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Big Markets, Unsteady Pay: Where Gig Work Really Stands Out Across America

August 17, 2026

Big Markets, Unsteady Pay: Where Gig Work Really Stands Out Across America

A market’s business activity and employee wages tell different stories. The number of businesses without paid employees reflects one part of the local economy, while payroll data show what covered employees are paid. Neither measure, on its own, tells us how much a freelancer earns or how consistently work is available.

Giggster examined the 30 largest U.S. metro areas using three separate comparisons: variation in average weekly payroll wages in the independent artists, writers and performers industry; an hourly wage benchmark across five selected occupations; and the number of businesses without paid employees in the same industry. The results describe these different parts of the market, not an overall ranking of the best places for gig workers.

View our full methodology and breakdown here.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

  • Average payroll wage variation was 35% across the 26 eligible metros. Minneapolis recorded the lowest observed variation at 9%, while Tampa recorded the highest at 139%. These figures describe variation in industry payroll averages, not individual earnings stability.

  • The Typical Hourly Pay benchmark averaged about $33 across the 29 qualifying metros. The Washington, D.C., metro had the highest calculated benchmark at $52, while Pittsburgh had the lowest at $22. The occupation mix used to calculate the benchmark differs between metros.

  • New York had the most businesses without paid employees in the independent artists, writers, and performers industry, with 106.2K businesses. Los Angeles followed with 93.4K and Chicago with 30.8K.

  • The Washington, D.C., metro ranked highly across the three separate measures. It had the highest calculated hourly wage benchmark, the fourth-lowest observed payroll wage variation, and the fifth-largest industry business count. No overall score was calculated.

Minneapolis Records the Lowest Payroll Wage Variation, Tampa the Highest

What the Data Shows:

  • Minneapolis recorded the lowest payroll wage variation among the 26 eligible metros, at 9%, compared with the 35% average.

  • Tampa recorded the highest payroll wage variation, at 139%. Across the available quarters, average weekly wages for employees in the industry ranged from about $0.9K to $13.6K.

  • Three California metros appeared among the 10 with the highest payroll wage variation: Los Angeles ranked second-highest, Riverside fifth-highest, and San Diego sixth-highest. All three recorded variation of at least 39%.

Washington, D.C., Leads the Report’s Hourly Wage Benchmark

What the Data Shows:

  • The Washington, D.C., metro had the highest calculated hourly wage benchmark, at $52, followed by Atlanta at $49 and Seattle at $46.

  • Pittsburgh had the lowest calculated benchmark, at $22, followed by Tampa at $23. Phoenix, Orlando, and St. Louis each had a benchmark of about $24.

  • The results describe employee wage estimates, not freelance rates or annual earnings. A higher hourly figure does not establish how much paid work is available.

New York Leads Business Counts for Independent Artists, Writers and Performers

What the Data Shows:

  • New York had the largest business count in the industry, with 106.2K nonemployer businesses, followed by Los Angeles with 93.4K and Chicago with 30.8K.

  • Los Angeles had the highest industry share among the metros displayed. About 7% of its businesses without paid employees were classified in the independent artists, writers and performers industry.

  • Eight of the 10 largest industry business markets had at least 20K businesses, while none of the 10 smallest exceeded 10.1K.

Key Terms

Metro Area

A metro area includes a principal city and nearby communities connected through employment and economic activity. Metro names in this report refer to the full metropolitan area, not only the central city.

Payroll Wage Variation

Payroll Wage Variation measures how much quarterly average weekly payroll wages varied across the available study period. Lower percentages indicate less variation in the observed industry averages, while higher percentages indicate greater variation. It does not measure changes in an individual worker’s or freelancer’s income, and available quarter coverage may differ between metros.

Average Weekly Payroll Wage

Average Weekly Payroll Wage refers to the average payroll wage per covered employee per week during a quarter. It is based on private-sector payroll data and does not represent individual freelance, self-employed, or gig-platform earnings.

Average Weekly Payroll Wage Range

Average Weekly Payroll Wage Range shows the lowest and highest quarterly average weekly payroll wages observed for a metro during the available study period. It is a range of industry averages, not a range of earnings for individual workers.

Typical Hourly Pay

Typical Hourly Pay is a report-calculated measure based on the median of the available occupation-level median hourly employee wages in each metro. Occupation coverage differs by metro, so the benchmark is not a like-for-like comparison of the same set of jobs. It does not represent the median earnings of all workers or freelancers in a metro.

Selected Occupations

The hourly wage analysis includes writers and authors; artists and related workers, all other; actors; photographers; and musicians and singers. The wage estimates cover employees and exclude self-employed workers.

Highest-Paying Occupation

Highest-Paying Occupation refers to the occupation with the highest available median hourly employee wage among the selected occupations in each metro.

Businesses Without Paid Employees

This measure counts Census nonemployer businesses classified in the independent artists, writers, and performers industry. The figures count businesses, not individual freelancers, and one person may operate more than one business.

