How to Make Money on Upwork? (8 Powerful Tips for Freelancers)

Many people are looking for ways to double (or even triple) their income without doing anything illegal and they want to learn how to make money on Upwork.

In this blog post, I will explain how to make money on Upwork, what it is like to have a successful career on Upwork, and the “Open Secrets” you should know as a freelancer who wants to make more money on Upwork as a freelancer.

How much money can you make on Upwork?

One of the most pressing questions for freelancers looking to join Upwork is: how much money can I make? The answer varies widely depending on several factors, including your skillset, experience, and the demand for your services.

There is no limit to how much money you can make on Upwork. Your earnings on Upwork are determined by:

• Your skill or service offered (e.g., web development, content writing, graphic design).

• Your level of experience and expertise.

• The quality of your profile and proposals.

• The competition in your niche.

• Client budget and project scope.

• The number of hours you work per week.

While it is difficult to provide an exact figure, here are some general earning potential ranges on Upwork:

• Beginners: $15-$25 per hour

• Intermediate: $25-$50 per hour

• Advanced: $50-$100 per hour

• Expert: $100-$250 per hour

According to Upwork’s reports, the top 1% of freelancers earn around $1 million annually. Top freelancers in high-demand skills like cloud architecture or DevOps can earn upwards of $200-$500 per hour.

Danny “Anchor Man” Margulies is a Copywriter on Upwork who made six figures (over $100,000) in his first year on Upwork without any experience, college degree, or any form of network.

Danny is a full-time freelancer on Upwork and he is supporting his family (a wife and two kids) with his income from Upwork. This guy is not a magician or a guru. He didn’t follow the crowd. He created his path and followed his dream.

How to Make Money on Upwork?

Now that you know the earning potential on Upwork, let’s dive into the practical steps to make money on the platform.

Upwork is an online marketplace for everyone (both freelancers, agencies, and companies). You don’t need a college degree to join Upwork. All you need is your passion and willingness to work. Executives all over the world regularly go to Upwork to source for freelancers to work for them.

A freelancer on Upwork is simply a self-employed person who is available to work. As a freelancer, you’re available for many employers and usually hired for a limited time. You get to set your own work time and rates.

To keep it short and simple, Upwork offers automatic employment to anyone looking for a job so far as you have the skills needed. And you also don’t have to worry about your age. Upwork is for people of all ages. Access to the internet is the only prerequisite to register on Upwork.

And if you think that you don’t have any skills to offer, don’t worry. Upwork is so flexible that you can pick up any skill or skills you want on the job. This means that it is easy to learn and hone your skills on the job.

Some clients even offer to train you on the job and still pay you your price when the job is done. The beauty of Upwork is that you get to determine the price you want to be paid before the start of a job by yourself.

Also, there are loads of resources online where you can learn any skills for free. Always remember that Google is your friend. And if you are “too busy” to use Google to your advantage, then Upwork is not for you.

Here are some actionable tips and strategies to help you succeed on Upwork:

1. Register on Upwork

The journey of making more money on Upwork starts with the registration process. You must create an account on Upwork by visiting their website.

Unlike many other companies that require you to submit a resume and other academic qualifications before you can join them, Upwork is free of these hassles.

Remember Danny’s story? He did not have any academic qualifications and yet he is living his dream on Upwork.

On their site, you go to the “I am looking for work online section” and click on the “work” tab to begin your registration process. Then fill in your details. It is as simple as that.

You might wonder: “If Upwork is free to join, then how do they make money?”

I also have the same question, and so did Danny. You are not alone. Upwork makes money by automatically “tithing” you. This means that for every job you do, Upwork gets a 20 percent commission.

For example, let’s say that you just completed a $500 job, Upwork will pay you $400. This is automatic and not negotiable and most importantly, it is not a hidden charge. Fair enough?

Pro Tip: Don’t be greedy. Start small and grow big.

2. Set your profile to one hundred percent on Upwork

I would like to congratulate you for taking charge of your life if you have successfully registered on Upwork.

You just started your journey to a successful freelancing career. You are now part of one of the biggest “companies” in the world. The next crucial step for you to take is to make sure that you get noticed online.

Always, remember that this is not a competition. It is a battle of wits and skills. It doesn’t matter whether you are a newbie or a professional. You need to stand out from the crowd.

So, how can you stand out from the crowd?

It is as simple as making sure your profile is set up to 100 percent. There is no trick to these. Just do the basic things.

Upload your picture–a good one with your facial features. Pass a few free skills tests –at least one. Complete the other basic settings that you will find on your dashboard.

Make sure that the picture you upload gives a good first impression of who you are. Put yourself in the client’s shoes rate your picture and be sincere with yourself. This will affect your overall income on Upwork.

When it comes to free skills tests, you might be afraid to try them out because of the fear of failure. This is normal especially when you are new on Upwork.

These tests are not hard to pass and you can take these tests as many times as possible. It takes only about forty-five minutes to take a skill test and you get your results immediately.

And if you don’t know where to start, you can start with the basic tests such as English language tests irrespective of your skills. These are the easiest tests and will boost your profile irrespective of your skills or the services you render on Upwork.

Always remember to make your title short. It must reflect what you are very good at because no one wants to hire “a jack of all trades and master of none”.

Please note that your profile will not be visible on Upwork until it is completed and verified.

Pro Tip: Don’t use generic titles like say “Great Graphics Designer” or “Experienced Marketer”. They don’t tell clients what you do. Instead, talk about what you do. Be specific with your title.

