My Salary and Expenses as a Freelance Software Engineer in 2024

How much money do I make as a software engineer? In this video, I'll break down my income and expenses as a freelancer and indie developer.
Wallpaper in this video: marospetrus.gumroad.com/l/wal...
Get it for FREE or put any price tag if you'd like to support me!
My setup:
Monitor stand: Balolo Setup Cockpit (balolo.de/?ref=thisismaros, Use "THISISMAROS" coupon code to get 10% OFF!)
Laptop: Macbook Pro M1 Pro (amzn.to/4bikHQH)
Keyboard: Logitech MX Mechanical Mini (amzn.to/42qEg5q)
Mouse: Logitech MX Master 3S (amzn.to/3OtoW25)
Monitor: Samsung Smart Monitor M7 (amzn.to/3OsGJGJ)
Pixel Art Display (amzn.to/3uhquFu)
Resources for iOS devs:
TryAstro (tryastro.app/?aff=bJKGk)
KZbin Gear:
Camera: Sony Alpha A6700 (amzn.to/3UoBkUz)
Lens: Sigma 16mm f1.4 (amzn.to/47Z1ErJ)
Tripod: Joby GorillaPod (amzn.to/4bmRC6I)
My apps:
Trading Tracker (apps.apple.com/sk/app/trade-t...)
Timestamps:
TIMESTAMPS HERE
0:00 - 0:24 Intro
0:25 - 2:45 My income
2:46 - 3:42 Rent breakdown
3:43 - 5:13 Other expenses
5:14 - 6:07 Putting it all together
6:08 - 6:45 iOS Developer roles salary
6:46-7:18 Outro
Find me on:
Instagram: / thisismaros
X: / maros_petrus
Mail: [e-mail]
If you like this video, make sure to drop a like and subscribe!

[@thisismaros]

Thank you everyone for such a great feedback! It really motivates me to create more videos when I read these comments and see your support! Feel free to reach out to me on my IG if you'd like to connect: instagram.com/thisismaros/ See you in the next video!

[@code_with_rares]

Completely agree with you man. Money is just something we need in order to be able to enjoy life with the people that matter. Peace✌

[@alvinjosephanoba7227]

Thanks for sharing this. Best regards from the philippines.

[@NadavSSSS]

Thanks for the insperation! i liked the way you live!

[@aftab_ahmad97]

Quality content as well. keep it up !

[@thisismaros]

Thank you very much!

[@blank_flo]

Thank you for sharing this bro, cool video

[@DylanWU-vj3yd]

love the color of this video!

[@crystalkewe]

I almost thought I was watching a video on “Marko’s” channel. You sound exactly like Marko and also the video aesthetic is the same that you give off the same vibe like Marko when I’m watching his videos! I found it funny and interesting 😊 Keep it up bro!

[@RKlearnscode]

😅

[@thisismaros]

Haha Marko was indeed the first inspiration for me to start my KZbin channel! I am sure I will slowly get my own style and vibe, it just takes time. Thank you for your comment!

[@minilicenciado9004]

Definitely, although I can't complain given that I love Markos content :)

[@crystalkewe]

@@thisismaros Makes sense! I'm sure you'll find your style and rhythm soon. Stay at it mate!

[@MyMe7iN]

I honestly thought I am watching Marko until I read your comment 😅

[@lucasferrer7005]

very interesting, thanks

[@ajdeajde6425]

Bráško super video, dokukal som až do konca čo pri mne nie je zvykom. Odber zaručený šéfe.

[@thisismaros]

Dakujem! 🙏

[@mumbling_good_night]

Love your video, it helps me really much. Can I give you a little suggestion? I think your audio balancing between background music and your voice is a bit off, the background song when you are not speaking is loud so I have to decrease my volume, but in the other hand when you started talking, your voice is soft so I need to bring up my volume again. I am an audio engineering student and freelance video editor so I know a little bit about audio level. Overall very video, I love it!

