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Most Popular Side Jobs in Spain: Boost Your Income While Living Abroad
LikeIf you're dreaming of a life under the Spanish sun, freelancing could be your perfect match. Spain’s relaxed vibe, rich culture, and affordable cost of living make it a dream destination for UK expats. With the rise of remote work and flexible side gigs, freelancing lets you work on your terms, all while soaking in the beauty and charm of Spain. It’s the ideal way to enjoy a balanced life and explore a new chapter abroad.
In this blog, we’ll dive into some of the most popular freelance opportunities, explore their earning potential, and share key insights to help you get started.
Key Findings
- Life coaching is the highest-paying freelance job, with potential annual earnings of up to €84,180 (£70,111). Life coaching is one of the highest-paying freelance jobs because personal development services are getting more popular. Especially among influencers, celebrities, and high-net-worth individuals, who are willing to invest significantly in expert guidance for personal and professional growth.
- Freelance logistics managers in Spain can earn an average of €53 (£44) per hour, one of the highest hourly rates.
- Freelancing is becoming more popular, with Google searches for "freelance" growing by 22.22% from 2023 to 2024 in Spain.
- Freelance private tutoring is a popular option for UK expats, especially considering the opportunity to teach English in Spain, offering annual earnings of up to €7,445 (£6200) for just 5 hours of work per week.
Why Consider Freelancing in Spain?
Spain is increasingly popular with freelancers and digital nomads due to better support for remote work and visa options like the Digital Nomad Visa. For UK citizens, freelancing in Spain offers a great mix: a stable income and the chance to enjoy a new culture.
Interestingly, the average monthly searches for the keyword “freelance” increased by 22.22% from 2023 to 2024. This shows the growing interest to have extra income while living abroad. For expats, freelancing can be a great option if you want to have a good work-life balance.
Most Popular Side Hustles in Spain with Earnings
Based on data from freelancing platforms such as Upwork, Payscale, and Glassdoor, here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular side jobs in Spain for expats, along with their potential annual earnings:
| Freelance Position | Annual Earnings Range (GBP) | Annual Earnings Range (EUR) | Average Hourly Rate |
| Logistics Managers | £6,466.92 – £15,349.92 | €7,748.40 – €18,397.80 | €53.36 |
| Software Developers | £5,784.92 – £14,231.92 | €6,930.40 – €17,051.20 | €9.20 – €92.00 |
| HR Consultants | £5,614.92 – £13,698.92 | €6,725.20 – €16,406.40 | €26.68 – €69.00 |
| Business Development Representatives | £5,572.92 – £12,241.92 | €6,671.60 – €14,669.50 | €27.60 – €59.80 |
| Financial Advisors | £5,558.92 – £13,844.92 | €6,654.00 – €16,596.00 | €27.60 – €69.00 |
| Content Marketing Managers | £4,357.92 – £10,108.92 | €5,219.60 – €12,106.80 | €22.08 – €55.20 |
| Freelance Event Planners | £4,025.92 – £7,634.92 | €4,820.70 – €9,154.00 | €23.60 – €33.80 |
| Marketing Strategists | £3,990.92 – £10,108.92 | €4,776.00 – €12,106.80 | €18.40 – €55.20 |
| Content Creators | £3,990.92 – £9,120.92 | €4,776.00 – €10,932.00 | €23.00 – €50.60 |
| Project Managers | £3,729.92 – £8,634.92 | €4,468.60 – €10,342.80 | €17.48 – €41.40 |
| Data Analysts | £3,563.92 – £7,684.92 | €4,268.40 – €9,212.40 | €18.40 – €46.00 |
| Product Designers | £3,563.92 – £7,684.92 | €4,268.40 – €9,212.40 | €18.40 – €46.00 |
| Tutors | £2,939.92 – £6,208.92 | €3,522.60 – €7,445.40 | €18.40 – €36.80 |
| Sales Representatives | £2,849.92 – £8,524.92 | €3,413.10 – €10,208.60 | €12.00 – €36.80 |
| Social Media Managers | £2,349.92 – £5,548.92 | €2,811.30 – €6,650.30 | €12.88 – €32.20 |
| Web Developers | £2,115.92 – £4,374.92 | €2,535.90 – €5,239.80 | €13.80 – €27.60 |
| Life Coaches | £14,049.92 – £70,249.92 | €16,836.00 – €84,180.00 | €46.00 – €230.00 |
| Customer Support Representatives | £1,646.92 – £2,499.92 | €1,973.10 – €2,993.90 | €9.20 – €13.80 |
Tips for Freelancers in Spain
- Learn the Basics of Spanish: While many jobs cater to English speakers, knowing Spanish will open more doors. You can consider finding a Spanish tutor to teach you the basics.
- Understand the Bureaucracy: Registering as an "autónomo" is essential for legal freelancing in Spain. Research the tax obligations to avoid surprises.
- Use Local and Global Platforms: Use platforms like Tus Clases Particulares, Fiverr, and Upwork to find side jobs like private tutoring both in Spain and internationally.
- Choose Your City Wisely: Popular cities like Barcelona and Madrid can be competitive and have high living costs. Consider choosing a city that fits your lifestyle and budget.
- Freelance Full-Time for Greater Earnings: If you're considering freelancing full-time, keep in mind that you can earn significantly more than the part-time estimates in this article. The calculations are based on working just 5 hours per week, so your full-time income could be much higher.
To summarise, In Spain, freelancing presents an exciting chance to combine employment with a change of lifestyle. Side jobs can help you achieve your dream of living abroad.
Methodology
To estimate earnings and analyse trends, we compiled data from freelancing platforms such as Upwork, Payscale, and Glassdoor. Here’s how we calculated these figures:
To convert these rates to euros (€) and pounds (£), we used the current exchange rates: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR = 0.78 GBP (subject to market fluctuation).
To estimate annual income for freelancers, we used the following assumptions:
- Weekly Hours Worked: 5 hours/week
- Annual Weeks Worked: 49 weeks/year (accounting for 3 weeks of unpaid holidays)
- Total Annual Hours: 5 hours/week × 49 weeks = 245 hours/year
- Annual Earnings Formula:
- Total annual hours × average hourly rate (converted to euros)
- Hourly Rate in EUR=Hourly Rate in USD×0.92
- Annual Earnings in EUR=Hourly Rate in EUR×245
These estimations reflect average conditions for part-time freelancing.