Business Share

Business Share is the percentage of all nonemployer businesses in a metro that are classified in the independent artists, writers, and performers industry.

Nonemployer Business

A nonemployer business is a business with no paid employees. These businesses may be operated by self-employed individuals or other business owners. The figures do not represent a direct count of individual freelancers.

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Methodology

This report compares employee wage patterns and nonemployer business activity across the 30 largest U.S. metro areas. The three measures cover different populations: payroll employees in the independent artists, writers and performers industry; employees in five selected occupations; and businesses without paid employees in that industry. Each category was analyzed and ranked separately. The report does not directly measure freelance or gig-worker earnings and does not produce an overall metro ranking.

Industry Payroll Wage Variation

This category measures how much quarterly average weekly payroll wages varied for private-sector establishments in the independent artists, writers and performers industry.

Data was retrieved from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for 2019 and 2022 through 2024.

Industry: NAICS 7115, Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers.

The study period included quarterly data from 2019 and 2022 through 2024. Data from 2020 and 2021 were excluded because pandemic-related shutdowns and unusual demand patterns could distort longer-term comparisons.

To calculate Payroll Wage Variation:

  • Quarterly average weekly payroll wages were collected for each metro.
  • Payroll Wage Variation was calculated using the coefficient of variation across the available quarterly observations.
  • Metros were ranked from lowest to highest Payroll Wage Variation using unrounded figures.
  • Lower percentages indicate less variation in quarterly industry payroll averages, while higher percentages indicate greater variation.

The calculation was: Payroll Wage Variation = population standard deviation of available quarterly average weekly wages ÷ mean of those wages × 100.

Metros needed at least eight published quarters to qualify. Twenty-six metros met this requirement. Seattle, Philadelphia, Detroit and Portland were not ranked because they had fewer than eight available quarters.

Available quarter coverage differs between qualifying metros, so the ranking is not based on an identical set of quarterly observations for every metro. Payroll Wage Variation describes changes in industry averages and does not measure individual income stability.

Hourly Wage Benchmark

This category compares published median hourly employee wages across five selected occupations.

Data was retrieved from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for 2025.

The occupations studied were:

  • Writers and Authors
  • Artists and Related Workers, All Other
  • Actors
  • Photographers
  • Musicians and Singers

To calculate Typical Hourly Pay:

  • The published median hourly employee wage was collected for each available occupation.
  • The median of the available occupation-level median hourly wages was calculated for each metro.
  • Metros were ranked from highest to lowest based on Typical Hourly Pay using unrounded figures.

Metros needed published median wage data for at least three of the five occupations to qualify. Twenty-nine metros met this requirement. San Francisco was excluded because published median wages were available for only two occupations.

Occupation coverage differs by metro, so Typical Hourly Pay is a report-calculated benchmark rather than a like-for-like comparison of the same set of occupations in every metro. The measure is not weighted by employment and does not represent the median wage of the combined workforce.

Highest-Paying Occupation identifies the occupation with the highest available published median hourly employee wage among the five occupations studied in each metro.

Independent Arts Business Counts

This category measures businesses without paid employees in the independent artists, writers and performers industry.

Data was retrieved from the U.S. Census Bureau Nonemployer Statistics for 2022.

Industry: NAICS 7115, Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers.

Businesses Without Paid Employees refers to Census nonemployer businesses classified in this industry. The figures count businesses, not individual freelancers, and one person may operate more than one business.

Metros were ranked from highest to lowest based on their unrounded business counts.

Business Share was calculated as: businesses without paid employees in the independent artists, writers and performers industry ÷ all nonemployer businesses in the metro × 100.

Business Share shows how much of each metro's broader nonemployer business market was classified in this industry. It does not measure the percentage of residents who freelance or the availability of freelance work.

Ranking Convention

Each category was ranked separately. The tables display the highest and lowest results for the measure being analyzed.

Rankings were calculated using unrounded figures. Metros displaying the same rounded value are not necessarily tied.

Things to Keep in Mind

The wage figures measure employees, not freelance contract income, self-employed earnings or gig-platform earnings. The business figures measure nonemployer businesses in one industry. These datasets describe different populations and should not be interpreted as measuring the same workers.

Payroll Wage Variation reflects changes in industry averages. Bonuses, payment timing and changes in the mix of employees can affect those averages. The analysis does not track individual income stability or establish the causes of the observed variation.

Available quarter coverage differs between metros in the payroll wage analysis. Metros needed at least eight published quarters to qualify, but qualifying metros do not necessarily have data for the same quarters.

Typical Hourly Pay is based on the available occupational median wages in each metro. Because occupation coverage differs, the benchmark is not a like-for-like comparison of an identical set of jobs. It also does not account for local living costs, employment levels, hours worked or job availability.

Data availability and reference years differ across the three measures. A larger business count, lower payroll wage variation or higher Typical Hourly Pay benchmark does not establish better conditions for freelancers, and the report does not identify an overall best metro for gig workers.