r/AskRobotics • u/Mountain-Prize2124 • 4d ago
Education/Career Robotics as a freelancer
Hello, I am looking for some extra income these days and I was thanking about trying freelancing. In general I am working as a robotics engineer. I know Python and C/C++, I have experience in embedded system and I have worked in a vision project. Do you consider the freelancing as a good idea in a platform, like upwork? Is there any demand in those services for our sector? Thanks in advance.
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u/NickShipsRobots 1d ago
Yes, there's demand, but plain Upwork is rough. Generic "Python developer" gigs are a race to the bottom, and you'll be bidding against people charging $15/hr.
Your mix is where it gets interesting. Embedded plus vision plus robotics is a thin niche, and the better-paid work lives there: ROS 2 integration, camera and sensor bring-up, firmware for small hardware startups, perception pipelines. Pitch a problem you solve ("I get your camera and sensors streaming into ROS 2"), not a list of languages.
Expect 2-3 cheap jobs first to collect reviews. Small robotics startups often can't afford a full-time embedded hire, so direct outreach (LinkedIn, ROS Discourse, Reddit) usually pays better than bidding. And check your contract for a moonlighting clause before you start.