[@mahdiasif5647]

just found your channel your content is a quality content I am also looking forward to come german and do my master also job!

[@thisismaros]

Thank you! Good luck with your move and job!

[@brianruizy]

Great video Maros 🙌 Happy to find this channel 😁

[@seaweedglob]

you should do something like this dude!

[@thisismaros]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate your comment as your regular viewer! 🙇‍♂️

[@brianruizy]

@@seaweedglob it’s in the works. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@brianruizy]

@@thisismaros 🤝

[@mobiledevpro]

I'm surprised the parking in Germany is so cheaper . It's a plesure to watch your videos Maros. Keep it up

[@nikos-giorgos]

It's an outdoor parking spot

[@PhilsRealm]

Hi Maros, I am currently back to Uni after working in Product Management. I casually stumbled on your video and then three minutes in I find out you live in the same city as I do :D great video anyways! Always cool to see creators can be so close and not always in silicon valley.

[@thisismaros]

Hey! Are you also from Münster? 🤩 That's amazing! Feel free to reach out on my IG to connect!

[@user-wo5es5sz8v]

Your advantage, that you granted your company in Slovakia. In Germany as employee in this case you would pay over 40 % taxes. For example avarage engineer salary is about 65k, then about 26k you pay for taxes....

[@marioCoding]

Thanks for sharing! And a shoutout for that epic Heroic Leap out of the Seat of the Ancients 😆. It's always fun to come across someone else who enjoys WoW

[@otavioalexandre7575]

amazing bro, I'm UX Designer and It was so inspirational

[@NuwancatPersonal]

It's a really helpful video...

[@nazargorevyi1697]

Hello! I would like an advise from you... Im currently living in Norway and looking for a Junior Ios developer job, but there are literally no vacancies on the market and that drops my motivation from learning Swift. Maybe you have some solution for me, maybe I should start learning new language or just to wait for vacancies, while improving my skills ?

[@rahulpratapsingh1817]

are you using react-native to build ios apps, great video btw

[@chiboremmanuel3580]

Good day. I'm a second year student of engineering, hoping to become a software engineer someday, I currently don't have a laptop for school work or to learn a skill, Could you help with one of your old laptops?

[@jonas472]

Question: How do you start as a freelancer. Where do you find your jobs for this?

[@toscagarage]

Hi! Good video, but I think in order to give more realistic insights, the following should be included: car purchase amortization, car expenses (taxes, maintenance, inspections, insurance), tourist trips/travel, extra expenses (new headphones, a washing machine, etc), and, as you said, delivery and going out to a restaurant/club, etc.

[@khlvx1]

Wtf, as a software developer with 2 years of experience, in Spain I make ( 2333€ gross ) or ( 1500€ net after taxes 🙃 ) monthly , 700€ goes to rent, and then the rest ( 800€ ) goes to food 🥘, electric⚡, water bills 💧 and "survive" cuz I don't consider this is living haha, this video made me realize I need to get out of Spain 🇪🇸 as soon as possible... 😱

[@eloyccDev]

I like your video, interesting information. Could you make a video explaining how to earn money as a freelancer ? I sold my first project some days ago but I do not know how to get a new client best regards!

[@eren__morwen5947]

Damn uplne jsem vyskočil když jsem slyšel že si slovak - congratz dude. Amazing video, subuju. Diky za info, já byl do ted spíš IT admin a elektrotechnik - ale chci se dostat přes Python do JavaScriptu a případně SQL na straně ve spojení s mým admin jobem. Jestli znáš market, který jazyk je nejvíc chtěný? Jsou to nějaké ty abstract jazyky na konkrétní věci nebo je furt big shit Java, Python, C++ a tak?

[@chynajake]

Hi, thank you so much for your video. It is really honest & nice. Question 1: Are you taking some small projects or Are you constantly working for one company and they find you projects? Question 2: Does majority of your income comes from indie development (you mentioned your app activity - reason your income varies )?

