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Highest rates for IT architect and management roles

Freelancers benefit not only from a larger supply of AI assignments but also from higher hourly rates. Roles requiring AI expertise are among the best-paid ICT assignments. For instance, enterprise architects earn an average of €127 per hour, followed by security architects (€125) and information managers (€122). These high rates are not an isolated phenomenon: in 2025, the average hourly rate for ICT professionals will exceed €100 per hour for the first time. This is an increase of 4.7 percent compared to a year earlier.

Geert-Jan Waasdorp, CEO of Intelligence Group: 'The demand for AI skills is currently growing much faster in the flexible market than in permanent positions. Organizations are increasingly employing external professionals to develop and implement AI applications more quickly on a project basis. This makes the flexible workforce an important driver of innovation. And for professionals, AI knowledge and expertise lead to higher rates.'

Also read: Freelance in IT in 2026: opportunity for specialists

Microservices and OpenShift are growing in popularity

In addition to AI, the demand for other specialized ICT skills among external professionals is also increasing. Particularly, development and application skills are showing a strong increase. For example, the demand for microservices rose by 158 percent, while relational databases and the container platform OpenShift both increased by 128 percent.

At the same time, the assignment market is becoming more competitive. Between the end of 2024 and the end of 2025, the number of assignments for external professionals decreased by nearly twenty percent. The number of freelancers has declined by eight percent during the same period, and of all employed ICT professionals, 68 percent now have a permanent contract – two percent more than at the end of 2024.

'AI is changing both the work of ICT professionals and the way organizations hire talent,' says Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group. 'Organizations are looking for professionals who can immediately apply new technology in existing systems and processes. For freelancers and professionals employed by suppliers, this presents enormous opportunities, provided they continue to develop their specialized skills and clearly position themselves in the market.'

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