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How to get started with Upwork and make money
August 14, 2025
A freelancer’s biggest challenge is finding clients. That’s where services like Upwork come in. These helpful platforms help clients and freelancers find each other and establish a business relationship. Whether you are looking for extra cash or a serious source of income, it’s almost impossible to ignore Upwork. Today we are going to teach you the ins and outs of getting started with it.
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What is Upwork, and how does it work?
Upworkis a web service where freelancers can set up profiles, specify their areas of expertise, and show off their work to find gigs. Clients can create job postings explaining what they need, the required timeframe, how much they are willing to pay, and other details. Freelancers can look through a feed of job listings and submit proposals to jobs of interest. Customers can also look at talent profiles and invite freelancers to submit a proposal.
In a nutshell, Upwork is a hub that enables clients and freelancers to find each other and work together, ensuring the safety of both parties. They are an intermediary of sorts. All communications and file transfers can be done through the website and logging the time you have worked. Upwork will also process payments. They ensure clients pay, but don’t release the funds to talent until the job is done. This brings peace of mind to everyone involved.
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Of course, the website will take a cut. Upwork’s fees are 20% of the first $500 you get from a single client. The percentage goes down to 10% of whatever the client pays you between $500-$10,000, and 5% for anything that surpasses the $10,000 threshold.
What kind of work can you find at Upwork?
Upwork is mostly all about freelancing work, which usually revolves around specific categories. These are mostly artistic or skilled labor positions that are temporary. Here are some common jobs you can find at Upwork:
I have taken on some gigs using Upwork and believe it’s worth signing up as a part of your freelancing efforts. Chances are it won’t become your main source of income, but it’s a large network that can help you reach clients who otherwise wouldn’t find you. We’ve heard stories of people making it a full-time gig, but those stories are a bit rare.
Think of Upwork as the Facebook of the gig economy; you may not like it, but everyone’s using it. Freelancers need to follow the crowd if they want more gigs. Upwork’s Wikipedia page mentions the service has 18 million registered freelancers and five million clients. Those are numbers you can’t ignore, even if the fees and system are a bit limiting.
The website and apps work like a charm, and the experience is pretty straightforward. The secure payment process is also nice to have.
Of course, there are some downsides to using Upwork. As mentioned before, fees can add up. 20% is a high number. The number doesn’t get any lower unless the client starts paying you more. And even then, 10% to 5% is a high price to pay in the long run. Especially once you add taxes to the equation. But the fees aren’t even the biggest issue!
Read also:Upwork vs Fiverr: Which is the best place to sell your services?
Because Upwork made your business relationship possible, they make you agree to keep all transactions exclusive to the platform for two years. After accepting a gig, both parties are contractually obligated to keep their business relationship within the confines of Upwork until 24 months are up. The only way out of this is to pay an “opt-out fee.” If these terms are violated, both parties will receive penalties and possibly face legal disputes.
That’s quite the commitment. But then again, the relationship probably wouldn’t have happened without Upwork. More work is always better, especially for a freelancer.
If you have decided Upwork is for you, here’s how to get started.
You are now part of Upwork! You can search for jobs, send proposals, and get to know the platform. Play around with it and see what it’s all about.
Secondary steps
While it may seem like you are ready for prime time, there are secondary steps to take. Some are required, and others help you get more jobs. Let us guide you through them.
Understanding memberships and connects
To send job proposals to clients, one must have Connects (think of them as tokens). Each job proposal costs a set amount of Connects, ranging from one to six. These will be returned to you if a project is canceled without making a hire, or if the job post is removed for violating terms of service. Furthermore, no Connects are required when a client invites you to send a proposal.
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You get 10 Connects per month under the free membership. This is great, but they will run out, and you will need more. This is when you’ll have to pay up. Using the free Upwork membership, you can purchase extra Connects for $0.15 each.
Those who have signed up for the Upwork Plus membership will get 80 Connects per month. This membership costs $14.99 per month and offers some added benefits. Let us break down what each membership provides.
Free Basic Membership:
$14.99 Plus Membership:
How to get a job at Upwork
Getting paid by Upwork
There are multiple payment options and systems you can opt for. Much of it depends on your agreement, payment method, and preferences. To learn the ins and outs of payments, go to Upwork’s dedicated page.
Personal tips for working with Upwork
I have quite a bit of experience with Upwork and want to share some tips for beginners. Being a freelancer is no easy feat, so I know you are looking for all the insight you can get.
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