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Freelance Power Query Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Freelance Power Query information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$15

$49

$136

How much do freelance power query jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance power query in Chicago, IL is $49.15, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $25.00 and $63.65 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a freelance Power Query?

Freelance Power Query professionals are independent experts who specialize in using Microsoft's Power Query tool to transform, clean, and analyze data for clients on a project basis. They work with organizations or individuals to automate data processes, build complex queries, and integrate data from multiple sources, often within Excel or Power BI environments. These freelancers typically offer flexible services, helping businesses improve efficiency and gain insights from their data without hiring full-time staff.

What is the difference between Freelance Power Query vs Power BI Developer?

AspectFreelance Power QueryPower BI Developer
CredentialsProficiency in Power Query, Excel, data transformationPower Query skills plus Power BI certifications, DAX expertise
Work EnvironmentIndependent, project-based, remote or on-siteTypically employed within organizations or consulting firms, often remote or hybrid
Industry UsageData cleaning, transformation, and preparation for analysisBuilding dashboards, reports, and data models using Power BI
Search & Comparison IntentFocus on data prep skills for freelance projectsFocus on comprehensive BI solutions and report development

Freelance Power Query specialists primarily focus on data transformation and cleaning tasks for various clients, often working independently. Power BI Developers, however, build complete dashboards and data models, often requiring additional certifications and working within organizations. While both roles involve Power Query skills, Power BI Developers typically have a broader scope in data visualization and reporting.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance Power Query specialist?

To thrive as a Freelance Power Query specialist, you need strong skills in data transformation, advanced Excel, and Power BI, often supported by certifications like Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate. Familiarity with Power Query Editor, M language, and other data integration tools is essential. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and client management abilities help you deliver tailored solutions and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders. These competencies ensure you can efficiently translate complex data requirements into actionable insights, adding significant value to clients' business processes.

What are some common challenges freelance Power Query specialists face when working with clients remotely?

Freelance Power Query specialists often encounter challenges such as unclear data requirements, inconsistent data sources, and communication gaps with clients who may not be familiar with Power Query's capabilities. Managing expectations and ensuring clients provide timely access to necessary data can require proactive communication and strong project management skills. Additionally, freelancers should be prepared to troubleshoot complex data transformations independently and provide clear documentation so clients can maintain their queries after the project ends.
What are the most commonly searched types of Power Query jobs in Chicago, IL? The most popular types of Power Query jobs in Chicago, IL are:
What job categories do people searching Freelance Power Query jobs in Chicago, IL look for? The top searched job categories for Freelance Power Query jobs in Chicago, IL are:

Freelance Associate Director, Performance Content (GEO / SEO)

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Chicago, IL • On-site

Temporary

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 19 days ago


Job description

Company description
Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.
Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders - CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers - and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.
From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.
In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.
With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry-leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.
Overview
Lead GEO/SEO acceleration by improving how brands, products, services, and locations are discovered, cited, understood, and represented across search engines, AI answer engines, generative platforms, maps, directories, and local-intent journeys.
Responsibilities
  • Assess AI visibility, search visibility, citations, sentiment, and source inclusion across priority brands, categories, products, services, and local markets.
  • Translate GEO findings into practical SEO, content, technical, structured data, authority, entity, and local search recommendations.
  • Support prompt and query strategy for priority consumer journeys, including category questions, brand comparisons, product discovery, service discovery, and "near me" / local-intent searches.
  • Partner with S&I, Commerce, PR, Social, Owned, and local market teams to coordinate AEO/GEO activation across the full search and discovery ecosystem.
  • Identify priority content gaps, source gaps, entity gaps, technical gaps, authority gaps, and local visibility gaps.
  • For MVH and other location-sensitive businesses, assess Google Business Profiles, maps visibility, local landing pages, directory presence, review signals, NAP consistency, service-area relevance, and local schema.
  • Recommend improvements to owned content, location pages, service pages, structured data, FAQ content, reviews, internal linking, local authority signals, and source credibility.
  • Help define test-and-learn plans that connect activation to measurable AI/search visibility improvement.
  • Ensure recommendations are actionable and tied to what internal teams can realistically control.

Qualifications
  • Strong SEO background, ideally with exposure to GEO, AEO, AI visibility, LLM citation analysis, or answer engine optimization.
  • Deep understanding of technical SEO, content strategy, entity optimization, structured data, authority signals, search intent, and local SEO.
  • Strong local search experience, including Google Business Profiles, maps visibility, location pages, local directories, reviews, NAP consistency, service-area content, and local schema.
  • Familiarity with tools such as Semrush, Profound, Brandlight, Similarweb, Screaming Frog, GSC, GA4, BrightLocal, Yext, Whitespark, Moz Local, or comparable platforms.
  • Ability to translate complex AI/search visibility issues into clear, practical actions for non-specialist stakeholders.
  • Experience with enterprise brands, multi-location businesses, service businesses, healthcare, veterinary, retail, or multi-market programs preferred.

Key Outputs
  • GEO/SEO visibility assessment.
  • Priority prompt/query and intent map.
  • Owned content and technical SEO recommendations.
  • Citation/source gap analysis.
  • Local SEO and maps visibility opportunity assessment.
  • Google Business Profile, directory, reviews, and local schema recommendations.
  • Cross-channel AEO/GEO activation roadmap.
  • Measurement and test-and-learn plan.

Additional information
Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.
The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:
  • Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
  • Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
  • Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
  • Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
  • Tuition Assistance
  • Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
  • Matching Gifts programs
  • Flexible working arrangements
  • 'Work Your World' Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
  • Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.
If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMTTACompliance@publicis.com.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Compensation Range: USD $46.81 - USD $67.29/Hourly. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/17/2026.