Upwork Statistics By Clients, Usage and Revenue

Introduction

Upwork Statistics: Upwork is one of the top websites where businesses hire freelancers for jobs like writing, graphic design, coding, marketing, and more. Millions worldwide use Upwork to find remote work and earn money online. Over the past few years, the platform has grown in terms of users, projects, and total payments.

This section shares important Upwork stats, including user growth, earnings, most popular job types, and regional insights for 2024 and 2025. This article will shed more light on Upwork Statistics.

Editor’s Choice

• Upwork generated USD 689.14 million in revenue in 2024, reflecting an 11.45% increase compared to 2023.
• Its gross services volume reached USD 4.14 billion in 2024.
• The enterprise segment earned USD 103.04 million, marking a 3% year-over-year growth.
• Clients from the United States contributed USD 236.74 million, accounting for 74.16% of total client spending.
• International clients added USD 82.47 million, making up 25.84% of spending.
• Upwork had about 851,000 active clients in 2024, a 4.55% rise from the previous year.
• Each client spent an average of USD 4,987 annually hiring freelancers.
• In 2023, earnings were estimated between USD 665 million and USD 675 million.
• Upwork had around 822,000 active clients in 2023.
• The top three freelancer countries were the United States, India, and the Philippines, which together earned 45.6% of total freelancer income.
• The fastest-growing job category was Sales & Business Development, which rose by 54%.
• Data Entry jobs increased by 47%.
• Accounting jobs grew by 45%.
• 3D Animation jobs expanded by 44%.
• Around 50% of Fortune 500 companies use Upwork to source freelance talent.
• Upwork has seen an annual growth rate of 23% in overall platform usage.
• The company employed around 800 full-time staff and engaged 2,500 freelancers for internal projects.
• Freelancers on Upwork can choose from over 125 job categories.

Impact of Upwork on the Freelance Market

• Upwork continues to be a top choice for freelancing. It connects businesses with skilled workers worldwide.
• By 2024, Upwork had around 855,000 active clients, showing a 2% increase compared to 2023.
• Since 2019, when it had 311,000 active clients, that number has jumped by 57.59%, proving how much the platform has grown in popularity.
• Upwork is currently the leading freelance marketplace, holding a 61.25% market share. Some of its main rivals include Eightfold.ai (18.15%), Fiverr (14.85%), and Instahyre (3.21%).

(Reference: notta.ai)

• According to Crunchbase, Upwork’s company value is $1.6 billion, and it has raised funding through 13 investment rounds.
• Several trends have helped Upwork expand. In 2023, about 64 million people in the US were freelancers, making up 38% of the total American workforce.
• Also, 53% of Gen Z freelancers are stepping away from regular 9-to-5 jobs, preferring flexible work.
• Most freelancers are well-educated—nearly 80% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Regarding pay, North America leads with an average rate of $44/hour.

(Reference: demandsage.com)

• The table showing the most famous categories on Upwork:

• More than 75% of the Upwork freelancers have a college degree.
• According to Upwork Statistics, Smartblogger stated that nearly 61.42% of the freelancers on Upwork are men, and 38.58% are women.
• Western Europe follows at $31/hour, while freelancers in South America earn an average of $24/hour.
• The shift to remote work, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, pushed more people into freelancing.

Upwork Client Statistics

• Upwork has almost 6 million customers, but just 851 thousand are active.

(Reference: demandsage.com)

• The above chart shows the number of active Upwork customers that are recorded over the year:

• Upwork earns more than $2.5 billion every year from its clients. In 2025, it’s estimated that over 4,100 businesses will use Upwork to find and hire freelance talent.
• Roughly 40% of clients on the platform hire freelancers for more than one type of job.
• Most clients choose a freelancer in 3 days or less. Some respond and make a hire within just 10 minutes after chatting, while others take up to a week to review applications and find the best match.
• Upwork’s client spending retention rate is 102%, meaning clients return and spend more money over time.
• Upwork also serves around 30% of Fortune 100 companies, showing its popularity with large businesses.
• In addition, companies that use Upwork can save up to 30% on hiring costs by choosing freelancers instead of full-time employees.

Upwork Website Traffic and Usage Statistics

• Upwork attracts over 18 million visitors every month, and we can see how these users access and engage with the platform on both desktop and mobile devices.
• According to Semrush, in 2024, 61.6% of traffic to Upwork will come from desktop and laptop computers. This suggests that most users are professionals who visit Upwork from office settings and are likely to find and manage freelancers.
• Many companies block non-work-related websites but allow access to Upwork, which could also explain why freelancers manage larger projects and proposals from desktop computers or laptops instead of mobile devices.
• However, 38.4% of Upwork’s traffic comes from mobile devices like iPhones, Android smartphones, and tablets.

