Freelance Programmer is one of three base game Freelancer careers in The Sims 4. This career is perfect for Sims who love to spend hours on the computer with their Programming Skill. Sims can also make a lucrative amount of money from being a Freelance Programmer. With this guide, we’ll show you how you can be a successful Freelance Programmer and maximize profit and efficiency, whilst also working on your Sim’s Programming Skill.
1. Why Should You Become a Freelance Programmer
There are a lot of benefits to becoming a Freelance Programmer in The Sims 4, including:
- You can choose when to work and what gigs you want to do.
- Sims who like Programming will enjoy this career and their Fun Need won’t suffer.
- You can make a lot of money from higher-level gigs, especially from making apps and video games, with the payout being thousands of Simoleons per gig.
- You can work from home, meaning you can look after your Needs from home whenever you need to.
- If you have The Sims 4 Get Famous Expansion, you can gain Fame from the higher-paid jobs.
- Unlike the Writer and Digital Artist freelance careers, you don’t have to worry about rejected work.
Sims who enjoy Programming will have a much easier time in the Freelance Programmer career.
2. How to Join the Freelance Programmer Career
Signing up for the Freelance Programmer career in The Sims 4 is quick and easy. There are a few simple steps to take to get you set up:
- Select your Sim’s phone, then Business > Find a Job, or select a computer and choose Career > Find a Job. If your Sim is currently unemployed, enter the Career panel and click the Join a Career button.
- From the careers menu, scroll down until you find Freelancer. Select Confirm.
- From the list, choose Computer Experts (aka Freelance Programmer trade).
Your Sim will now officially be a Freelance Programmer and can immediately sign up for gigs.
-
- Look for a new job via the computer under Career > Find a Job.
-
- Unemployed Sims can use the Join a Career button.
-
- Look for the Freelancer career in the list.
-
- Make sure to pick Computer Experts for the Programmer trade.
3. What You Need for the Freelance Programmer Career
For the Freelance Programmer career in The Sims 4, there are two key things you need: your Sim’s Programming Skill, and a computer.
- Programming Skill: This skill is used for all gigs in the Freelance Programmer career. The higher your Sim’s skill level, the more gigs are available.
- Computer: This is essential for the Freelance Programmer career. If you can afford it, invest in a more expensive computer that is Unbreakable, to avoid the computer breaking down in the middle of a job.
4. How to Get New Gigs in the Freelance Programmer Career
Sims in the Freelance Programmer career have to sign up to gigs in order to get work and ultimately get paid. They can work whatever hours they like, but every gig will have a deadline that must be met. Failure to complete the gig and its tasks within the deadline will result in being unpaid and a negative hit on the Sim’s Work Performance. New gigs are available 24 hours a day.
With an active gig, you can see what tasks need completing and when the deadline is.
How to Choose a New Gig
To assign a gig to your Sim, you can do the following:
- Select a computer, then choose Freelancer > Check for Gigs.
- Select the Check for Gigs button on the Freelancer Programmer career panel.
-
- The Check for Gigs button brings up the gigs list instantly, no matter what your Sim is currently doing.
-
- You can also Check for Gigs on the computer.
How to Access More Gigs
A list of available gigs will be brought up. What’s available depends on your Sim’s current Programming Skill level and the time of day. With lower Programming Skill or if it’s later in the day, less gigs will be available. Gigs that are too low for your Sim’s current skill level will be greyed out.
Want more gigs? Raise your Programming Skill. There’s also more of a selection in the morning.
How to Cancel a Gig
Simply select a gig from the list to start. You can only have one gig assigned to your Sim at a time. If you want to do a different gig, you’ll need to cancel the current one by selecting the Cancel Gig trash button on the career panel.
5. All Freelance Programmer Gigs
Several gigs for the Freelance Programmer career are available in The Sims 4, depending on your Sim’s Programming experience. Below is a list of every gig available, grouped by skill level and the type of gig.
Level 1
Novice Programming Sims can start with creating spreadsheets and encrypting files.
Level 1 gigs start your Sims off with simpler Programming tasks like encrypting files or creating spreadsheets.
