April 2026 Freelance Engineer Average Monthly Rate: 772,000 Yen. 'Consultant' Average Rate Rises for 3 Consecutive Months by Job Type

En-Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Chairman & President: Michikatsu Ochi) operates 'Freelance Start' (https://freelance-start.com/), a job search engine for freelance engineers. The platform aggregates and analyzes information from all job postings listed on the site. We are pleased to announce the compiled results for April 2026.

**Survey Results Overview**

The average monthly rate for freelance projects in April 2026 was 772,000 yen.

As of the end of April 2026, the number of listed projects was 425,008. The highest rate was 4.8 million yen.

By job type, the average rate for 'Consultants' increased for the third consecutive month. For development languages, a general downward trend in rates continued.

**Analysis**

We conducted a survey on the compensation market for freelance engineers in April 2026. The survey results show that the average monthly rate for freelance projects in April was 772,000 yen, and the number of listed projects as of the end of April 2026 was 425,008. The highest rate by job type was 4.8 million yen for 'Consultants.'

By job type, the average rate for 'Consultants' increased for the third consecutive month, reaching 1.051 million yen (+1,000 yen / 0.1% increase). This is likely due to the continued high demand for specialized knowledge in corporate DX promotion and business strategy.

For development languages, the downward trend in rates continued from the previous month. This is thought to be not only due to seasonal factors but also because the previously leading demand has settled, and companies are shifting to pricing based more on actual demand.

Regarding trends in on-site and remote projects, the listing ratio for remote projects was 32.7%. The compensation difference between on-site and remote projects was 5,000 yen (on-site: 771,000 yen, remote: 776,000 yen), with remote projects showing higher rates.

We will continue to analyze compensation market information as a support site for freelance engineers to secure projects.

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

**Toshiyuki Aiba, Business Manager, 'Freelance Start'**

**Survey Results Details**

**Average Monthly Rates by Job Type (Top 15)**

Looking at the average monthly rates by job type (top 15), high-ranking job types such as 'Consultant' (1st place) and 'VPoE' (2nd place) continue to maintain high-rate levels. These roles, responsible for solving management issues and strengthening technical organizations, are considered indispensable for the sustainable growth of companies. Therefore, they are less affected by economic fluctuations or short-term trends, leading to persistent demand (Consultant: +1,000 yen / 0.1% increase, VPoE: -10,000 yen / 1.1% decrease).

'Engineering Manager' (4th place) also showed an upward trend over the past four months, and this month it remained stable at a high level of 924,000 yen. It is presumed that the high demand for talent responsible for improving the performance of development organizations is becoming established in the freelance market (-1,000 yen / 0.1% decrease).

Please refer to the March 2026 report here.

**Average Monthly Rates by Development Language (Top 15)**

Looking at the average monthly rates by development language (top 15), there was a general decline in rates compared to the previous month, although the fluctuation range was small. It is believed that the market is in a transitional period where temporary trends are settling, and it is shifting to a stable period based on actual demand. Even amidst this, 'Go language' (1st place) maintained its position for the second consecutive month. This is presumed to be because 'Go language' is widely adopted in areas that form the foundation of systems, such as web service backends and cloud infrastructure (-12,000 yen / 1.3% decrease).

**Average Monthly Rates by Framework (Top 15)**

Looking at the average monthly rates by framework (top 15), there was a gentle adjustment phase continuing from the previous month, with rate fluctuations stabilizing for many frameworks. Even amidst this, 'Ruby on Rails' (1st place) maintained its position for the second consecutive month. The background to this is its mature ecosystem and high reliability brought by extensive実績 (track record). The stability backed by years of experience is thought to be creating resilient demand that is not swayed by transient trends (-4,000 yen / 0.5% decrease).

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

Service launched in 2018. It is Japan's largest job search engine for freelance engineers, listing the most freelance engineer projects in Japan.

It allows cross-sectional searching for freelance engineer project information based on detailed desired conditions such as development language, rates, work location, and project characteristics. Applications can be completed in one stop. Furthermore, reviews and reputations of agents introducing projects can also be checked. It supports finding the most suitable projects for oneself.