[@borjasanchez9177]

Hi, how good do you think that mouse pad is? Thanks, and nice video

[@shahmeermalik4897]

Since u live in Germany, do you pay the taxes in germany or only the taxes in slovakia. Bcs in germany taxes are high

[@Rx8Echoes]

how do you doing the phone thing clock ?

[@mdarifulalam2835]

How is the taxed calculated ? And how LLC helps ?

[@randomfellow1483]

Do you pay the same equivalent taxes in europe compared to western countries like US?

[@briansuarez9028]

Nice content 🤗

[@ok-pp8fp]

you have a computer for gaming and another for ios dev ?

[@spicy_wizard]

What do you mean by "my LLC", how did you have this link to an LLM as a freelancer?

[@amanagarwalx]

how did you find your current job , any better ways to find work and clients

[@mor5263]

hello my friend I hope you have a wonderful week and day - I wanted to ask a question, I'm 24 years old and don't have a job yet and I want to learn programming but I need a little bit of motivation , is it late for me to learn and have a good job and income ? and sorry if my English is bad

[@negatiwee]

where can I find this mousepad?

[@gabesz666]

Maybe I missed it, but what about taxes? I guess it's 84000 before taxes, right? In hungary there's a huge gap between the net & gross incomes (27% VAT + ~28% taxes in total + additional costs eg. book keeping)

[@user-fz1ie3qh2y]

I was going to ask same. Unless he does some accounting "magic", For LLC it's 84000 minus some expenses there is 21% profit tax + 7% if you transfer it from company to you as a person it should be another 20000. So it's misleading to say he saves 50k

[@iPankBMW]

How and where do you find freelance jobs? Or you have had only one long job/project?

[@hiranshalika99]

good quality content :)

[@wildanvaly]

Could I get some tips from you on private? You got linkldin?

[@Rahul42090]

HEY BRO AWESOME VIDEO .Can you tell me can i work remotely for a company as an ios dev ?

[@amirhoseinsalehiirca]

Great content in terms of being real.

[@maksatrysbekov194]

from 6000 -9000 per month is it brutto or netto?/gross or net?

[@sadique_x_]

love the thumbnail

[@Idchanel179]

Qual a linguagem com mais demanda ai na Europa ?

[@tomxee1094]

i love you content bro and future i also decide to become software engineer but i think begin software enginer it will consume your time to editing the vlogs & im also a professioanl video edtior so would you allow me to edit them for you ?

[@absiniyatube3278]

how may I get a job? I tried a lot to get though what are the requirements? please...

[@Ruab27]

Nice video my friend.

[@Revlok__]

Great video man!! Where do you get your backround music from?

[@thisismaros]

Thank you! I use Epidemic Sounds. Here's my link if you'd like to check that out share.epidemicsound.com/krytzn

[@breidi7554]

I am surprised that you calculate 7% taxes where you have "SPitzensteuersatz" in Germany with 84.000 per Year and will have taxes of 42% as a german...

[@fehizororakotoniaina292]

I really want to become a freelance like you, (more responsabilities than in company)

[@mihaillepadatu8256]

4500$ for 100 hours of work per month (living in spain), working remote. graduated netherlands

[@krisinhetveld5641]

Where? What job function

[@razarazi1912]

you work 4-5 hours a day? Amazing man

[@sherbeka.9819]

How much after taxes?

[@yasinarafat1681]

Bro...what do you do

[@mihaillepadatu8256]

I went to a ETH hackathon and met some guys developing a marketplace for smart contracts strategies. I do frontend lmao

[@web_ASMR-]

have you any project about Flutter app development

[@asjerbmx]

Great video! Love the wallpaper, where can I find it?

[@thisismaros]

Thank you! Actually the wallpaper was made by me 😅. I can share it and make some more wallpapers later!

[@asjerbmx]

@thisismaros very nice. Do you have a download link ?