Desperate for Spreadsheet Help
- Pay: §85
- Due: 2 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Set Up Spreadsheet
Help Encrypting Private Data
- Pay: §135
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Encrypt 5 Files
Looking for Encryption Person
- Pay: §185
- Due: 2 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Encrypt 5 Files
Looking for Spreadsheet Person
- Pay: §105
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Set Up Spreadsheet
HIDE MY DATA
- Pay: §190
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Encrypt 5 Files
Level 2
Sims at this level of Programming unlock the hacking gigs.
Working your way up from the bottom, Level 2 gains you hacking gigs.
Bubble Security for Bubbleplace
- Pay: §440
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Study Security Systems, Hack Hosting Service, Write Report
Chain Mail, Inc
- Pay: §425
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Study Security Systems, Hack Hosting Service, Write Report
Llamacorn Listserv Security
- Pay: §435
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Study Security Systems, Hack Hosting Service, Write Report
Level 3
New gigs involving modding games are unlocked at this level.
Modding games is a new type of gig at Level 3.
Mod Makers Jam
- Pay: §425
- Due: 2 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Mod Game
Temporary Modding Contract
- Pay: §485
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Mod Game
Level 4
Gigs where Sims are tasked with making viruses are unlocked at Level 4 Programming.
More shady gigs are unlocked at Level 4 with viruses needing to be made.
Completely Not Shady Company
- Pay: §1,285
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 2 Viruses
Crypto-Simming
- Pay: §1,205
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 2 Viruses
Recruiting for Antivirus R&D
- Pay: §1,350
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 2 Viruses
Level 5
Level 5 Programming Sims can make website pages with these new sets of gigs.
There are lots of gigs focused on making web pages at Level 5.
Another Custom Merch Website!
- Pay: §2,765
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 3 Website Pages
Groundbreaking New Social Network
- Pay: §2,615
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 3 Website Pages
Product Landing Pages
- Pay: §2,840
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 3 Website Pages
Simstagram Servers
- Pay: §2,695
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 3 Website Pages
Stop Hacking Langraab Systems!
- Pay: §2,705
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Chat with Client, Make 3 Website Pages
Level 7
At Level 7 Programming, bigger paying jobs are unlocked as Sims get to focus on making mobile apps.
The long slog work begins when you unlock Level 7 gigs. However, the pay is huge.
Exciting New Mobile Game
- Pay: §5,615
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Mobile App
Instant Messenger App Project
- Pay: §5,290
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Mobile App
[REDACTED]
- Pay: §7,265
- Due: 3 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Mobile App
Saucy Dating App
- Pay: §5,525
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Mobile App
Small Mobile Game With Big Dreams
- Pay: §5,045
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Mobile App
Level 9
Upon reaching Level 9 Programming, the last set of Freelance Programmer gigs are unlocked, in which Sims make video games. These take the longest to complete but the payouts are hugely rewarding. Sims who do well with these particular gigs can get paid almost 10,000 Simoleons per completed gigs.
The biggest paying gigs involve your Sims making video games. Prepare to spend possibly days working on these gigs.
Ambitious MMO Project
- Pay: §6,445
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Video Game
Games Can Be Art
- Pay: §6,030
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Video Game
Have Art, Need Code
- Pay: §6,400
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Video Game
Puzzle Platformer
- Pay: §6,250
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Video Game
Silly Party Game
- Pay: §6,370
- Due: 4 days
- Tasks: Study Design Documents, Make Video Game
6. How to Complete Freelance Programmer Tasks
The tasks you have to complete with Freelance Programmer gigs depends on the job you’ve taken on. Even though everything is Programming and computer-based, the tasks can vary. You might be encrypting files, hacking, or making a mobile app or video game. Let’s go through each task you may come across and how to complete them.
How to Start and Continue Programmer Tasks
All tasks found in Freelance Programmer gigs can be found on the computer via the Freelance menu.
For tasks such as making spreadsheets, encrypting files, modding games, creating website pages, making apps, and making video games, you can stop at any time if your Sim needs a break. Just cancel the action in the queue. To continue a task from where you left off, select the computer, then Freelance > Continue [Task].
Chat with Client
For most Freelance Programmer gigs, this is the first task listed. It doesn’t take very long to complete, around an in-game hour. It’s best to do this first before any other tasks.
Chatting to the client can result in a few outcomes. Your Sim can receive an Inspired Moodlet for a few hours, but they may also receive a Tense Moodlet if their chat didn’t go very well. This doesn’t last long though and isn’t a strong Moodlet, meaning you can overpower it with a good Focused Moodlet while you work.
