10 best gig economy jobs

The “gig economy,” or independent contracting employment, jumped in the United States to 18% in 2014 from 12% in 2004, and is expected to continue to grow in popularity. By 2020 close to 40% of the U.S. workforce is expected to be comprised of independent contractors, according to Intuit, a financial and accounting software developer.

While there are risks for employees to move to an independent contacting position, such as a lack of healthcare benefits, others find those jobs and its perks, including remote work, appealing.

Job search site CareerCast analyzed wage and growth outlook data for the gig economy to rank the 10 best gigs for this year. Wages and projected growth outlooks through 2024 are culled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reflect averages and projections across part-time, freelance and full-time positions.