How to Become a Freelance Full Stack Developer in 2024

A freelancer is an independent contractor who works project-to-project and is paid by the job rather than as a salaried employee. The hours may be flexible, but in some cases the position will require working a traditional 40+ hour workweek for the duration of the project. Most freelancers work from home, though some jobs may require a bit of face time in the office, and often freelancers move from company to company, even working on multiple projects at the same time. 

As a freelance Full Stack Developer, you’ll be able to work with corporate entities, nonprofits, and government agencies alike. You should expect to work collaboratively with the rest of the development team, contribute to diverse initiatives, and be a part of the process when it comes to both brainstorming and feedback. Freelance work can be a great jumping-off point if you’re starting a new career, and an excellent way to gain experience while building up your portfolio.

What is a Full Stack Developer?

The job of a Full Stack Developer often involves managing the process of software development from the very beginning--and continuing to both maintain and upgrade the software once it has been launched. A Full Stack Developer will lean heavily on coding skills, and will also need to be comfortable working through the build and analyzing along the way. The development process is likely to include both oversight of program testing and feedback as well as follow-up with management as the testing progresses. Any changes that are needed will be implemented by the development team, and the process of testing and feedback will start over again.

While the back end development process relies on technical know-how, the front end process depends equally on an understanding of the needs and usage patterns of the intended audience. A Full Stack Developer should be comfortable with designing the graphical user interface, or GUI, that users will encounter and interact with directly. These elements include navigation menus, images, buttons, and graphs, along with other design elements. 

Full Stack Developers will engage with the entire web development team on a regular basis, including Designers, Project Managers, Product Managers, and any area-specific developers, whether Front End or Back End. Depending on the individual workplace and industry--anything from corporate to nonprofit to government agencies--a Full Stack Developer might be working in-house or remotely. Wherever they’re working, they’ll need to be easily accessible--web development is a fast moving field, and good communication is key to effective implementation and maintenance.

What is Full Stack Development Freelancing Like?

Check out any freelance Full Stack Developer posting on a job board and you’ll notice that no two positions are exactly alike. While some freelance roles will look like part-time jobs, others will have the feel of full-time, salaried positions, though often for a defined amount of time or for the duration of a particular project. 

Keep in mind that looking for a freelance position may also mean seeking out so-called “contract” work. A contracted position can involve a set number of weeks or months, during which you are under contract with that particular company or organization, often tied to a specific project and billed at an hourly wage. Working under a short-term contract can sometimes mean getting a foot in the door, which can lead to more short-term jobs at the same company or even a full-time Full Stack Developer position.

In contrast to contract work, true freelance positions for Full Stack Developers will require you to first figure out your bottom line, or the minimum acceptable rate you feel comfortable with for the work that you do. Once you determine how long the project will take you, you can calculate how much you’d like to charge. Be conscious of the differences between charging by the project and charging by the hour. 

Charging by the project will likely allow you more flexibility, and you won’t feel tied to the clock in the same way. You’ll want to make sure to be realistic about the workload, however, so that you don’t find yourself working hundreds of hours on something that should have been completed in fifty--at a certain point, you’re essentially working for free.

Charging by the hour, in some cases, may be standard for the client or industry you’re joining. If this is so, do the research. What hourly rate do people generally pay a Full Stack Developer with your level of experience and education? While you don’t want to make your fee impossibly high and cost yourself the job, you do want to be sure that you’re getting paid what you are worth. 

Understanding your own budgetary needs will be a big help in determining what to charge clients. If you know that you spend, say, $4000 a month on your household bills and expenses, you’ll want to make sure you are charging enough for each freelance project to cover that and then some--otherwise you’ll be underwater pretty quickly, or you’ll need to find another line of work.

Having said all this, in your communications with prospective clients, you’ll still want to remember their needs rather than your own. In other words, think about how your work will benefit the client and affect their bottom line, and be sure to tell them that. No one is looking to ameliorate the lives of their freelance workers right out of the gate: they want to see results. Reassure them that you’re the right person in the interview--then, if you get the job, you can work your tail off to prove yourself. See each position as a stepping stone: a way to build your portfolio and fill out your resume, an opportunity to make connections in the industry, and a chance to learn new skills and become a better developer overall. 

In some cases, the job itself may look like the perfect fit--but keep in mind that getting that job in the first place can be a challenge. The best-paying jobs may require four or more years of experience, and some may be linked to a physical office (remote within a certain state, for example, or a hybrid of in-office and remote). It’s important to keep looking for jobs that feel like a good fit--but also to focus on what you bring to the table when applying for positions. You may not know every framework or coding language, but if you highlight what you do know and your willingness to learn, you may have a shot at an interview and ultimately a job.

Also note that the level of education required may be flexible, particularly in a freelance position. If you don’t have a degree in computer science or information systems, look for descriptions that offer an alternative, like “equivalent education or work experience.”

To find freelance positions as a Full Stack Developer, it’s helpful to check out all the usual suspects like Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. Do get more granular, though, and try job boards that are specific to the tech industry. Indeed.com offers a great list of these tech-specific job boards with details that will help you narrow your search. Including the keyword “freelance” in your search can be helpful, but you may also consider leaving yourself open--who knows, you might find a full-time position that ticks all the boxes after all.

Is Full Stack Development Freelancing Right for Me?

