Upwork Statistics and Facts By Revenue, GSV, Employee, Take Rate, Clients And Trends (2025)

Maitrayee Dey
Written by
Maitrayee Dey

Updated · Oct 22, 2025

Aruna Madrekar
Edited by
Aruna Madrekar

Editor

Upwork Statistics and Facts By Revenue, GSV, Employee, Take Rate, Clients And Trends (2025)

Introduction

Upwork Statistics: Upwork Inc., once called Elance-oDesk, is a U.S. freelance marketplace based in Santa Clara and San Francisco. It began in 2013 after Elance and oDesk merged, and took the Upwork name in 2015. This article offers a clear, numbers-first view of the platform. You’ll see data on talent supply and demand, typical hourly rates by role, project sizes, time to hire, job-fill ratios, and client retention.

We also cover where clients and freelancers are located, which skills trend, how badges and Job Success Scores relate to outcomes, and how Enterprise and agencies use the site. Escrow, disputes, and payment protection are explained. Finally, we compare competitors, fees, and remote-work effects, and share benchmarks to improve proposals and portfolios for success.

Editor’s Choice

  • Backlinko’s report stated that Upwork’s revenue in Q1 of 2025 accounted for USD 192.71 million, followed by Q2 (USD 194.94 million).
  • Upwork’s net income shows that in 2024, the company reported a net loss of USD 46 million.
  • In Q1 2025, Upwork’s gross services volume accounted for USD 987.71 million, while it increased in Q2 of the same year, resulting in USD 1 billion.
  • In the first half of 2025, Upwork’s marketplace brought in USD 336.95 million, accounting for 86.92% of the company’s total revenue.
  • In contrast, Upwork’s Enterprise segment earned USD 50.69 million in revenue.
  • In the second quarter of 2025, Upwork achieved an 18.5% marketplace take rate, slightly higher than Q1 with 18.3%.
  • According to Demand Sage, Upwork’s talent pool tops 18 million people from 180+ countries.
  • The United States accounts for the majority of Upwork freelancers at 66%, while India contributes 9%.
  • As of 2025, a typical Upwork freelancer earns about USD 39 per hour, while most professionals charge USD 29 to 54 per hour.
  • According to investors.upwork.com, the total number of employees at Upwork was approximately 600 in 2024, a decrease from around 800 employees in 2023.
  • In 2024, around 2,200 freelancers were regularly using Upwork for internal projects.
  • On Upwork, web, mobile, and software development accounted for he largest share at 34%.
  • The total number of Upwork active clients in the first quarter of 2025 was 812 thousand, followed by 796 thousand in the second quarter.
  • As of September 2025, the total number of visits to upwork.com accounted for 36.3 million, down by 6.54% from last month.

About Upwork

Metrics Details
Company Upwork Inc. (formerly Elance-oDesk)
Headquarters San Francisco Bay Area, California, U.S.
Type Public company
Stock Nasdaq: UPWK (Russell 2000 component)
Industry Freelance marketplace / online talent platform
Founded 1999 (Elance); 2003 (oDesk); 2013 (Elance-oDesk merger); 2015 (rebranded to Upwork)
Predecessors Elance; oDesk
Area served Worldwide
Founders Bernard Sheth; Srini Anumolu; Sanjay Noronha; Odysseas Tsatalos; Stratis Karamanlakis
Key people Hayden Brown (CEO) and Thomas Layton (Chairman)
Employees (2024) Approximately 600
Contract types Hourly (Work Diary) and fixed-price (escrow milestones)
Key features Job Success Score, Connects, and talent badges (Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, Expert-Vetted)
Client programs Upwork Enterprise for larger organisations
Protections Escrow for fixed-price and hourly payment protection when tracked properly
Website upwork.com

Financial Statistics By Revenue

  • Backlinko’s report stated that Upwork’s revenue in Q1 of 2025 accounted for USD 192.71 million, followed by Q2 (USD 194.94 million).
  • According to Demand Sage, by 2025, the total revenue is expected to reach around USD 1.017 billion, and the market growth will grow at 25.54% from 2024, resulting in USD 0.769 billion.
  • By the end of 2026, the revenue of Upwork will account for USD 1.40 billion, an increase of 17.58% from last year.