[@thisismaros]

Sure! You can download it here for free or feel free to put a price there if you'd like to support me! marospetrus.gumroad.com/l/wallpaper

[@aabhasvermaaa]

What's the time app are you using in the iPhone? Well detailed video

[@thisismaros]

It's just the Standby mode with digital clock displayed 😄

[@cavecodes853]

your laptop is running windows. its not m1 pro like in description

[@jaylenmorris4128]

wow, Im living in Boston and though 2000 euros a month for a 3 bedroom apartment WITH a parking spot was a crazy deal!

[@matheusc929]

How much tax percentage do you pay on that income?

[@shayanraza6462]

Hey Friend 👋 I'm always watching your videos everytime cause i want to become an software Engineer i choose this field for my future but some of the people is scared me like when they ask me about my plans and i tell them about my career plans btech cse so those people start scared me like that aahh why you choose this field there is no job in this field in future I'm so much worried brother just tell me what i do I'm so disturbed and confused, Please bro tell me what i do I'm so depressed 😔

[@sturanovicms]

Great video. Quick question. Do you have an LLC in the US or in your country?

[@thisismaros]

Thank you! I have the LLC in Slovakia. I just called it "LLC" because it's the same thing in Slovakia but it's called "s.r.o." 😅

[@kidusdereje]

helpful

[@janf1100]

Greetings from Münster!

[@mustafajawed918]

does your freelance career count as a professional career?

[@wahebbenzaid543]

I also prefer lifestyle more than money, I like enjoy my day-to-day life with my wife and kid :)

[@amv2307]

How is your tax so less ?

[@joejoe2452]

What is the time .. clock .. watch app you use on iphone?

[@thisismaros]

It's the Standby mode which you can activate by putting your phone on charger and turning it sideways 🙃

[@user-xb4rh8lb1v]

tnx

[@0brooo]

I have a question. How do I get clients, and please don’t say upwork

[@serbianrock5512]

Bro come to Gornje Sinkovce, you can live here for 300 € per mounth 😂

[@samareshdas767]

For good expenses vs income ratio, which is better EU or USA?

[@zm7985]

There is more than just the salary. In Germany you have health insurance and your employer pays half of it. Most companys offer 30 days paid vacation. Public transport is often included too. Just to mention a few examples.

[@codeitraw5241]

My goal is a lifestyle. Make enough money so I’m enjoying my day to day without having being stuck at work all day

[@Godzi666666]

Hi Maros, thank you for your content. Can you please share how is it possible to pay tax in Slovakia, but to live in Germany?

[@tobiasheidingsfeld267]

Not possible and he is doing Tax Fraud unless he has an actual, real director in Slovakia who is doing all business decisions there. Germany will consider his slovakian company a CFC and he will have to repay taxes (around 50% of income + VAT + Fines) later and probably go to jail if this happens for more then a year (>100K total tax fraud). If he has director he would still need to have a subsidary in germany and pay himself at least min wage and taxes on that germany. @Channel Ower: Better delete the video and get things in order I really dont want to get into big trouble

[@thisismaros]

@tobiasheidingsfeld267 hey there, thank you for your comment. As I mentioned in the video, I am located in Germany only at this moment. I am a citizen of Slovakia and also a resident of Slovakia. So yes, what you wrote would relate to me if I would be a citizen and resident of Germany and would manage a Slovak company. That would certainly be tax evasion.

[@tobiasheidingsfeld267]

@@thisismaros Citizenship does not matter the slightest. If you have a apartment in germany you are tax resident there / company will be considered CFC and taxed as a german gmbh. I am german but left due to insane german tax authories. Your video is clear evidence of tax fraud, might be lucky nobody see's it but if anyone give a tip to german tax office you would be in a very, very bad spot. Just want to help a fellow dev freelancer

[@thisismaros]

Yes citizenship is out of question. Maybe we can discuss this further via email? I would be happy to hear your point further: [e-mail]

[@Godzi666666]

@@tobiasheidingsfeld267 you wrote that you left German, could you please share what country did you choose for tax legalization?

