Female freelancers in the Netherlands outearned men for first time in 2024
For the first time, female freelancers in the Netherlands earned more per hour than male freelancers in 2024, according to data analyzed by HR service providers HeadFirst Group and Intelligence Group. Women’s average hourly income reached 25.90 euros, surpassing men’s 25.10 euros.
The findings contrast sharply with salaried employment, where women still earn 10.5 percent less per hour than men. In traditional employment, men earn 30.32 euros per hour on average, compared with 27.15 euros for women.
The analysis, based on CBS statistics, examined the incomes of roughly 1.3 million self-employed individuals in the Netherlands, of whom 62 percent are men and 38 percent are women. Researchers divided total income by the number of hours worked to calculate hourly rates.
HeadFirst Group’s Marion van Happen said market forces are a key reason for the earnings gap reversal among freelancers. “In salaried positions, wages are often determined by pay scales, job evaluations, and internal negotiations, which still tend to favor men. For freelancers, scarcity drives rates,” she said.
Van Happen noted that many female freelancers work in sectors with labor shortages, such as healthcare and government. “Typical male-dominated fields, like IT, face rate pressure due to AI advancements. The composition of the freelancer population also matters: women tend to enter freelancing later in their careers and often hold higher qualifications,” she said.
The gender wage gap
When adjusting for job type and individual characteristics, male freelancers still earn about 2 percent more than women for comparable work. The corrected wage gap among salaried workers is still 1.6 percent in government jobs and 6.1 percent in the private sector.
Radboud University business professor Yvonne Benschop, who was not involved in the study, called the results “surprising.” She cautioned that trends must be confirmed over time but said the data suggests female freelancers may more easily command higher rates due to strong demand for their services.
“One common explanation for the wage gap—that women earn less because they do not negotiate—can now be largely dismissed,” she said. She referenced studies from 2016 showing women ask for raises as often as men but are less likely to receive them, often because assertive women are labeled “demanding,” whereas men are considered capable.
The Dutch government has moved to reinforce pay equality. Under a 2025 European Union directive on wage transparency, employers who fail to address pay disparities may face fines starting in 2027.