Historic revenue analyses of Upwork are mentioned below:

Year Revenue
(USD billion)
Growth Rate
2023 0.698 20.38%
2022 0.566 22.98%
2021 0.503 34.57%
2020 0.374 24.31%
2019 0.301 18.63%
2018 0.253 25.08%
2017 0.203

By Net Income

  • Upwork’s net income shows that in 2024, the company reported a net loss of USD 46 million.
  • By 2025, that loss improved to USD 11 million with an uptick of USD 35 million, with a 76% reduction in losses.

Furthermore, the previous years’ net income of Upwork is mentioned below:

Year Net Income
(USD million)
2023 -72
2022 -90
2021 -56
2020 -23
2019 -17
2018 -20

By Gross Services Volume

By Gross Services Volume

(Source: api.backlinko.com)

  • In Q1 2025, Upwork’s gross services volume accounted for USD 987.71 million, while it increased in Q2 of the same year, resulting in USD 1 billion.
  • Moreover, Upwork’s gross services volume in the previous years were mentioned as 2024 (USD 4 billion), 2023 (USD 4.14 billion), 2022 (USD 4.10 billion), 2021 (USD 3.55 billion), 2020 (2.52 billion), 2019 (USD 2.09 billion), 2018 (USD 1.76 billion), 2017 (USD 1.37 billion), and 2016 (USD 1.15 billion).

By Net Margin

Year Net Margin
2025 -1.10%
2024 -5.52%
2023 -10.37%
2022 -14.54%
2021 -11.19%
2020 -6.12%
2019 -5.54%
2018 -7.86%

Upwork Segmental Revenue Statistics By Marketplace

  • In the first half of 2025, Upwork’s marketplace brought in USD 336.95 million, accounting for 86.92% of the company’s total revenue.
Year Upwork Marketplace Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2, 2025 170.66 87.55%
Q1, 2025 166.29 86.29%
2024 662.11 86.06%
2023 586.10 85.05%
2022 518.28 83.82%
2021 427.48 85.02%
2020 338.15 90.50%

By Enterprise

  • In the first 6 months of 2025, Upwork’s Enterprise segment earned USD 50.69 million in revenue.
  • Besides, in Q1 and Q2 of the same year, the revenue accounted for USD 26.41 million (13.71%) and USD 24.28 million (12.45%).
Year Upwork Enterprise Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
2024 107.22 13.94%
2023 103.04 14.95%
2022 100.04 16.18%
2021 75.32 14.99%

Upwork Talent Revenue Statistics By United States Talent

Year Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2 2025 28.25 25.61%
Q1 2025 27.34 25.36%
2024 111.69 25.43%
2023 95.83 25.90%
2022 86.89 25.96%
2021 74.89 25.22%
2020 60.86 26.85%

By India

Year Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2 2025 13.77 12.48%
Q1 2025 13.5 12.52%
2024 56.9 12.96%
2023 49.49 13.38%
2022 45.82 13.69%
2021 42.28 14.24%
2020 33.1 14.60%

By Philippines

Year Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2 2025 14.58 13.53%
Q1 2025 14.57 13.21%
2024 58.48 13.32%
2023 45.91 12.41%
2022 39.95 11.94%
2021 32.92 11.08%
2020 22.92 10.11%

By the Rest of the World

Year Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2 2025 53.69 48.69%
Q1 2025 52.37 48.58%
2024 212.07 48.29%
2023 178.69 48.30%
2022 162.02 48.41%
2021 146.89 49.46%
2020 109.8 48.43%

Upwork Marketplace Take Rate Analyses

Upwork Marketplace Take Rate Analyses

(Source: api.backlinko.com)

  • In the second quarter of 2025, Upwork achieved an 18.5% marketplace take rate, slightly higher than Q1 with 18.3%.
  • Furthermore, previous years’ take rate are stated as 2024 (18%), 2023 (15.4%), 2022 (13.8%), 2021 (13.2%) and 2020 (13.6%).

