Insights for candidates
Salesforce contractor
Whatever the Salesforce role, use our guide to benchmark your salary or contact rate, or to uncover what you should be paying employees in your team.
Contractor workload
The freelancers that took part in our survey work an average of 35 hours a week, although this varies between 4 and 70 hours per week.
Average total contract length: 6 months and 2 weeks
Longest contract length: 2 years and 4 months
Percentage of freelancers that have worked on projects that have lasted 12 months or more: 19%
Average number of current clients: 2
Percentage of freelancers only working for one client: 43%
How to increase your contract rate
Determining the right contract rate can be challenging for Salesforce freelancers, but sometimes it’s necessary to get the compensation you deserve for your time—especially in the face of rising overheads and a spiraling cost of living.
Whatever the reason behind the increase, the best way to go about raising your rates with existing clients is to be prepared. Before approaching clients, carefully analyze your costs and market rates so you can clearly articulate the triggers behind the rate increase, such as increased project scope or a spike in business expenses. If you’re amending your rates to better reflect your market value, outline some key points to help you justify the move and demonstrate your increased value or additional responsibilities.
Here are a few tips on how to navigate these conversations effectively:
Demonstrate your value
Showcase your accomplishments by highlighting successful projects and sharing client testimonials. Make sure these mini case studies include quantifiable results that demonstrate how your work has generated tangible results for clients. You could also create a menu of additional value-added services training new users.
Build a strong personal brand
Build your brand as a professional so that your experience and expertise is front and center. You could develop a professional website to host your portfolio, services, and testimonials from customers that show off how you’ve driven ROI on previous projects. Leveraging social media is another option, like using LinkedIn to share articles, advice, and contribute to their training content. You could also network in person in your local tech communities by attending industry events, user groups, and conferences for Salesforce professionals.
Get used to negotiating
When you know your worth, you’ll be well-equipped to negotiate with potential clients and get paid what you deserve. You can start by looking up industry rates and benchmarking your services accordingly. Then, put together initial communications that clearly communicate your value proposition and the benefits that clients will gain from your expertise. And most importantly, be prepared to walk away if you feel that a client still doesn’t appreciate your value. Having confidence in your value can strengthen your negotiating position.
Attraction and retention
What makes a contractor accept a contract offer?
| Earning potential | |
| Ability to work remotely | |
| Duration of project | |
| Technologies used in the project | |
| Flexible hours | |
| Management philosophy | |
| Complexity of project | |
| Size of project | |
| Quality standards | |
| The industry the project/organization is in | |
| Other |
‘Other’ responses include their current workload.
What are the key attributes you need to be a contractor?
We asked contractors about the most important qualities needed to succeed as a self-employed Salesforce professional, and the top responses were:
Salesforce-specific experience
63%
Adaptability
55%
Soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict management)
55%
Technical expertise
39%
Project management
33%
Certifications
33%
Drive and enthusiasm
31%
Change-management experience
24%
Selling your abilities to a client
24%
Staying-up-to-date with Salesforce
18%
This time, respondents rated experience with Salesforce as a more in-demand attribute, whereas in our previous study, soft skills were considered the most important. However, adaptability still holds second place.
What challenges do you face working as a contractor?
0
%
Finding new contracts/customers
0
%
There is lots of competition
0
%
Time management
| Work-life balance | |
| Clients changing the scope of a project | |
| Unrealistic expectations of clients | |
| What to do in periods of no work | |
| Lack of communication from clients | |
| Late customer payments/invoicing |
| Procrastination/motivation | |
| Keeping up-to-date with admin | |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because I already have enough work | |
| Knowing when to refuse a project because it's unsuitable | |
| None | |
| Other |
LinkedIn poll
Freelance Salesforce professionals shared their strategies for effectively managing multiple projects simultaneously*. According to the responses, most contractors focus on the most critical tasks to ensure timely and successful completion.
*Data from a poll conducted on Mason Frank’s LinkedIn in August 2024.
Prioritizing certain projects
65%
Strict scheduling
22%
Limiting the number of projects
11%
Other
2%
What advice would contractors give to those considering going freelance?
We asked the contractors that took part in our survey what advice they’d give to those considering starting their freelance journey—responses include:
“Before you freelance, make sure you have a clear understanding of your career goals and positioning. This includes identifying what you're good at, what services or products you want to offer, and your target customer base.”
Data Engineer, United States
“Be flexible, communicate often, set expectations, but above all else, get to know the client's business and users. The better you know their business and target user audience, the better solutions you can provide to meet their needs.”
Solution Architect, United States
“Make sure you are self-motivated and set a routine.”
Product Owner, United States
“Plan for the downtime of when you don't have a current client by saving up some money for it. Use that time to recharge, for travel, to look for new clients/roles, and to upskill your Salesforce knowledge.”
CPQ Consultant, United States
Conclusion
The lure of being your own boss is a powerful one, and as a result, freelancing remains a popular career choice for Salesforce professionals. Offering flexibility, autonomy and a high earning potential, there are huge benefits for those that can make it work. However, there is a price to pay for these benefits, with many freelancers experiencing instability and inconsistency in their workloads. Finding new clients is the primary challenge for 67% of our contractors, emphasizing the importance of networking and relationship building, especially in fallow periods.
When it comes to what makes a good Salesforce contractor, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict management dropped to third place in the rankings of the most important factors in a freelancer’s success. Expertise in Salesforce shot to first place, with adaptability remaining in second place, proving that technical experience and an understanding of the product is key in this competitive market.
MASON FRANK’S
CAREERS AND HIRING GUIDE
KEY FINDINGS 2025
Our key findings report contains highlights from this year’s Careers and Hiring Guide, plus our salary tables to allow you to compare your compensation or benchmark your teams’ salaries or rates no matter their role in the Salesforce ecosystem.