3. Manage your Upwork dashboard effectively

Your Upwork dashboard is simply the default place you get to when you log in to your Upwork account.

It is divided into different sections which serve different purposes. You get to personalize everything here such as setting up your job feeds, searching for jobs, and viewing your profile, your proposals, and many other things.

This particular tip is meant for you if you are new to Upwork. You must get this step right from the beginning. It will save you a lot of stress and earn you more income as you will always get the latest job updates right on your dashboard.

Pro Tip: Explore your dashboard. Don’t take your dashboard for granted.

4. Set your job feeds on Upwork

Depending on your area of expertise, getting this right will save you a whole lot of time getting clients as a freelancer on Upwork.

Whenever you search for a job, Upwork by default gives you the option of adding that query to your job feed so that you will be informed immediately an offer is available. This will be visible via the “My Job Feed” section.

Pro Tip: Make sure you always think like an employer when setting up your Job feed.

5. Use Upwork apps to your advantage

The beauty of being a freelancer on Upwork is that you can work remotely and from any part of the world. You are free to work anywhere you want.

With this in mind, you can always download the Upwork applications (mobile and desktop) for your devices such as PCs and mobile devices.

When you do this, you automatically get new job notifications and can easily communicate with your clients immediately without delay. This will save you time, and stress and also make you more money as a freelancer on Upwork.

Pro Tip: To get started, you can download the Upwork “time tracker” application for your PCs. For Android users, you can download the Upwork app from the Google Play store.

6. Set your prices on Upwork

If you are an experienced “Upworker”, this particular tip is very important to you. You must make sure that the “hourly rate” in your profile isn’t too small with the size of the flat fees that you are quoting to clients.

Lest I forget, do not be afraid to break the “rules” of conventional reasoning. Danny did it successfully by raising his price and also making sure that his “hourly rate” was synonymous with his flat fees.

Let me break it down.

Let’s assume that your flat rate for a one-page copy is $1000 which shouldn’t take up to 6 hours to write. You can set your hourly rate to $165. I arrived at this by dividing $1000 by 6 hours. This will make more sense to the client than if you do it otherwise.

“Most people” on Upwork will set $1000 for this same job and set their hourly rate to, let me say, $35.

The message you are passing across here (using the same calculation as above) is that it will take you 28 hours and 30 minutes to finish a 6-hour job! This is daylight robbery.

I hope you get the gist.

This particular process is where most people usually get it wrong on Upwork. I don’t want you to be “most people”. I want you to succeed.

Don’t hold back in setting your prices. Make sure that your “hourly rate” in your profile isn’t too small to the size of the flat fees that you are quoting to clients. You don’t want your clients to feel cheated.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking less of yourself because that is not humility but mediocrity. Humility is thinking of yourself less and developing your skills.

Pro Tip: The conventional wisdom that says you can’t charge above-average or premium prices on Upwork is wrong. You just need to make sure to do it in the right way.

7. Develop your skills as a freelancer on Upwork

As I have earlier stated, your success as a freelancer on Upwork has nothing to do with the competition out there. It is simply a battle of skills and wits. You can learn virtually everything online these days.

Examples of some of the skills you can pick up for free online are graphics design, web design and development, programming, mobile app development, etc. You can also check some of these sites Coursera, Udemy, Lynda, Learnable, Harvard, MIT, etc.

Pro Tip: Don’t let the lack of skills hinder your success on Upwork. Google is your friend.

8. Withdrawing Your Funds on Upwork

Withdrawing your money on Upwork is very easy. There are two ways you can go about this.

The first way is to withdraw your funds directly into your bank account anywhere in the world. To me, this method is more expensive if you are not moving large sums–say thousands of dollars.

The second way (and recommended way) is to withdraw your funds directly into your Payoneer card. You can use the Payoneer card anywhere in the world. It is free and easy to use. You can sign up for the Payoneer card on their website.

Conclusion

These are the things you should know as a freelancer who wants to make money on Upwork:

1. Choose High-Demand Skills

Focus on in-demand skills like:

• Web development (JavaScript, Python, Ruby)
• Content writing (technical, copywriting, blogging)
• Graphic design (UI/UX, branding, visual design)
• Digital marketing (SEO, PPC, social media)

2. Create a Strong Profile

• Showcase your skills, experience, and portfolio
• Write a compelling headline and description
• Use high-quality profile and banner images

3. Develop a Winning Proposal Template

• Clearly state your services and value proposition
• Highlight your relevant experience and skills
• Include a strong call-to-action (CTA)

4. Bid Strategically

• Research clients and projects thoroughly
• Bid on projects that match your skills and expertise
• Start with smaller projects to build your portfolio

5. Deliver High-Quality Work

• Meet deadlines and exceed client expectations
• Communicate effectively and professionally
• Ask for feedback and testimonials

6. Set Competitive Rates

• Research industry standards and competitor rates
• Set rates based on your experience, skills, and project scope
• Be open to negotiations and revisions

7. Work Efficiently and Manage Time Effectively

• Use time-tracking tools and project management software
• Prioritize tasks and focus on high-impact work
• Take breaks and maintain a healthy work-life balance

8. Continuously Improve and Upskill

• Stay updated with industry trends and developments
• Take online courses and attend webinars
• Expand your skillset and services offered

By following these tips and strategies, you can increase your chances of success and make money on Upwork.

Your earnings on Upwork depend on your skills, experience, and dedication. Focus on developing in-demand skills, building a strong portfolio and profile, delivering high-quality work, and negotiating rates with clients.

With persistence and hard work, you can increase your earning potential and achieve financial success on Upwork.