How To Make Money On Upwork In 2024 (The Ultimate Guide)

Many people aspire to become freelancers since they can work whenever they want and are not restricted by their location.

If you’d like to learn how to make money on Upwork as an independent contractor, you must follow a few critical steps.

Although many freelance job boards are available, Upwork is among the most popular, but it can be difficult to start initially.

Key Takeaways

• You must have a real, professional profile photo.
• Your profile title must include your skills and experience.
• Sell yourself and give new clients a reason to buy your service.
• List one or more employment highlights. 
• Include skill tags to assist with your placement in search results.

How To Make Money On Upwork In 2024 (The Ultimate Guide)

Finding work on Upwork is simpler than most people may at first realize, as the platform functions as a job board, linking freelancers with prospective clients.

Bear in mind that we say simple rather than easy because getting clients to trust you can do a good job requires a few simple steps.

Our 2024 guide gives you all the information you need to know about how Upwork operates, its features, setting an hourly rate, and more.

Carefully follow the steps below, and you’ll learn exactly how to make money on Upwork in 2024:

Step 1. Exploring Opportunities On Upwork

It's important to understand what Upwork is and where the opportunities lie before we get into how to use it to generate income.

In essence, Upwork is a type of job portal on which independent contractors can apply for projects and communicate with potential clients.

There are multiple positions available all around the world, and new ones are being posted every minute as new businesses come online.

In general, Upwork facilitates job searching and income generation; however, you must exercise caution when selecting the gigs you wish to apply for.

What Sorts Of Gigs Are Available?

The Upwork online marketplace is divided into various sectors through which a freelancing business may find projects in writing, graphic design, web development, marketing, and more.

It is not only for professionals, though, as there are thousands of people with basic skills who have found success on the platform.

While there are plenty of jobs like bookkeeping or how to file taxes, plenty more require minimal formal education.

Popular Upwork Jobs

Before you settle on the type of job you want to offer, it pays to do a little research first.

Here are some of the more popular freelance jobs that you can apply for on the Upwork platform:

Virtual Assistant

According to Upwork, you can expect to earn between $5 and $35 per hour or up to $700 on retainer as a fixed-price gig.

Your rates will depend on the type of work you are required to do, your experience, and expertise, as well as your geographical location.

Many small business owners can benefit from using a virtual assistant. Tasks that you can expect to do include:

• Calendar management – Scheduling appointments, meetings, and events.
• Data entry – Organizing and updating data inputs.
• Research – Conducting online research on gig economy trends, competitors, products, or services.
• Customer support – Responding to inquiries, resolving issues, and providing assistance to clients.
• Travel arrangements – Booking flights and accommodation.
• Personal tasks – Assisting with personal errands, scheduling appointments, or managing household affairs for busy professionals.

Virtual assistant jobs are ideal if you love to stay organized and don’t mind doing a variety of different tasks throughout the workday.

You may find jobs in accounting for startups that require minimal bookkeeping knowledge and focus on data input.

Blog Writer Or Copywriter

If you enjoy writing, you can earn between $15 and $80 per hour, depending on the subject matter and your level of experience or expertise.

The more specialized forms of writing such as copywriting pay more, but you’ll need to show that you can produce exceptional work.

Once established as a writer, expect to average around $35 to $50 per hour with the chance of being offered fixed-price projects and hourly projects.

Other gig economy jobs include social media marketing, which pays $14 to $35 per hour; and graphic design, which pays between $15 and $150 per hour.

With more than 10,000 different types of jobs posted on Upwork daily, you are sure to find some that fit with your experience and skill level.

Step 2. Crafting Your Upwork Profile

Your profile functions similarly to a standard resume for potential employers, but without a carefully crafted one, it is impossible to find gigs.

Once you decide on the type of job you want, creating your freelancer profile on Upwork is the next step toward earning money online.

You can create an account using an Apple ID, Gmail account, or work email address by clicking the "Sign Up" button.

Then you can add your employment history and personal details, making sure to draw attention to the specific services you want to provide.

You need to have completed at least 50% of your Upwork profile before you are allowed to apply for advertised jobs.

