How To Make Money On Upwork: My $100K+ Freelancer Story

How to Land Clients and Grow Your Income as a Beginner

When I first signed up, I had no idea how to make money on Upwork. I wasn’t chasing a dream. I was chasing options.

My focus was set on two clear goals:

Earn extra income outside my day job.
Create the flexibility I needed to be there for my sick father.

I wasn’t trying to build a 6-figure freelance empire, I just needed a way to make decent money on my terms.

Fast forward a few years and I’ve earned over $100,000+ on Upwork working with clients in all things e-commerce (ads, product research, account management, etc), customer service and project management.

With the right strategy, consistency and mindset – it’s absolutely possible to build a profitable freelancing career.

In this post, you’ll learn how to grow on Upwork from scratch, what actually gets you hired and what helped me personally earn over $100,000+.

I Didn’t Know Everything But I Knew Enough to Start

When I first jumped into Upwork, I knew my strengths:

E-commerce (All things Etsy and Amazon FBA)
Project management
Ads Management (For online businesses via Meta Ads, Amazon Ads)

But that didn’t mean I had it all figured out. There was definitely a learning curve. Most of the time, it felt like I was building the plane while flying it.

The main thing to keep in mind? You don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to be willing to learn, adapt and improve along the way. That mindset is so important if you want to make money on Upwork and land consistent freelance work – even as a side hustle.

Start Small, Then Build

If you’re serious about how to make money on Upwork, you may need to start with gigs that aren’t your dream jobs but open the right doors.

My first Upwork job was as a customer support agent. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me the value of showing up, solving problems, and making life easier for clients.

From that one opportunity, I was promoted to a management role. Over time, I used that foundation to expand into my real passion:

Amazon FBA (Product research, listing optimization, ads, sourcing, etc)
Etsy store optimization
Project Management

What this means for you: Start with what you know, even if it isn’t what you love. Then build from there. Each job is a stepping stone.

Stand Out with Personalized Proposals

One of the biggest differentiators on Upwork is how you approach your job proposals. Most freelancers send the same generic pitch. They just copy/paste a cover letter and change a few things around. Don’t do that.

Here’s what worked for me and what can work for you:

Write a personalized cover letter for every job and use ‘client-specific’ language in your proposals.
Focus on the client’s pain points, not your own achievements.
Include short Loom videos to show your process
- (Especially for feedback-based jobs like analyzing websites, reviewing product listings for keyword improvements, etc).
Follow up every few days to stay top of mind.
Offer a quick call option – sometimes five minutes on the phone builds more trust than 500 words on a page.

Tip: To make money on Upwork, treat every proposal like a job interview. Show the client that you understand their business – not just that you’re good at yours.

Do Your Homework Before Applying

One of the fastest ways to stand out and make money on Upwork is to research the client before hitting send on your proposal.

Look at their products, read their reviews, study their competitors. This gives you leverage to:

Identify what’s missing or could be improved.
Offer solutions before they even ask.
Position yourself as a proactive, strategic hire.

Clients don’t want a list of your skills, they want to know how you’ll make their life easier.

Bonus Strategy: Reference specifics from their listing or business in the first line of your proposal. It immediately proves you’ve done your homework.

Build Long-Term Client Relationships

Upwork isn’t just for “one-time” gigs. Some of the best earning opportunities come from building long-term relationships with your clients. To really make consistent money on Upwork, show your clients that you care and they will become repeat clients.

Once you’ve done great work for someone, they’re much more likely to:

Rehire you for new projects
Increase your rate over time
Refer you to other business owners that they know

How to turn short gigs into long-term work:

Ask what’s coming up in their plans
Offer monthly retainer options
Suggest ongoing optimization or strategy support via consulting

Many of my own clients started with small tasks and turned into ongoing consulting relationships. And that’s exactly how you build consistent income.

Tips for New Freelancers Starting on Upwork

Whether you’re just getting started or trying to level up, here are the strategies that helped me the most:

1. Be Obsessed With the Client’s Needs

Don’t lead with your skills or experience. Lead with how you can solve their problem.

For example: Think of it like a doctor’s visit. When you walk into a clinic with pain in your knee, you don’t want the doctor to list all their credentials or how great they are at diagnosing random things.

You want them to focus on your pain, your symptoms and your solution.

2. Use Loom to Stand Out

A quick 1–2 minute video builds trust fast. It shows personality and effort, and almost no one else is doing it.

3. Follow Up Without Being Pushy

Most people apply once and forget or they’re afraid of coming off as being too “needy”. I followed up every few days with a quick message to check in.

4. Stay Flexible, Especially at First

Be willing to take lower paying or less exciting gigs at the start to build momentum. You should be open to proving yourself and growing into the role.

5. Treat Your Profile Like a Sales Page

Treat it like a landing page. Use a professional photo, write a clear headline and be sure to list specific wins in your description.

6. Stack Testimonials Quickly

Even if it means doing some underpriced jobs in the beginning, get those 5-star reviews. Social proof drives Upwork success. It definitely helps!

7. Watch Job Trends and Timing

Some niches post more in certain seasons. Know when new listings go live and be one of the first to apply.

8. Position Yourself for Enterprise Work

Want to attract bigger clients? Optimize your profile to sound like a consultant, not just a task-taker. Use language like “strategy”, “growth” and “optimization.”

Add a case study or two. Mention results, not just tasks.

Think Long-Term, Act Short-Term

Here’s what I mean. Freelancing on Upwork isn’t about finding the “perfect” client from day one. It’s about small wins, consistent delivery and positioning yourself as a valuable asset.

If I can earn over $100K+ while learning as I go, so can you. Your journey might look different but the same core principles apply:

Start where you are
Lead with value
Keep getting better

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Know Everything, Just Start

I didn’t have a polished portfolio or an expert in every tool or platform. I just started with what I did know, stayed curious and kept showing up.

Freelancing gave me the income I needed and the flexibility I was desperate for. More than that – it gave me the confidence to build a business on my terms.

If you’re on the fence about freelancing or if you’ve been stuck applying to gigs with no response, let this be your sign:

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start.

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Rob Berberian

Founder of Goldmine Your Mind, I’m an e-commerce entrepreneur turned business coach and finance mentor. I help ambitious people master money, grow online businesses, and reach their highest potential—because wealth starts in the mind.

How to Make Money on Upwork: My $100K+ Freelancer Story

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