(Reference: sellcoursesonline.com)

• Upwork’s mobile apps make it easy for users to chat with clients, place bids on projects, and update their profiles, which is especially helpful for freelancers who are always moving.
• As more younger generations, such as millennials and Gen Z, embrace remote freelancing, mobile traffic will likely continue growing and could reach 50% or more by 2029.
• When looking specifically at desktop usage, the Philippines stands out, making up 67.44% of all Upwork desktop visits. This is a high percentage compared to the country’s population size, showing that Upwork is widely adopted there.
• India leads in mobile traffic, with 57.93% of mobile visits. The country’s large young population and the availability of affordable Android devices play a big role in this.
• As smartphones continue to be sold in smaller cities and towns, India’s share of mobile traffic could rise to 70% or more in the next 2-3 years.

Upwork Job and Employee Statistics

• Upwork is a large company that has grown its team over time. In 2020, it had 540 employees; by 2024, it had 850 employees.
• Most employees are in the Sales and Marketing departments, with over 250 team members in these areas.
• Although Upwork has grown its workforce in the past, in May 2023, it had to cut 15% of its employees, which equals 137 people.

(Reference: )

• GSV refers to the total money clients spent on Upwork services, including extra charges for connections, membership fees, and payment transactions. This number increased as Upwork attracted bigger clients, leading to higher freelancer earnings.
• Upwork has over 125 job categories for clients to post jobs. Popular categories include writing, design, sales, development, and business consulting. This variety of categories helps attract a wide range of freelance talent.
• Upwork offers freelancers with over 10,000 skills. This means clients can find the right talent for almost any job.

(Reference: 10xhire.io)

• The company’s top management consists of 61% men, 37% women, and 2% of the gender information is not disclosed.
• Content writing is a popular skill on Upwork, with freelancers charging between $15 and $40 per hour. The rate depends on factors like the Freelancer’s experience and the project’s difficulty.

(Source: 10xhire.io)

• Web developers also earn on Upwork, with rates ranging from $15 to $30 per hour depending on the project’s complexity.
• Graphic designers are in demand on Upwork due to the need for visuals in online content. Their hourly rates range from $15 to $150, averaging $25 per hour.

Upwork Age and Gender Distribution

• According to Upwork Statistics, Sellcourcesonline stated that 09% of people using Upwork are men, while 39.03% are women. The biggest group of visitors is those aged 25-34, who comprise 36.67% of the total audience.

(Source: 10xhire.io)

Upwork Marketing Channel Distribution Statistics

(Reference: 10xhire.io)

Upwork Performance Statistics

• Upwork charges a service fee based on how much you earn from a client:

1. 1. 20% fee on the first $500 you earn from a client
   2. 10% fee on earnings between $500 and $10,000
   3. 5% fee on earnings above $10,000

• Freelancers often start with lower rates to attract clients and build a good reputation. They can increase their rates over time after getting positive feedback and gaining experience.
• A study found that women freelancers on Upwork charge 13.5% less than men. This pay gap remained even after considering factors like experience, education, and job type.
• The study analysed data from 48,019 freelancers in the US, nearly half women. On average, women’s hourly rates were only 74% of what men charged for similar work.

Upwork Skills and Categories Statistics

• Currently, Upwork has 90 sections on its website that help clients find freelancers with expertise that is essential.
• Media customers pay the highest hourly rate, between $50 and $200.Media buyers are in charge of the marketing campaign, deciding where to place advertisements and what type of advertisements to produce.
• The business consultants charge around $28 to $98 per hour.
• A business consultant’s main role is to support clients by helping them fix certain challenges or issues in their business operations.
• The median programmer costs between $15 and $150 per hour.
• Objective-C was the highest-paid programming language on Upwork. $ 66 is charged by freelancers.

• Most freelancers are highly educated, with 73% completing a college degree.
• Freelancers can add more than 10,000 skills to their profiles. This helps clients find the right freelancers with the specific skills they need.
• Some examples of these skills are pay-per-click marketing, eCommerce, C++, and payroll accounting.