Here are the minimum requirements for your profile:

• Profile Photo – Take a head-and-shoulders photograph of yourself.
• Profile Title – This is a description of your experience and skills.
• Your Overview – Explain why you should be hired.
• Employment Highlights – Describe something relevant to your services on offer.
• Skill Tags – Include at least one tag relevant to your skills.

To complete your profile, include a video presentation to introduce yourself to a prospective Upwork client, as it improves response rates.

If you have any examples of work that you want to showcase, then include those as well, as they’ll help convince clients that you know what you’re doing.

Should you be unsure of how to complete your profile, look at other freelancers’ profiles to gain inspiration and see what’s working.

Once your profile is complete, Upwork will verify your details, approve your profile, and within two days, you’ll be ready to start applying for jobs online.

Step 3. Selecting Your Membership Plan

You have two options available when creating your Upwork account – the Freelancer Basic (free option) and Freelancer Plus (paid tier) plans.

There are gig economy statistics to support offering free tiers to gain entry into the market and paid tiers to secure additional benefits.

Freelancer Basic Plan

The Freelancer Basic Plan is the default free plan that is offered to registered Upwork users and allows you to apply for your first jobs.

Basic plans come with 10 “Connects,” and each month, you are issued an additional 10 with which to apply for jobs.

For most gig workers, this is more than sufficient to get started. It allows you to put together a proposal for low-level jobs.

If you have more money available, then you may want to upgrade to the next tier, which allows you to apply for more jobs or higher-paying ones.

Freelancer Plus Plan

This upgrade option gives you exclusive access to Upwork Chat Pro with 10 times the monthly Connects allocation and other benefits.

To upgrade your membership plan, go to your settings and select the “Memberships & Connects” option, where you’ll be able to select “Change plan.”

Then click the “Upgrade to Plus” button, but take note that you can’t get a refund as Upwork only allows you to cancel the subscription.

Monthly Connects

Each month, Upwork will add “Monthly Connects,” which are needed to bid on hourly projects and are like virtual tokens that you pay for access.

The “Connects” also allow you to turn on the Availability Badge and boost your advertising. They expire after one year from the date they’re issued.

As a “Freelancer Plus” subscriber, you also get access to Upwork Chat Pro, which is an AI-powered app for Freelancer Plus members.

This helps you complete repetitive tasks faster and offers support in reviewing your work before it is passed on to the client.

Apple App Store

If you use the Apple App Store subscription option, then you pay $27 per month, and cancellations are handled directly through your Apple account.

You can expect to “pay” two connects for jobs less than $50, while medium-sized projects under $600 require four connects.

Large fixed-price projects paying over $600 require six “Connects,” and you’ll most probably need additional Connects if you plan to apply for these.

If you’re applying for multiple jobs each month, then extra Connects cost $0.15 each. Purchase them in bundles of 10 at $1.50 per bundle.

The gig economy offers enormous potential for securing high-paying jobs, but you may need to spend a little money to get them.

Step 4. Research Upwork Reviews

To avoid unpleasantness, before you bid on jobs, it is best to read the reviews left by previous freelancers who’ve worked for clients.

There are warning signs that more experienced freelancers pick up on; leaving a review with negative experiences helps warn others.

Negative reviews shouldn’t put you off applying for a job, but they give you a heads-up as to what it may be like during the project.

If a client has multiple 2- or 3-star ratings, then it may be better to avoid that client and apply for alternative projects.

There are pros and cons to working in the gig economy, but researching potential clients will save you a lot of time and bother.

Step 5. Applying For Jobs

You'll find thousands of jobs on Upwork, so you’re never going to run out of opportunities to apply for work.

However, when you’re new to gig economy platforms, you need to get as many jobs, ratings, and reviews under your belt as quickly as possible.

This is key to securing future work, but it means that you should keep your initial rates low to have a better chance of getting projects.

Once you have a few good reviews, then you can start increasing your rates and start earning what you deserve.

Tips To Secure Top Ratings And Reviews

To encourage clients to leave reviews and ratings, offer them discounts on their orders, faster turnaround times, and additional work at no additional cost.

