Freelance CAD Jobs – 13 Sites For Finding Freelance Work

Updated Dec 22, 2023
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With the high demand for professional CAD users and design engineers, freelance job opportunities in the CAD industry are never few and far between. While some designers double as freelancers and part-time workers, others make a living solely from freelance CAD jobs

Freelancing is a fast-rising job trend in several industries and the CAD industry is no exception. Most companies that require CAD services now post jobs online, preferring the hiring of freelance CAD designers or engineers, to traditional hiring. If you intentionally clicked on this article, chances are you are a CAD designer or CAD engineer, looking to find freelance CAD jobs. 

In a world where freelancing is rapidly becoming the norm, you’d expect there to be numerous freelance sites. And of course, there are over 200 freelance sites all over the internet. However, most of these freelance sites are guilty of lacking freelance CAD jobs. But not to worry, there are quite a number of sites offering freelance CAD jobs. This article features 13 freelance sites where you can find freelance CAD jobs. 

Bear in mind that freelance sites offering freelance CAD jobs are more than the 13 we will cover in this article. However, following intensive research, we at Scan2CAD have come up with this list of trusted sites with easy to navigate interfaces and support services. Note that this article is for informative purposes, and as such, we will not be comparing the services of these sites. Also, the list is in no particular order. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

13 Sites for Finding Freelance CAD Jobs

1). Upwork

Upwork homepage

Upwork homepage

Although this list is in no particular order, I’ll start with the site I consider the most competitive. Driven by the sole mission to create economic opportunities for talent, Upwork has always been one of the leading freelance sites on the internet. President and CEO Hayden Brown, the face of Upwork, is responsible for its overall success.

Upwork offers a host of freelance opportunities to freelancers, including freelance CAD jobs. To put the cherry on top, it also has a very friendly user interface and is easy to navigate. On the Upwork homepage, after signing in, you can find the Find work, My jobs, Report, Messages, and Notification sections on the top of the page. 

If you don’t already own an Upwork freelancer account, all you have to do is sign up and fill in the necessary details. To make job searching easier, Upwork provides you options to select your skills in the signup process. Hence, making your Job feed contains only Jobs related to the skills you select. For example, if you select CAD design or CAD engineer in the skill section, only freelance CAD jobs will appear on your feed. 

To make bidding for Jobs even more comfortable, there is a search bar at the top of the page with the option to filter your search results. You only need to click on a job you are interested in and submit a proposal, according to the client’s specifications and wait to get hired. 

2). LinkedIn

LinkedIn Homepage

LinkedIn Homepage

Marketed as the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn is a shared platform that brings together organizations and professionals. It currently has over 1 billion members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. LinkedIn allows professionals to connect and network with like-minded business folk. It is also an avenue organizations use to share the latest news and, perhaps most importantly, recruit for jobs.

According to LinkedIn’s statistics, more than 67 million companies were listed as of December 2023, providing members with a wide range of options for finding their next employer or client. Little wonder then that 61 million people are using the platform to search for jobs each week. LinkedIn is the perfect place for anyone in search of jobs. While the platform may not be exclusively dedicated to freelancing as Upwork is, it is not short of freelance jobs – it has a mix of freelance and employment opportunities.

Technically, freelancers are independent contractors and, in most cases, temporary workers, and LinkedIn is not short of contracting or temporary jobs. Companies looking to engage experts in certain fields for a short duration without necessarily onboarding them as employees often post contract-based or temporary jobs on LinkedIn. Thus, if you are looking for freelance CAD jobs, then the platform’s built-in search function should help you narrow down the options.

The search function has filters that let you specify the exact characteristics of the CAD job you want. To find the freelance CAD jobs, you might consider toggling the ‘Remote,’ ‘Contract,’ or ‘Temporary’ filters. The filters also enable you to specify the location of the company or client, a handy tool that helps you avoid time zone-borne misalignments in work schedules.

3). Cadcrowd

CADCrowd homepage

CADCrowd homepage

Cadcrowd is a unique freelance website. Unlike other sites on our list, this site operates strictly on freelance CAD jobs. Cadcrowd welcomes you with a beautiful landing page that speaks fully of freelance CAD jobs. Here, you can find work as a CAD designer, engineer, and drafter as it says boldly on its homepage.

Another unique feature Cadcrowd offers is its qualification credentials. Unlike other freelance sites where freelancers need to upload credentials, Cadcrowd qualifies its CAD designers and engineers through CAD contests. These contests are options for companies or businesses to find the best CAD personnel for their jobs. In this case, the company creates a contest and freelancers enter into the contest by sending their designs. The company picks the designer they feel suits what they need. Cadcrowd also has a ranking system for its designers based on these contests. The more contests you win, the higher your rank on the site.