Freelancing as a Full Stack Developer is the perfect fit for those who have the right temperament, are looking for a flexible schedule, and are open to working project to project. Temperament does matter: if you thrive on a structured lifestyle and prefer every day to feel exactly the same as the next, freelancing may not be right for you. A freelance Full Stack Developer can expect to work anywhere from a few weeks to a few months on the same project, and then move on to something else--or may juggle multiple clients at once, balancing vastly different projects even within the same day. There may even be weeks or months with no work, which can be jarring for those who prefer a routine and who feel untethered when they’re unemployed.

For many people, though, the dynamic nature of freelancing as a Full Stack Developer is a bonus. If you’re easily bored, or you like the challenge of regularly working with new teams or on new applications, freelancing will fit like a glove. A love of novelty will be helpful: experiencing different ways of working and learning on the job are a given when it comes to freelancing.

One skill that can be useful as a freelance Full Stack Developer is a personal one: learning how to budget. It can be helpful to take a big-picture view of your finances. First, consider how much money you need to make over the course of the year. From there, break down that number and determine how many jobs you’d have to take on--or how many hours you’d have to work--to get by. When the money is coming in, you’ll want to bank as much of it as possible; when you’re in the fallow weeks or months, you’ll need to be able to draw on that surplus to get you through. 

All this talk of budgeting can sound demoralizing, but a freelance Full Stack Developer can be quite well compensated. Scanning the job boards, you will find roles that pay between $60 and $80 an hour (though some are lower). Alternatively, depending on your level of education and experience, you may be able to negotiate a per-project rate that is quite competitive.

One major benefit of working freelance? You can choose the projects you work on and the companies you work for. This means that you can be picky about your clients, working with people that you like and respect. It also means you can create a work schedule that accommodates your life, rather than the other way around. If you always want to be freer in the summer to spend time with your children or to travel, for example, you can accept less work in the summer and more the rest of the year.

Working freelance as a Full Stack Developer is also a good way to phase in or out of your full-time career. If you’re just beginning, you can learn the ropes and work up to a full-time position, starting out in the industry with confidence that you know what you’re doing. Likewise, if you’re not quite ready to retire but are looking to slow down, taking on a few clients or projects can lighten your load without taking you out of the game completely. 

Steps to Become a Freelance Full Stack Developer

• The first step to becoming a Full Stack Developer is to gain an understanding of the foundational concepts in web development, which include CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. You’ll need to learn how to work with programming languages, databases, servers, and other technologies on the back end, and gain competency with frameworks and design/development tools on the front end. The question is: how to gain those skills in the first place?
• A degree in computer science at the undergraduate or graduate level can teach you all these skills, but it’s not the only path forward. If you have a degree in a different field or no degree at all, you can start by reading books and watching online tutorials. at a minimum, doing this will confirm whether the job feels interesting, challenging, and worthwhile for you. 
• If you have some competency with software engineering to begin with, self-guided Full Stack Developer courses may be enough to give you a basic understanding of the specific skills you’ll eventually need to master, with time and experience. 
• Beyond the self-taught approach, a Full Stack Developer boot camp can be a serious game changer as far as building a portfolio and equipping you with the skills needed to enter the industry.
• Once you’ve picked up the skills, you’ll need to put them in action by building that portfolio--something you could hand over to a potential client or a software firm. The portfolio is your calling card: a way to show prospective employers that you know what you’re doing.
• Portfolio in hand, it’s time to start looking for jobs. Tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific job you’re applying for, and be sure to seek out feedback from friends or colleagues who will be honest about what’s working and what’s not.
• Got an interview? Excellent--now it’s time to hit the books. Make sure you know exactly the type of projects you’ll be expected to work on, learning as much as possible about the company and the industry before you take the interview. Doing the research will help you feel prepared and will show the company or the client that you’re serious about working for them.

Learn Business Skills

In addition to learning the skills required of a full-time Full Stack Developer, freelancers will need to run their own business, so they’ll have to pick up those skills along the way, too. An understanding of personal finance and contract law can be helpful, along with social media marketing savvy. Thankfully, a Full Stack Developer will be well-equipped to design a website that can serve as a digital calling card--which is a skill you’ll want to draw on right from the start. Perhaps you’ll even find you need to hire contractors to help you run your business, which will mean learning about employment law and the tax code, among other things. 

Desktop

Noble Desktop’s award-winning Full Stack Web Developer Certificate program offers learners the hands-on training and industry-oriented expertise that will allow for a seamless transition into the software engineering and web development workforce. You’ll learn the fundamentals of coding both the infrastructure on the back end and the user-facing visuals on the front end. Expert instructors provide engaging, hands-on learning through projects that will ensure you both understand and retain the material--and that you stay interested throughout the session.

Noble Desktop’s certificate program offers several advantages, including its competitive pricing structure, flexible schedule, and options for in-person learning in New York City or remote from anywhere. The Full Stack Web Developer Certificate program represents a class bundle that’s offered at a 15 to 25% discount, and Noble Desktop is happy to provide an invoice if you’d like to seek tuition reimbursement from your employer. Plus, you can retake the class for free within a year, allowing you to brush up on your skills as needed.

Perhaps you’d like to start on a smaller scale--and that’s okay too. Rather than diving into the Full Stack Web Developer Certificate Program, you could begin with a boot camp that teaches individual programming languages, like Noble Desktop’s React Development Bootcamp, Flexbox, Grid, and Bootstrap class, or Web Development with HTML & CSS course. All three offer instruction on individual skill sets that can get you started, and help you determine if your interests are on the front end, back end, or both.

With the relevant training and experience, landing a role as a Full Stack Developer will be straightforward. Noble Desktop can help.