Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a related field; or 4 years of related experience. * Relevant internship, research, freelance, project, or ...
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a related field; or 4 years of related experience. * Relevant internship, research, freelance, project, or ...
Freelance Computer Programmer information
See Oregon salary details
$34.9K - $40.9K
5% of jobs
$40.9K - $46.9K
10% of jobs
$46.9K - $52.9K
7% of jobs
$54K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$52.9K - $58.9K
15% of jobs
$58.9K - $64.9K
7% of jobs
The median wage is $67.1K / yr.
$64.9K - $70.9K
15% of jobs
$70.9K - $76.9K
11% of jobs
$81.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$76.9K - $82.9K
6% of jobs
$82.9K - $89K
14% of jobs
$89K - $95K
7% of jobs
$95K - $101K
2% of jobs
$34.9K
$68.7K
$101K
How much do freelance computer programmer jobs pay per year?
What Does a Freelance Computer Programmer Do?
As a freelance computer programmer, your job is to develop computer code for your customer. This may include creating new software, modifying an existing application, or setting up a database for the software to use. Freelance programmers work on projects of all sizes, from small tasks that only take an hour or two to complete to major jobs at large companies. Depending on the company's needs, you may need to use a wide selection of programming languages or techniques, interface your software with existing code, and manage multiple deadlines at once. Many freelance computer programmers focus on building a portfolio of completed projects, which is particularly helpful if you want a permanent position later in your career.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Freelance Computer Programmer, and why are they important?
What is a freelance computer programmer?
What are some common challenges freelance computer programmers face when working with multiple clients simultaneously?
What is the difference between Freelance Computer Programmer vs Software Developer?
| Aspect | Freelance Computer Programmer | Software Developer |
|---|---|---|
| Credentials | Typically self-taught or with coding bootcamps; certifications optional | Often holds degrees in computer science or related fields; certifications like Microsoft, AWS may be common |
| Work Environment | Independent, remote or on-site projects for various clients | Usually employed by companies, working in teams on in-house or client projects |
| Employer & Industry Usage | Clients across industries; project-based work | Tech companies, startups, enterprises; product development |
Freelance Computer Programmers work independently on diverse projects, often with flexible schedules, while Software Developers are typically employed by organizations, focusing on building and maintaining software products within a team environment.

Job description
The AI Agent Developer is responsible for building, deploying, and supporting AI agents and automation workflows that help teams across Vertech work more efficiently. They design and optimize prompts, tools, memory strategies, and agent workflows for business-specific use cases, and partner with stakeholders across HR, Accounting, IT, PMO, Sales, and Engineering to translate business needs into practical AI solutions. The developer curates the knowledge base that AI agents draw from, monitors agent performance, and continuously improves reliability, accuracy, and business impact.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Build AI agents, copilots, and workflow automations for business-specific use cases.
- Design, test, and optimize prompts, tools, memory strategies, and agent workflows.
- Partner with stakeholders across HR, Accounting, IT, PMO, Sales, and Engineering to gather requirements and translate them into technical specifications.
- Curate and update the knowledge base (“knowledge scaffolding”) that AI agents use to ensure responses remain accurate and compliant with company policy.
- Refine input queries and prompts to optimize model behavior for specific business use cases.
- Troubleshoot technical issues, diagnose and resolve bugs in AI models, and resolve integration issues with existing SaaS platforms.
- Monitor agent performance and identify patterns in failure modes (e.g., unexpected tone shifts, drops in resolution quality).
- Develop testing and evaluation processes to measure agent reliability, response quality, and business impact.
- Integrate AI systems with APIs, SaaS platforms, databases, and internal business systems.
- Lead workshops and create documentation to help non-technical staff adopt new AI features effectively.
- Collaborate with vendors on solution design and technical requirements for contracted work.
- Other duties as assigned.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a related field; or 4 years of related experience.
- Relevant internship, research, freelance, project, or professional experience developing AI solutions or automation workflows.
- Hands-on experience with AI tools, including agent development and support.
- Technical fluency in programming languages such as Python, SQL, or Java for diagnosing complex API or data issues.
- Experience with AI providers and LLMs such as Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini.
- Familiarity with AI agent orchestration frameworks, workflow automation platforms (e.g., n8n, Make, Zapier), retrieval augmented generation (RAG), and vector database concepts.
- Familiarity with frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, and an understanding of Natural Language Processing (NLP) preferred.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated curiosity and experimentation with emerging AI technologies; personal projects, GitHub repositories, hackathons, or portfolio work encouraged.
- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
- Excellent organizational and planning skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work collaboratively across departments.
About Vertech
Sourced by ZipRecruiter
Industry
Industrial automation equipment manufacturing
Company size
51 - 200 Employees
Headquarters location
Phoenix, AZ, US
Year founded
2004