Made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is the world’s fifth largest economy. Despite its rich history in manufacturing and industry, the UK economy has undergone a change from being manufacturing-led to services-led. Services now make up 73% of UK GDP. This, coupled with high standards of education and university attendance rates, means that the country is home to a large number of talented and educated freelancers.

Culturally, the United Kingdom is diverse. This is largely due to its former imperial status and the political union between the countries that make up the Kingdom. The island nation has produced cultural greats such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Turner, Hitchcock, Bacon, and the Beatles.

The United Kingdom is currently undergoing a slow political and economic transformation as a result of the population’s decision to leave the European Union. This decision has led to sterling falling against major world currencies such as the US Dollar and Euro. The EU referendum decision has led to a trend of educated metropolitan workers and freelancers looking outwards to the wider world for employment opportunities. The country now has over 1.91 million freelancers working across a variety of sectors, this is up 36% since 2008. Trends suggest that as the millennial population ages, the number of freelancers will increase as individuals look to improve work-life balance with flexible employment.

Top Skills

The United Kingdom has the highest percentage of degree-educated citizens in Europe, at 38%. The country is home to some of the world’s leading academic institutions including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both of which have histories that stretch back over 800 years. The workforce is largely highly-educated with many possessing in-demand technical qualifications and skills in areas such as marketing and software development.

Due to a fall in sterling after the EU referendum decision, the cost of UK exports has fallen by around 15%. This means that UK-based freelancers are increasingly looking for overseas clients in order to increase their take-home pay without raising their charge rates.

The UK has a vast number of highly-educated web developers, graphic designers, writers, and translators available for freelance work. The country’s strong financial services background also means that it has a large number of accounting and financial auditing freelancers able to offer their services to clients around the world.

Income Range

• Average salary in 2015 was £27,600
  • Approximately $35,941
• The average salary for a software developer is £30,633
  • Approximately $39,879

Currency

• British Pound
• Exchange rate - $1 = $0.77

Currency Transfer

• PayPal
• Transferwise

The United Kingdom has an advanced banking system which means that unlike other countries, it is a safe to make direct deposits from overseas.