These additional perks must be offered to the client with the understanding that they give you an honest, quality rating and review on project completion.

To maximize your chance of being selected for a job, make sure that your profile is polished to perfection and that each section is complete.

Include Plenty of Details

Include as much detail as possible, focusing on the value that you bring to your potential client, rather than it being all about you.

Build trust with your potential clients by showing results that you’ve achieved with previous clients and showcasing your best work.

Profile title and hourly rate are the two areas that determine the number of profile views you get, so test these to find what works.

Keep A Copy Of Your Profile

Always keep a copy of your profile before making changes, as you want to be able to go back to previous versions that may work better.

After making sure that your profile is optimized, submit proposals while making sure to personalize each one. Try not to use a one-size-fits-all template.

You can build trust by asking questions that get to the root of their problem – a surefire way to prove you’ve read their job description.

Understanding How Upwork Bidding Works

Once you’ve found a job that you want to apply for, you need to bid on the project, which requires knowledge of the bidding process.

Many freelancers struggle at this stage, not knowing how the system works and how to use their “Connects.”

Utilizing Your “Connects”

“Connects” are virtual tokens that you use to bid on projects; you get 40 Connects when you sign up for an Upwork account.

When bidding on a project, there is a minimum cost, which can be up to six Connects, based on the dollar value of the job.

You can enter a custom bid so that your application is at the top of the applicants' list; in fact, some freelancers bid up to 600 Connects.

As mentioned above, you can buy more “Connects” if you run out, or you can pay for a premium membership, which gives you additional tokens.

Aim For The Number One Spot

If you have sufficient “Connects” and want to appear at the number one spot on the list of applications, bid more than the current top spot.

Many clients will hire the first freelancer they see on the list if they meet their minimum requirements, not bothering with anyone else.

Fixed-price projects with a low cost reduce clients’ risk. They are the sort of projects that you want if you’re a beginner on the platform.

If you’re unable to win the number one spot, then bid the minimum as it's not worth aiming for the number two or three positions.

Step 6. How To Get Your First Client

Because of the competition for jobs, it could take you months to get your first client if you don’t have a plan in place.

The safest strategy is to have a client you’re already working with join Upwork and hire you to perform a project on the platform.

Alternatively, you could get a friend or colleague to create an Upwork business profile and hire you for a “fake” job.

Be aware that this is frowned upon by Upwork and could potentially get you banned from the platform – it's preferable not to do it.

Create A Winning Proposal

The best way to secure your first client is to ensure that you have a well-structured proposal that includes a personalized cover letter.

Your cover letter should include two to three paragraphs explaining why you’re the best candidate for the job and how your skills will benefit the client.

Link to some projects you’ve completed that are relevant to the job or project you’re applying for and include a testimonial if available.

Consider Working For Free

If you’ve not yet completed a paid project, consider doing a project for free with the expectation of honest feedback that you can use later.

This gives you something to include in your Upwork proposals and can be from a local business or other person that you approach for help.

Creating a professional proposal is essential for freelancers. It's how to make money on Upwork, as it significantly increases the chances of success.

Get Clarity On The Job

Ask pertinent questions about the job in your cover letter, indicating to the client that you’ve read the brief and are prepared.

Once you’ve got the potential client to respond, you can move the conversation to an online Zoom call so that you can close the deal.

Zoom accounts for almost 40% of the online meeting market, and, as such, your clients are most likely comfortable using the platform.

Aim To Receive Invitations

The ideal scenario is when you receive invitations to bid on a project from a client who has seen your profile.

Invitations are the result of higher profile ratings, positive client reviews, and a complete and enticing profile with Upwork recommending you.

Summary

After researching the best job postings for you on Upwork, follow this step-by-step plan to get your first client as quickly as possible.

Aim to secure a few lower-paying gigs first so that you can quickly build a portfolio of work on the platform.

Make sure that you do a great job and get a good rating and review from your client so that potential clients can see your results.

Above all, don’t get discouraged, because your hard work and persistence will pay off if you just keep consistently applying for jobs.