Is the average rate for freelance engineers rising?

The June 2026 average is ¥785,000. While no direct MoM/YoY comparison is given, high-skill roles continue an upward trend.

Why is the AI engineer rate the highest?

Accelerated corporate AI adoption and a shortage of experts with advanced skills have caused a supply-demand imbalance, driving rates up.

What's behind the rising demand for Go language?

Go is a core language for cloud-native development, ideal for building scalable systems, leading to stable and growing demand.

Why are remote roles paid more than on-site?

Companies are hiring top talent nationwide and globally, offering higher rates to secure skilled freelancers with flexible work options.

Why is the consultant rate rising continuously?

As business challenges grow more complex, demand remains strong for expert consultants who support strategy and organizational change.

Average Monthly Rate for Freelance Engineers in June 2026 Reaches ¥785,000; AI Engineers Command Highest Rate at ¥1.98 Million

Published Jul 9, 2026 10:35 PM ・ Updated Jul 13, 2026 3:11 PM ・ 9 min read ・ Source: PR TIMES

Freelance Start, operated by En Corporation, has released its June 2026 survey on freelance engineer rates. The average monthly rate was ¥785,000, with AI engineers achieving the highest rate at ¥1.98 million.

En Corporation (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and Chairman: Michikatsu Ochii), operator of the freelance engineer job search engine 'Freelance Start' (https://freelance-start.com/), has compiled and analyzed data from all job listings on its site. The results for June 2026 are now available.

Survey Summary

The average monthly rate for freelance engineering jobs in June 2026 was ¥785,000.

As of the end of June 2026, the total number of listed jobs reached 408,133. The highest rate recorded was ¥1.98 million.

By occupation, the average rate for 'Consultants' rose for the fifth consecutive month. By development language, the average rate for 'Go' increased for the second consecutive month.

Analysis

A survey on the market rates for freelance engineers in June 2026 has been conducted. The results show an average monthly rate of ¥785,000 for freelance jobs, with 408,133 jobs listed as of the end of June 2026. The highest rate by occupation was ¥1.98 million for 'AI Engineers (Artificial Intelligence)'.

By occupation, the average rate for 'Consultants' rose for the fifth consecutive month, reaching ¥1,073,000 (+¥15,000, +1.4%). This sustained demand is likely due to companies facing increasingly complex and sophisticated management challenges, driving consistent demand for specialists with expert knowledge.

By development language, the average rate for 'Go' increased for the second consecutive month, reaching ¥910,000 (+¥4,000, +0.4%). This indicates stable and ongoing demand, as Go continues to serve as a core language supporting cloud-native development.

Regarding on-site versus remote jobs, remote jobs accounted for 31.6% of listings. The average rate difference between on-site and remote jobs was ¥21,000, with remote jobs (¥796,000) commanding higher rates than on-site jobs (¥775,000).

Freelance Start will continue to analyze market rate information to support freelance engineers in securing suitable projects.

(Toshiyuki Aiba, Business Leader, 'Freelance Start')

Detailed Survey Results

Top 15 Occupations by Average Monthly Rate

The top 15 occupations by average monthly rate show a mixed trend of increases and decreases this month. Despite this, the top two positions remain unchanged from last month: 1st place 'Consultant' (+¥15,000, +1.4%) and 2nd place 'Engineering Manager' (-¥28,000, -2.5%). Notably, 'Consultant' has seen five consecutive months of growth, indicating strong and persistent demand for roles directly tied to business growth and organizational strategy.

The May 2026 report is available here.

Top 15 Development Languages by Average Monthly Rate

The top 15 development languages by average monthly rate show that while all languages saw rate increases last month, this month presents a mixed picture of increases and decreases. Among them, 'Go' maintained its top position for the fourth consecutive month, with its rate rising for the second consecutive month to ¥910,000 (+¥4,000, +0.4%). This demonstrates consistently high and stable demand for Go as a core language in cloud-native development.

Top 15 Frameworks by Average Monthly Rate

The top 15 frameworks by average monthly rate suggest a shift from last month’s overall rate increases to a period of adjustment this month. Notably, 'Node.js' rose significantly from 8th to 3rd place. This increase is likely driven by growing demand in backend areas such as API development (+¥56,000, +7.2%).

Freelance Engineer Job Search Engine 'Freelance Start' https://freelance-start.com/

Launched in 2018, Freelance Start is Japan’s largest job search engine for freelance engineers, featuring the highest number of listings in the country. Engineers can cross-search job opportunities based on detailed criteria such as programming language, rate, work location, and job characteristics. Applications are completed in a single step. Additionally, users can check reviews and reputations of the agents introducing the jobs, supporting engineers in finding the best-matching opportunities.

Press Release Download

d725-1237-adf3025fd030a33d927f054a8c115c73.pdf

En Corporation

Public Relations TEL: 03-3342-6590 E-mail: [email protected] Keywords:

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Source: PR TIMES
Category: Survey

Average Monthly Rate for Freelance Engineers in June 2026 Reaches ¥785,000; AI Engineers Command Highest Rate at ¥1.98 Million

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