Talking to a client can trigger an Inspired Moodlet… or not.
Study Security Systems
Comes with the hacking gigs, working similar to Chat with Client.
Study Design Documents
Study Design Documents is similar to Chat with Client. It appears in the gigs where you have to make an app or game. It’s recommended you start with this task, as it doesn’t take long and you’ll usually receive a temporary Focused Moodlet. However, you may also receive a Tense Moodlet.
Instead of being Inspired, Sims who study the design documents become Focused, ideal for Programming.
Encrypt Files
At Level 1 Programming, these gigs require your Sim to encrypt files, usually 5 times. Each file encryption takes a few hours. There’s a random chance that towards the end of an encryption, it may become corrupted. If this happens, the encrypted file won’t count towards the task and you’ll need to do it again.
It’s not quite as bad as getting rejected content from the other Freelance trades, but having to redo an encrypted file is still annoying.
Set Up Spreadsheet
Setting up a spreadsheet are gigs available for beginner Programming Sims. Only one spreadsheet is needed for each gig. Creating a spreadsheet usually takes a few hours and doesn’t normally fail.
Compared to the encrypting files gigs, this is the easier, quicker, and more fail-safe of the two.
Setting up a spreadsheet doesn’t normally go wrong, and you only have to do it once, unlike the encrypted files gigs.
Hack
From Level 2 Programming, you unlock a new set of gigs based around hacking. Hacking takes a few hours and doesn’t normally fail.
Note that at the end of the hacking session, unlike the usual hacking action, your Sim won’t extract any money. However, the task will still count for the gig, and you’ll still get paid once all the gig’s tasks have been completed.
You don’t get paid for the hacking action itself, but you will still get paid for the gig.
Write Report
With the hacking gigs, the third and final task requires you to write a report. Doing this builds the Writing Skill. You do not need any Writing experience to do this task, and it doesn’t impact on the final result.
You don’t need good Writing Skill for the Write Report task, so don’t worry about developing this skill.
Mod Game
At Level 3 Programming, some new gigs are unlocked that require you to mod a game. Only one game is modded, and only once per gig. Modding takes a few hours to complete and doesn’t fail.
Being paid to mod a game? Yes, please!
Make Virus
From Level 4 Programming, new gigs involve making a virus, usually two per gig. Making one virus takes a few hours.
Making two separate viruses takes time, but nowhere near as long as apps or games.
Make Website Page
At Level 5 Programming, gigs where you’ll need to create website pages become available. In each of these gigs, three pages are required. Each website page takes a few hours to finish.
Once a website page has been finished, you can name it. Just name it anything to continue.
Making a web page doesn’t take too long, but then you have to make three of them in one gig.
Make Mobile App
When your Sim reaches Level 7 Programming, they can access gigs where they need to create a mobile app. It takes several hours to make an app, a whole day straight, even with an overclocked computer and being in a Focused Mood.
Once a mobile app has been completed, you’ll be prompted to name it. Give it any name to continue.
Name the new app anything you like.
Make Video Game
Level 9 Programming unlocks the last set of Programmer gigs, which are the best paying but also the longest to complete. For these gigs, you have to make a video game, which takes a whole day of non-stop work.
You’ll be asked to name the video game once it is finished. Just give it any name so you can continue.
Apps and video games take forever to make, but an overclocked PC and Focused Mood will help cut time.
7. Best Tips for the Freelance Programmer Career
Here are some tips for making your time as a Freelance Programmer in The Sims 4 easier, allowing you to complete tasks faster and more efficiently.
- As soon as you get a gig, start it immediately. Some tasks can take up to a whole day, even several days, to complete, so don’t leave them until the last minute.
- Before you start any Programming tasks, get your Sim Focused so they can build the skill faster.
- As soon as you unlock the Overclock upgrade, use it on your computer to help speed up all Programming tasks.
- Remember that you can stop tasks at any time to attend to your Sim’s Needs. Unhappy Sims with low Needs don’t perform as well.
- If there aren’t many gigs available, wait until early next morning, when more become available.
- Having Likes Programming means the Fun Need gets satisfied while Programming, stopping your Sim complaining about boredom.
Don’t neglect your Sim’s Needs. Remember to take breaks, especially with longer tasks like making apps or video games.