Upwork Revenue Statistics

(Reference: pernasresearch.com)

• The above chart shows the Upwork Revenue and Gross Margin over the years.
• Upwork’s yearly income has been growing since 2016. For example, in 2021, Upwork made an extra $125 million in revenue.
• 2023 Upwork’s revenue reached $689.14 million, which is higher than in previous years.
• Upwork, based in the US, had total assets of $1 billion in 2023.
• For Q3 2024, Upwork’s revenue increased by 10% compared to last year, reaching $193.8 million.
• Upwork also achieved a record high net income, earning $27.8 million in Q3 2024, a 70% increase from Q3 2023.
• Upwork earns money from different areas, like Enterprise, Ads, Monetisation, and Managed Services.
• Revenue from managed services grew by 5% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same time last year.
• The revenue from ads and monetization increased by 35% year-over-year in Q3 2024.
• A lot of freelancers buy a Freelancer Plus subscription. In Q3 2024, the revenue from these subscriptions went up by 48% compared to the previous year.
• Upwork also earns money through service fees, withdrawal fees, membership fees, and charges for connections that freelancers use to apply for jobs.

Upwork Alternatives

#1. Upwork vs Fiverr

• Upwork and Fiverr are well-known freelance websites that work differently and serve different users.
• According to Upwork Statistics, Macrotrends stated that Upwork is great for long-term work and big projects, while Fiverr focuses on quick jobs and small services.
• Fiverr uses a gig model, where freelancers list fixed-price services that start at $5, where it gets its name.
• Upwork charges a 5% transaction fee, but some US users who pay through ACH bank transfers may only pay 3%.
• According to Upwork Statistics, Similarweb stated that Fiverr charges a flat 5.5% fee for every transaction.
• Freelancers on Upwork come from over 180 countries, while Fiverr freelancers are based in 160 countries.
• In 2024, Upwork reported 814,000 active clients, and Fiverr had 4.3 million active buyers.
• Upwork gets about 40.8 million site visits each month, while Fiverr receives roughly 60.4 million.

#2. Upwork vs Freelancer

• In 2024, Freelancer.com made $870.9 million, while Upwork made $618.3 million.
• Freelancer charges a 3% fee on hourly and fixed-price projects, while Upwork charges 5%.
• According to Upwork Statistics, Bloomberg stated that Freelancer gets around 6.9 million monthly visitors, while Upwork attracts 40.8 million.
• Freelancer works with users from more than 247 countries, while Upwork operates in 180 countries.

#3. Upwork vs Turing

• Turing is expected to earn about $337.9 million annually, while Upwork reached $618.3 million in 2024.
• Turing has around 1,608 team members, a 39% rise compared to the previous year.
• Turing gets about 2.3 million monthly visits, while Upwork brings in 40.8 million.
• Turing doesn’t take any commission from developer payments.
• Clients can try out developers on Turing with a risk-free 2-week trial and only pay after the trial ends.

Future of Upwork Market Growth Statistics

Freelancing is still uncommon across most job categories, with less than 10% of workers globally freelancing outside of creative roles. We’re in the very early stages of widespread adoption.

#1. Disruption in the Talent Industry

1. Over the next decade, traditional staffing methods will face more competition as companies start using remote freelancers for important tasks.
2. This shift is similar to the rapid growth of companies like Airbnb in hospitality and Uber/Lyft in transportation.
3. While the definitions vary, I see areas like finance, engineering, product design, software development, data analytics, creative services, marketing, and HR as sectors where online platforms can replace traditional staffing.
4. From my experience with partnerships and surveys, I believe that skilled freelancers can complete over 50% of medium-complexity corporate projects online.
5. This can save businesses over 60%, improving their returns on investment.

#2. $25 Billion Global Market by 2026

1. Looking at the growth of freelancing platforms and industry projections, I expect the global online talent marketplace to reach over $25 billion in revenue by 2026, compared to just a few billion today.
2. The US is the largest market, with about $7 billion in revenue in 2022, but due to their large populations and increasing digital adoption, Western Europe and Asia (especially India) have great potential for growth.

#3. Upwork’s Path to $5 Billion in Revenue

1. If Upwork maintains its market share of around 50% of total freelancer billings and payouts, it could hit $5 billion in annual revenue by 2026.
2. This would be in line with its past five years of growth, which were driven by strong enterprise sales, increased adoption in sectors like healthcare, and reaching 90 %+ of freelancers still working offline.
3. If Upwork reaches $5 billion in revenue, it would become one of Silicon Valley’s top 100 fastest-growing tech companies by sales.

Conclusion

In 2025, Upwork continues to grow, with more revenue coming from different areas like managed services, ads, and freelancer subscriptions. The platform’s rise in active freelancers and clients shows the growing need for remote freelance work. Upwork is well-positioned to be a top choice for big and small projects. The increase in mobile traffic, especially from countries like India and the Philippines, shows how freelancing is becoming more popular worldwide.

Overall, Upwork’s steady growth, diverse ways of making money, and strong market position help it stay successful in the growing freelance economy. We have shed enough light on Upwork Statistics through this article.