;server. This is quite fine but I&#x27;m wondering what are people&#x27;s opinions on more specialized skills to acquire and&#x2F;or niches to target. Personally I have a strong math background and was formerly doing bioinformatics, so I have a certain sort of &quot;big data&quot; experience, but I&#x27;m not sure how to parlay that into a more premium freelance niche.
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raincom
Money is not there with smallish clients. You should work for F500 companies
as a C2C contractor. In the silicon valley, most jobs tend to be contract to
hire. It is common to see 6 to 12 months contract gigs in the vallet. Wheras
on the east coast, long term contracts (like 3 years) is very common.

If you are in the valley, GE San Ramon is hiring lots of big data guys. I know
via an external recruiter that some big data architects are making $135 per
hour C2C. Sure, they may ask you to become full time; however, if you talk to
the hiring managers, they can keep extending the contract.

Here is how you shud do: 1\. Stop working on 1099/W2 contracting crap 2\. Do
C2C with the primary vendors, which requires Incorporation docs, tax-id and
$400 Insurance per year from that techinsurance 3\. Some companies dont like
subcontracting. So, primary vendors want you on W2, and you simply say No to
those primary vendors. 4\. Some vendors, even if the client insists on W2
subcontracting, are happy to give you C2C, by telling the client that you are
on W2. 5\. Yes, feel the market for rates. You can easily charge $125 per her
C2C in the valley with all big data drama: kafka, camus, java, etc.

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wmnwmn
Interesting, well I already have an LLC that I intended for use for my
business, but then it didn't seem like it would make any difference. But
you're saying contract with larger clients basically as if I am a consulting
firm even though the only employee is me.

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raincom
1\. Basically, larger companies don't like to have you as a direct
consultant/contractor. In other words, these companies do business with a set
of staffing companies (called primary vendors), or through a contingent
workforce management solution (a super vendor, who sources
contractors/consultants through other staffing companies).

2\. Yes, you are the only employee for your LLC. But you are contracting with
a primary vendor, who will place you at the end client (a fortune 500 company,
for instance).

3\. Contracting rates are not that great, esp if you are shooting for a longer
contract. In other words, working for google/apple/fb as full time is better
than a string of shorter contracts. There is an inverse relationship between
the contract rate and the contract length. Even large companies have
restrictions of having the same contractor for more than two years.