Upwork Freelancers Statistics

  • According to Demand Sage, Upwork’s talent pool tops 18 million people from 180+ countries.
  • About 3.7 million of those freelancers are based in the United States.
  • The marketplace organises work into 90+ categories grouped under 12 industry verticals.
  • In 2025, over 73% of freelancers on Upwork hold a college degree.
  • The male Upwork workforce made up the highest share of about 61.42% and females secured 38.58%.
  • Hiring through Upwork in 2025 can lower company costs by 30%, while its Android app has exceeded 5 million downloads.
  • In contrast, Upwork users exchange more than 4 million messages each week.
  • Backlino.com shows that Upwork generated USD 387.65 million in revenue in the first half of 2025.

Percentage Of Upwork Freelancers

(Reference: demandsage.com)

  • The above chart shows that the United States accounts for the majority of Upwork freelancers at 66%, while India contributes 9%.
  • The United Kingdom and Canada represent smaller portions at 3% and 2% respectively, and all other countries together make up the remaining 20%.

By Earning Analysis

  • As of 2025, a typical Upwork freelancer earns about USD 39 per hour, while most professionals charge USD 29 to 54 per hour.
  • By speciality, freelance writers often price work at USD 10 to 100 per hour.
  • Web developers show the widest spread, from roughly USD 13 up to USD 324 per hour.
  • Graphic designers commonly set rates between USD 15 and USD 150 per hour.
Earnings of Freelancers
(USD)
Upwork’s Fee
0 to 500 20%
500.01 to 10,000 10%
10,000.01+ 5%

Upwork Statistics By Employee

  • According to investors.upwork.com, the total number of employees at Upwork was approximately 600 in 2024, a decrease from around 800 employees in 2023.

The historical analyses are mentioned in the table below:

Year Number Of Upwork Employees
2022 850
2021 650
2020 540
2019 570
2018 430
2017 395

By Independent Team Members

  • According to the Backlinko report, in 2024, around 2,200 freelancers were regularly using Upwork for internal projects, which decreased from 2,500 in 2023.
  • In the past years, the number of Upworks team members was stated as 1,950 (2022), 1,800 (2021), and 1,500 (2020).

Upwork Job Category Share

Share Of Category On Upwork

(Reference: demandsage.com)

  • On Upwork, web, mobile, and software development accounted for he largest share at 34%.
  • Followed by Writing (18%), Admin & Support (11%), Design & Creative (9%), and Sales & Marketing (8%).
  • The remaining categories represented a remaining share of 20%.

Upwork Active Clients Statistics

Upwork Active Clients Statistics

(Source: demandsage.com)

  • The total number of Upwork active clients in the first quarter of 2025 was 812 thousand, followed by 796 thousand in the second quarter.
  • Furthermore, the total number of active clients in the previous years was f024 (832 thousand), 2023 (851 thousand), 2022 (814 thousand), 2021 (771 thousand), 2020 (633 thousand), and 2019 (540 thousand).

Upwork Clients’ Revenue Statistics By The United States

Year Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2 2025 61.71 72.89%
Q1 2025 59.24 69.77%
2024 238.79 72.32%
2023 236.74 74.16%
2022 210.58 74.24%
2021 153.00 74.34%
2020 107.36 73.07%

By International

Year Revenue
(USD million)
Revenue Share
Q2 2025 22.95 27.11%
Q1 2025 25.67 30.23%
2024 91.41 27.69%
2023 82.47 25.84%
2022 73.07 25.76%
2021 52.82 25.66%
2020 39.57 26.93%

Upwork Traffic And Engagement Statistics

Upwork Traffic and Engagement Statistics

(Source: similarweb.com)

  • As of September 2025, the total number of visits to upwork.com accounted for 36.3 million, down by 6.54% from last month.
  • The pages per visit to the website were 10.87, and the average visit duration was 00:11:29.
  • The bounce rate of upwork.com was captured at around 20.96%.
  • In the last three months, the website’s rank increased from 800 to 843 in September 2025, while in the United States, the website ranked #848.

