Insights for AWS contractors
Insights for AWS contractors
Insights for AWS contractors
Contractor workload
7 months
Longest contract length:
3 years
Average number of
current clients: 3
Percentage of freelancers only working for one client: 38%
Are contractors traveling
for work?
How to increase your contract rate
Contractor workload
The freelancers that took part in our survey work an average of 40 hours a week, although this varies between 7 and 70 hours per week.
Longest contract length:
3 years
Percentage of freelancers that have worked on projects that have lasted 12 months or more: 19%
Average number of
current clients: 3
Percentage of freelancers only working for one client: 38%
Are contractors traveling for work?
How to increase your contract rate
Contractor workload
The freelancers that took part in our survey work an average of 40 hours a week, although this varies between 7 and 70 hours per week.
Longest contract length:
3 years
Percentage of freelancers that have worked on projects that have lasted 12 months or more: 19%
Average number of
current clients: 3
Percentage of freelancers only working for one client: 38%
Are contractors traveling for work?
How to increase your contract rate
Attraction and retention
What makes a contractor accept
a contract offer?
| Earning potential | 71% |
| Ability to work remotely | 68% |
| Technologies used in project | 57% |
| Duration of project | 42% |
| Flexible hours | 38% |
| Management philosophy | 32% |
| Complexity of project | 25% |
| The industry the project/organization is in | 23% |
| Size of project | 22% |
| Quality standards | 13% |
| Other | 4% |
What are the key attributes you need
to be a contractor?
We asked contractors what the most important qualities are that are needed to succeed as a self-employed AWS professional, and the top responses were:
52%
(e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict management)
51%
Technical expertise
49%
Adaptability
44%
General experience in the technology industry
What challenges do you face working as a contractor?
| Finding new customers | 45% |
| Work-life balance | 30% |
| There is lots of competition | 28% |
| Unrealistic expectations of clients | 27% |
| Networking | 24% |
| Clients changing the scope of a project | 23% |
| Time management | 20% |
| Late customer payments/invoicing | 18% |
| Lack of communication from clients | 15% |
| What to do in periods of no work | 15% |
| Keeping up to date with admin | 7% |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because it's unsuitable | 6% |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because I already have enough work | 6% |
| Procrastination/motivation | 3% |
| None | 10% |
| Other | 4% |
Attraction and retention
What makes a contractor accept a contract offer?
| Earning potential | 71% |
| Ability to work remotely | 68% |
| Technologies used in project | 57% |
| Duration of project | 42% |
| Flexible hours | 38% |
| Management philosophy | 32% |
| Complexity of project | 25% |
| The industry the project/organization is in | 23% |
| Size of project | 22% |
| Quality standards | 13% |
| Other | 4% |
What are the key attributes you need to be a contractor?
We asked contractors what the most important qualities are that are needed to succeed as a self-employed AWS professional, and the top responses were:
52%
(e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict management)
51%
Technical expertise
49%
Adaptability
44%
General experience in the technology industry
What challenges do you face working as a contractor?
| Finding new customers | 45% |
| Work-life balance | 30% |
| There is lots of competition | 28% |
| Unrealistic expectations of clients | 27% |
| Networking | 24% |
| Clients changing the scope of a project | 23% |
| Time management | 20% |
| Late customer payments/invoicing | 18% |
| Lack of communication from clients | 15% |
| What to do in periods of no work | 15% |
| Keeping up to date with admin | 7% |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because it's unsuitable | 6% |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because I already have enough work | 6% |
| Procrastination/motivation | 3% |
| None | 10% |
| Other | 4% |
Attraction and retention
What makes a contractor accept a contract offer?
| Earning potential | 71% |
| Ability to work remotely | 68% |
| Technologies used in project | 57% |
| Duration of project | 42% |
| Flexible hours | 38% |
| Management philosophy | 32% |
| Complexity of project | 25% |
| The industry the project/organization is in | 23% |
| Size of project | 22% |
| Quality standards | 13% |
| Other | 4% |
What are the key attributes you need to be a contractor?
We asked contractors what the most important qualities are that are needed to succeed as a self-employed AWS professional, and the top responses were:
52%
(e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict management)
51%
Technical expertise
49%
Adaptability
44%
General experience in the technology industry
What challenges do you face working as a contractor?
| Finding new customers | 45% |
| Work-life balance | 30% |
| There is lots of competition | 28% |
| Unrealistic expectations of clients | 27% |
| Networking | 24% |
| Clients changing the scope of a project | 23% |
| Time management | 20% |
| Late customer payments/invoicing | 18% |
| Lack of communication from clients | 15% |
| What to do in periods of no work | 15% |
| Keeping up to date with admin | 7% |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because it's unsuitable | 6% |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because I already have enough work | 6% |
| Procrastination/motivation | 3% |
| None | 10% |
| Other | 4% |
Conclusion
Contracting continues to be a popular option for AWS professionals, with the added flexibility, autonomy, and earning potential understandably appealing to many.
With permanent professionals demonstrating a common desire for remote working, it’s hardly surprising that almost three fifths (59%) of freelancers in control of their own working arrangements never or rarely travel for work.
This spells good news for AWS customers; the growing popularity of remote contracts means you’re not bound to geographical restrictions when searching for your next freelance professional. Of course, the same applies to freelancers; remote contracts grant you the freedom of working with clients across the globe, meaning the possibilities for your next job are, in theory, all but endless. However, with 45% reporting that finding new customers is the biggest challenge they face as a contractor and a further 28% reporting that there is a lot of competition, things are perhaps not quite so easy in practice, demonstrating the value of building long-lasting client relationships and networking as a freelance AWS professional.
Yet despite this, little over a quarter (27%) of contractors report commercial awareness as a key attribute you need to succeed, with soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict management (52%) coming out on top. That’s not to undersell the importance of technical expertise (51%), which ranked a close second.
Our key findings report contains highlights from this year’s Careers and Hiring Guide, plus our salary tables allow you to compare your salary or benchmark your teams’ salaries no matter their role in the AWS ecosystem.
Our key findings report contains highlights from this year’s Careers and Hiring Guide, plus our salary tables allow you to compare your salary or benchmark your teams’ salaries no matter their role in the AWS ecosystem.
Our key findings report contains highlights from this year’s Careers and Hiring Guide, plus our salary tables allow you to compare your salary or benchmark your teams’ salaries no matter their role in the AWS ecosystem.