4). Freelancer

Freelancer homepage

Freelancer homepage

This is one of the largest freelance networks. It prides itself as a place where companies and businesses can hire labor easier and cheaper. Like most freelance sites, Freelancer offers a large variety of freelance jobs. However, our main concern is its proficiency in freelance CAD jobs, with this site housing quite a number of those. 

As long as you have the necessary skills of a CAD designer, engineer, or drafter, you are eligible to work on this platform. You only need to click on the signup button on the Freelancer homepage, fill the necessary forms, and you’re good to go. To search for a job, click on the browse projects button on your dashboard and it will direct you to the projects page. Here, you can select jobs according to your preselected skills.

Freelancer is free to use. However, the platform includes four plans – Basic, Plus, Professional, and Premier. These plans are priced between $4.99 and $99.00 per month. Each plan offers individual benefits, with the most expensive plan including the most benefits and the cheapest option the least.

5). Peopleperhour

Peopleperhour homepage

Peopleperhour homepage

The next site on this list is Peopleperhour. Similar to Freelancer, it is one of the largest freelance networks. And like most freelance sites on this list, Peopleperhour offers freelance CAD jobs together with other freelance programs. 

Here, you can offer your CAD services and earn money without any cost. To work on this platform, you need to sign up, which is a very straightforward process. Click on the signup button on the top right corner of the Peopleperhour homepage, fill in your details and create a profile to start applying for jobs. To make your search for jobs easier, this site features a search bar on the projects page. Enter CAD as the search query and select jobs that match your skills. 

6). Guru

Guru homepage

Guru homepage

According to the its About page, Guru’s mission is to bring freelancers and employers across the globe together in a single platform. 

With its large freelancer base, Guru, to a very large extent has achieved its mission.

Like most websites on this list, and in addition to freelance CAD jobs, Guru offers a host of other freelance opportunities, ranging from writing to web designing. Guru operates in a manner that allows freelancers to directly interact with clients or companies looking to higher them, making the process of applying for jobs on this platform quite easy. 

To search for jobs, click on the Find work option on the top of the dashboard page, there, you’ll find jobs that match your skills. Companies or clients then compare quotes between freelancers and hire the best freelancer. 

7). SimplyHired

Simplyhired

Simplyhired

With over 3 million employers trusting SimplyHired for the best freelancers, it is fair to say, SimplyHired is the best site to “simply get hired”. This site offers numerous freelance opportunities, including freelance CAD jobs. What we like most about this site are its user interface and structure. Its structure allows for easy understanding and navigation of the site, thus, offering great user experience for freelancers and employers alike. 

Signing up is easy. All you need to do is click on the sign-in button at the top right corner of the page. Select the “Job Seeker” option. Lastly, upload your resume and fill the necessary forms, and you’re ready to begin applying for jobs. To make a job search easier, this site features a search bar. Enter CAD jobs or freelance CAD jobs as your search query and select the job that interests you. 

8). Aquent

Aquent homepage

Aquent homepage

Aquent welcomes you with a very beautiful yet simple landing page. And like most freelance sites on this list, Aquentoffers a variety of freelance jobs, including freelance CAD jobs. However, only freelancers based in the US are eligible to work on this platform.

The method of job posting on this site is what makes it different. Here, companies and businesses post job openings. The jobs are, however, not categorized but arranged based on what is available. You can use the search bar, on the top of the “Find Work” page to easily find your freelance CAD jobs. 

In addition, Aquent has affiliate brands, which guide companies toward services, technology, and talent they need to stay at the top of their respective industries. One of these brands is Aquent Talent, which recruits and manages talent across the world. Aquent Talent employs agents who screen talent to ensure they have the right skills and are a perfect cultural fit. Companies looking for talent can then engage them via Aquent Talent, whether the engagement lasts a day, week, month, or year.

Generally, engagements via Aquent and its affiliates mirror freelance work because of flexibility. This means talent does not follow a 9-to-5 schedule, can work from home, and is not constrained to an office setting.

9). Nexxt

Nexxt homepage

Nexxt homepage

Nexxt , the next site on our list has 25 million professional freelancers. Like most sites on this list, it offers a host of freelance opportunities, including freelance CAD. Here, companies and businesses post jobs with links to their site. Clicking on a job on this site will direct you to the company’s or clients’ site. 

Signing up for this site is pretty basic. Click on the Sign-up button on the top right corner of the page and fill the necessary forms, and you’re ready to start applying for jobs. To make job search easier, this site features a search bar and a location bar, this way you can search for jobs in specific locations.  