[@yashmishra9978]

6:47 i can feel you pulling that cable brother monthly expense 135 euro also that's what i earn

[@ttowe]

nice

[@przemyslaw.idzczak]

I'm paying this money for 40 meters studio in berlin...

[@TigasFMS]

How do you pay so low taxes in Germany? 🤔

[@ta_w_si_f]

Ok, you earn approximately 7k euro. Is it possible to earn the same from Bangladesh by freelancing?

[@Angels-Grace]

google it.

[@VReyes]

Man the cost of living in the US is no joke. I make around the same right now, but my wife and I. We live in California and just rent is double of what you pay 🥲 What you said is very important, to choose lifestyle over just money is a great way to live and enjoy more our day to day.

[@Mavo1989]

as much as this video was fun, still did not at all explain your monthly income is it before or after tax.... when you say 6000 - 9000euro a month (not sure euro wages - your wage equates pretty well to my wage in AUS doing Euro to AUD conversion ... but im going off australia where i am; contracting i make $1100 a day which includes superannuation (retirement which is removed and put asside into a shares portfolio for every australian its done for you) and calulated at 48 weeks worked a year (you dont work every week and weekend)... which comes in at monthly - $21,375.18 before tax and after tax in hand a month is $14,150.68. which equates to $236,771.30 a year pre tax - post tax in hand is $157,250.79.... Hope that helps people as these videos such as yours are not transparent at all...

[@umayerhasansouad4123]

My Aim In Life is Software Engineer ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤❤ ❤

[@user-tf6ur1jz6h]

bro gets this much as a freelancer in india 7000 euro per year is average pay for big companies

[@Anonymouslet]

U should come to my country, with the price of ur health insurance u can actually pay rent, nd with the price of ur grocery u can afford to drive a G-wagon nd pat it monthly with just ur grocery amount 😅

[@rayal89]

Wait...how much do you make net(after tax)?84k?

[@thisismaros]

The numbers in the video are all gross before tax. I don't really want to go in too much details because it's complicated and it's very specific for Slovakia and the laws there.

[@bigdata9605]

Cut down on the background music

[@rbns7n233]

10 years experience? So you started at 16?

[@mathis7117]

1000/month at 20 in a study contract in software development, I invest/keep 700€ and use the rest

[@wonder.chronicles]

bro what should I study in order to obtain the role you are right now , Im 18 yrs old ......please share man!!

[@szberko]

Did you worked before as an employee? How did you started with your contractor work? TIA!

[@thisismaros]

yes I did for 5 years. It really helped me to grow as a developer.

[@szberko]

@@thisismaros thanks for reply. How did you get your first client as a contractor if you don’t mind asking it. 😊

[@hemanthkumardesineni6697]

bro 1980💰 ... come to india bro, its our yearly expencess ..🤑

[@hesamhatami3713]

How can you pay taxes in a other country then you live in?

[@thisismaros]

To give you more context, I am from Slovakia and I moved to Germany only a couple of months ago. And so my company was also founded in Slovakia and it remains a Slovak company that has to pay taxes in Slovakia.

[@chiekenwanna-nzewunwa1773]

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@tomxee1094]

im in my high school and i want a video from you can you make a video for me that show the advantage and disadvantage of begin software engineer ?

[@TheMotivatorG]

LifeStyle.

[@user-tz8cu9iy7w]

30000$ per month before tax

[@lonehayena]

Nice video. What about the earnings from you app? A detail about that...

[@thisismaros]

Thank you! The earnings are also counted towards the overall annual income of course. That's why I am not able to set a specific number as my income and it fluctuates every month :)

[@h.sutreja8]

earings 0 expance 20$

[@abhayraj1281]

Hey! Buddy can anyone here explain me what is Freelancing?

[@thesullivanstreetproject]

A freelancer is someone who doesn’t work for one company. He’s self employed and works for other people on a contract basis, usually short term.

[@juliusv7720]

2k for rent.. omg overpaid