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I studied 15 popular niches on Upwork, this is what freelancers were charging
Whether you’re new to freelancing platforms like Upwork, or you’re new to gig work altogether, trying to figure out what your hourly rate should be can feel quite daunting. Charge too little and you’re leaving money on the table. Charge too much and you might scare off potential clients … theoretically, at least.
I recently studied 15 popular niches on Upwork to uncover exactly what freelancers are charging on the Upwork platform today. On average, beginners were charging between $10-$70, mid-level freelancers were charging between $10-$71 and experts were charging between $20-$100.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Industries studied, my methodology
- Average hourly rates on Upwork
- What I charge on Upwork
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Industries studied, my methodology
I recently took the liberty of cross-referencing 15 different industries from Upwork’s 2023 list of most in-demand skills and made mini-job posts for each on the platform. For the sake of this exercise, I narrowed my focus to the following:
- Full Stack Development
- Mobile App Development
- Web Design
- Social Media Marketing
- Accounting
- Recruiting & Talent Sourcing
- Bookkeeping
- Graphic Design
- Video Editing
- Presentation Design
- Illustration
- 3D Animation
- Transcription
- UX/UI Design
- Email Marketing
My methodology
For the sake of this exercise, I focused on hourly contracts with the following parameters: 3-6 month project length, short-term work, and medium scope. I also included five popular skills for each industry and limited my search to talent in the United States. I then examined the rate range for entry-level freelancers, intermediate freelancers and expert freelancers on each job type.
Average hourly rates on Upwork
My Findings
On average, Upwork freelancers were charging between $5-$200 on the platform. The lowest rates were reserved for entry-level jobs and entry-level freelancers. Freelance professionals in high-demand niches with many years of experience in specialized skill sets dominated the higher end of the scale.
| Niche | Lowest | Entry | Intermediate | Expert | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Stack Development | $15-$20 | $35-$70 | $40-$70 | $65-$85 | $160-$165 |
| Mobile App Development | $5-$10 | $30-$65 | $50-$71 | $70-$90 | $120-$125 |
| Web Design | $10-$15 | $30-$58 | $35-$55 | $55-$75 | $155-$160 |
| Social Media Marketing | $5-10 | $20-$50 | $30-$65 | $60-$100 | $205-$210 |
| Accounting | $5-$10 | $26-$50 | $25-$50 | $40-$65 | $145-$150 |
| Recruiting & Talent Sourcing | $10-$15 | $25-$50 | $35-$55 | $51-$68 | $130-$135 |
| Bookkeeping | $10-$15 | $26-$45 | $25-$45 | $40-$55 | $90-$95 |
| Graphic Design | $10-$15 | $30-$45 | $30-$50 | $47-$65 | $145-$150 |
| Video Editing | $10-$15 | $30-$45 | $30-$50 | $47-$65 | $145-$150 |
| Presentation Design | $15-$20 | $35-$54 | $40-$65 | $64-$100 | $170-$175 |
| Illustration | $15-$20 | $25-$43 | $30-$45 | $42-$70 | $100-$105 |
| 3D Animation | $5-$10 | $25-$40 | $25-$50 | $42-$80 | $130-$135 |
| Transcription | $10-$15 | $10-$20 | $10-$20 | $20-$30 | $60-$65 |
| UX/UI Design | $15-$20 | $31-$68 | $44-$70 | $65-$90 | $155-$160 |
| Email Marketing | $5-$10 | $25-$50 | $35-$65 | $55-$100 | $195-$200 |
It may be important to note that I originally also included SEO, Lead Generation, Email/Phone Support, Virtual Assistance and Data Entry in my research – but found it strange that each of these categories seemed to produce the same results ($5-$10 lowest, $60-$100 for entry/intermediate/expert and $205-$210).
These odd numbers raised my suspicions that Upwork may be filling in generic Upwork data where they don’t have enough industry-specific averages to create an accurate chart. And so, I ultimately decided to exclude these categories from the list.
What I charge on Upwork
Just to add some personal perspective to this data, I wanted to share a snapshot of my rate journey on Upwork over the past seven years.
When I first joined Upwork as an expert-level graphic designer, I set my rate to $20/hour just to get my foot in the door. After the first couple of projects resulted in 5-star reviews, I quickly changed my rate to $34 per hour, then later to $45 per hour, then again to $55 per hour, then to $75, then to $95, then to $120. Today, I charge $150 per hour on the platform with 8.358 billable hours and nearly $700,000 in total earnings.
I made a rule that every time I found myself booked solid for weeks, I’d bump my rate up just a smidge. After all, what did I have to lose if I already had more work than I needed?
I also discovered an interesting phenomenon along the way. Every time my rate increased so did the quality of my clientele. It’s true what they say – cheap Upwork clients tend to be more difficult than well-funded, more experienced clients. Increasing my hourly wages not only improved my bottom line but also my mental health. So don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with your rate from time to time to see if you can attract some of those more desirable, bigger fish.
Connect with me!
Where are you in your Upwork journey? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to connect with me on social media.
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