10). Glassdoor

Glassdoor Jobs Homepage

Glassdoor Jobs Homepage

Glassdoor is a sister company to Indeed. While Indeed is a job search engine, Glassdoor offers more than just the ability to search for jobs. To job seekers, it enables them to read reviews of companies. As such, Glassdoor is a reliable platform that visitors can use to research and gain more insights about potential clients and employers, helping them make crucial decisions.

Nonetheless, Glassdoor has a job board that lists job opportunities. In addition, it features a search function that lets you type the exact specifications of the job you are looking for. Given its status as a leading jobs site, Glassdoor is not short of freelance CAD jobs and other freelance opportunities. To get to them, simply type the job you want and remember to include the keyword ‘freelance.’ You can also use the filter feature to find job posts that do not have this keyword. For instance, you could use the ‘Job types’ filter to instruct the search engine to display only ‘Freelance’ jobs.

It is worth pointing out that clicking ‘Apply’ or ‘Easy Apply’ on Glassdoor redirects you to Indeed, where you will fill out the requisite information.

11). Flexjobs

Flexjobs homepage

Flexjobs homepage

Flexjobs was founded by Sarah Sutton in a bid to create flexible jobs, which was what she was looking for at the time. Flexjobs follows largely the same concept as most freelance sites on this list, although it is not strictly a freelance site.While it lets you easily create an account, it only displays listed jobs to paid members. This means Flexjobs is not a free platform but a subscription–based job site. Moreover, the subscription fee is quite hidden. As such, you do not get to know beforehand what you are getting yourself into when you start the free trial. (The free trial is not exactly free; Frexjobs offers a 14-day free trial period for $2.95.)

The subscription model notwithstanding, Flexjobs is equally beneficial. For instance, the platform has a trained team of employees to screen every job posting and company for legitimacy. Additionally, with Flexjobs, you can search for freelance, part-time, or full-time work. The site is also unique, thanks to its interactiveness. Flexjobs interact with its users using timed pop-ups and other means. For example, a pop-up helps you personalize your job search, not to mention the numerous success stories on its homepage. The job search and application are also very straightforward. 

12). Indeed

Indeed homepage

Indeed homepage

The next site on this list is Indeed. It is not strictly a freelance site; instead, it is a platform that lets you find and apply for any kind of job. It gives visitors free access to the search feature for jobs. It also allows them to post their CVs and research companies for free. Simply put, it connects users to all kinds of new opportunities. Thus, to find freelance CAD jobs, you need to use the search bar on the Find Work page. Input a keyword related to the freelance CAD job you are looking for, and you will find numerous search results to pick from. Like most sites on this list, Indeed offers a variety of freelance jobs, including freelance CAD jobs. Job Search and application is simple and straightforward.

In some cases, however, job posts may not have the ‘freelance’ prefix/keyword. In such instances, you might consider using the ‘Job type’ filter to specify whether you are looking for a Contract, Full-time, Part-time, or Temporary job. Technically, a freelance CAD job can be regarded as a contract or temporary job. You could complement this filter function by reading through the job description to gain the full picture of the job.

13). Fiverr

Fiverr homepage

Fiverr homepage

Fiverr is the last site on our list. It is famous for completing jobs at a cheap and flat rate. In fact, it started up as a site where you could get any freelance service for $5. Unlike other freelance sites, you do not apply for jobs; you set up gigs for clients and companies, collectively called buyers, to find you and buy your services. To boost your chances, Fiverr lets you market your services off the Fiverr platform, but with a caveat: do not leave contact information other than a link that will direct potential buyers to the profile. You can use Fiverr sellers, social media, or build a portfolio.

Nonetheless, the platform is not perfect. One of the disadvantages of this site is that communication outside of the platform is prohibited, which inhibits coordination, especially on large or complex projects or in cases where the buyer already has in-house modes of communication. Also, Fiverr is not free of scammers. Other than that, this site is simple to understand and an excellent platform for freelancers looking for freelance CAD jobs. 

Conclusion

Freelancing offers flexibility. It frees you from commuting to the office every weekday and working within pre-defined 9-to-5 schedules. In addition, it is a great avenue to reshape your career trajectory. To enjoy these benefits, however, you must find a reliable platform that has plenty of freelance jobs, and there are plenty. If you are looking for freelance CAD jobs, there are a number of options to choose from, from strictly freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Guru, Cadcrowd, and Peopleperhour to platforms like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn, where you will likely find all kinds of jobs beyond freelance opportunities.

Nonetheless, it is worth remembering that freelancing is not a walk in the park. Even with this list of sites with freelance CAD jobs, you still have to put in the work to land clients! So, this article is intended to serve as a foundational resource you can reliably use when starting your freelancing journey.

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