By Country

upwork.com Web Traffic By Country

(Source: similarweb.com)

  • The United States of America accounted for the highest website traffic share of 22.19% in September 2025, down by 6.43% from August.
  • Other countries’ traffic rates are followed as Pakistan: 12.79% (-15.79%), India: 10.35% (-6.56%), Philippines: 6.61% (-5.62%), and Bangladesh: 4.74% (-0.95%).
  • The rest of the countries capture a website traffic of 43.32%.

By Demographics

upwork.com Website Traffic Demographics

(Reference: similarweb.com)

  • In September 2025, upwork.com visitors aged from 25 to 34 years made up the highest traffic share of 36.3%.
  • Other age groups’ traffic shares are followed by 35 to 44 years (21.04%), 45 to 54 years (13.82%), 18 to 24 years (13.59%), 55 to 64 years (9.76%), and 65+ years (5.48%).
  • The male and female of the website accounted for males (54.88%) and females (45.12%).

By Marketing Channels Distribution

upwork.com Top Traffic Sources

(Reference: similarweb.com)

  • In the same duration, upwork.com got most desktop visits from direct traffic (74.44%), with organic search second at 16.93%.
  • Furthermore, other channels’ traffic shares are followed by paid search (4.18%), referrals (2.49%), social (1.04%), and display (0.18%).

By Social Network

Social Media Traffic to upwork.com

(Reference: similarweb.com)

  • In September 2025, upwork.com received the highest social media traffic from YouTube with a share of 49.89%.
  • Others are followed by Facebook (11.84%), WhatsApp Webapp (10.53%), LinkedIn (9.74%), and X Twitter (5.05%).
  • Other social networks’ web traffic share accounted for 12.94%.

Most-Used Programming Languages On Upwork

  • According to ClientManager.io, as of Oct 17, 2025 (IST), JavaScript leads Upwork’s live job posts with 7,915 openings, followed by Python (5,944), React.js (3,281), Node.js (3,017), and Java (2,096).
  • Notably, 2025 trends show AI-focused programming languages like Python, Julia, and Rust each grew over 50% in demand.

Reason Behind Upwork Leads The Freelance Market

  • According to Notta, Upwork stands out as the category leader, holding an estimated 61.25% share of the freelance talent marketplace.
  • Beyond market share, its business profile remains solid: Crunchbase lists a valuation of about USD 1.6 billion and records 13 funding rounds over the years.
  • The top three Upwork competitors’ market share are Eightfold.ai (18.15%), Fiverr (14.85%), and Instahyre (3.21%).

Conclusion

Disciplined users win on Upwork when data leads decisions: rare skills earn more, targeted proposals and work boost repeat business. Use metrics as tools. Freelancers: choose in-demand niches, price to market, sharpen proposals, and show outcome-based work. Clients: write briefs, filter by earnings, JSS, and reviews, and manage risk with milestones and escrow. Revisit benchmarks as trends shift. Measure, iterate, maintain quality, and turn Upwork into a repeatable engine.

FAQ.

How does Upwork work?

Clients post jobs, freelancers submit proposals, both sides agree on scope and price, and work is tracked and paid through Upwork.

What are the rules of Upwork?

Keep communication on-platform; use escrow; be honest; avoid spam; follow terms always.

What not to do on Upwork?

Don’t spam proposals, misrepresent skills, ignore briefs, miss deadlines, or skip communication and feedback.

Is Upwork safe to earn money?

Yes, Upwork is safe when you use escrow, hourly tracking, and verified clients.

Do Upwork pay real money?

Yes, Upwork pays real money through escrow to verified bank accounts or PayPal.

Maitrayee Dey
Maitrayee Dey

Maitrayee Dey has a background in Electrical Engineering and has worked in various technical roles before transitioning to writing. Specializing in technology and Artificial Intelligence, she has served as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, particularly focusing on education and healthcare in Australia. Maitrayee's lifelong passions for writing and painting led her to pursue a full-time writing career. She is also the creator of a cooking YouTube channel, where she shares her culinary adventures. At Smartphone Thoughts, Maitrayee brings her expertise in technology to provide in-depth smartphone reviews and app-related statistics, making complex topics easy to understand for all readers.

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