Earning Big Bucks on Upwork: A Developer’s Strategy for Success
Are you a web or software developer looking to make it on Upwork? Wondering why you seem to losing money by buying and wasting connects rather than making money on jobs? Feeling like you’re not getting any clients or you’re not able to find anything worth working on? I know the feeling.
Upwork is a massive marketplace with hundreds of job listings posted every day. It’s also full of freelancers like you (just kidding, I know you’re special), and some will underbid you by $50 an hour without blinking. So, how do you carve out a sustainable, high-earning niche in a sea of competition?
Spoiler: it’s not by bidding lower or working 24/7.
In this article, I’ll lay out a strategy that is working for me and others to land high-quality clients, build a portfolio, and secure repeat work — all while working smarter, not harder.
I like wordplay so the short version of this article is:
Don’t Downplay Your Specialty on Upwork.
1. Specialize and Showcase Your Expertise
First things first: niche down. Don’t be a jack-of-all-trades, because that’s where you’ll get stuck fighting over low-paying gigs. Instead, focus on one area of web or software development. Are you a Vue.js specialist or an expert in Laravel backends? Maybe you have a knack for building custom CI/CD pipelines or creating automated testing frameworks. You may have some sick LLM development skills or some quantum programming tricks up your sleeve. Maybe you’re the guy that builds robots with enough hand dexterity to land a front board kickflip out on a tech deck in sub-second time.
Regardless, the more specific your skillset, the easier it is for clients to identify you as the person for their project, not just a person.
If your Upwork profile screams “I can do anything,” you’re missing out on the magic of specialization.
- Optimize Your Profile Title: Instead of “Full Stack Developer,” try “Vue.js Expert Specializing in SPA Development” or “Laravel Developer for Scalable Web Apps,” or maybe “Guy Who Serenades Computers With Wonderwall Covers To Make Errors Disappear.” This sends a clear message to clients who need exactly what you offer.
- Polish Your Portfolio: If you don’t have a portfolio yet, it’s time to build one. Showcase projects where you’ve solved specific problems. Highlight your role in each project, whether it was optimizing performance, integrating third-party APIs, or building something from scratch. Even if you’ve only done side projects, get those on your profile. Clients want to see what you can do, not just read about it.
2. Start Small, But Aim High
When you’re new to Upwork, the temptation is to bid on big jobs and get straight to the $5K a month target. But we must resist temptation.
Here’s the reality: clients care about your Upwork reputation. Without a track record of completed jobs, you’ll have a tough time competing for larger contracts.
The snowball effect: complete smaller jobs to build a good reputation, reputation to attract larger jobs.
- Go After Smaller Jobs First: Look for quick, high-value jobs that you can knock out in a few days. This could be setting up a custom form, optimizing a site for speed, or fixing bugs in an existing app. You’re not doing these small jobs just for the money (though that’s nice); you’re building your reputation. Each 5-star review gets you closer to the bigger, higher-paying gigs.
- Deliver Exceptional Results: With smaller jobs, over-deliver every single time. Even if it’s a $200 project, treat it like it’s a $2,000 one. Surprise your client by delivering ahead of schedule or adding a bonus feature. These small wins lead to referrals and repeat business. Soon, you’ll find yourself with more work than you can handle.
3. Write Custom Proposals for Every Job
Clients can tell when you’re sending them a template proposal. And they don’t like it. Your proposal is your first impression — don’t blow it by being generic.
- Address the Client’s Needs Directly: Look at the job description and figure out exactly what the client needs. If they’re struggling with deploying their Laravel app or need help with Vue.js component optimization, speak to that problem specifically. Clients want to know that you’re not just skilled, but also that you understand their problem specifically. A very common problem across Upwork is job-seekers copying and pasting the same generic “reusable” proposal for all jobs, and clients hate this.
- Be Concise, but Persuasive: Upwork clients are busy. They don’t want to read a novel. Well, some might, but probably not on Upwork. Get to the point quickly, but make it persuasive… Like a bright red I-85 McDonald’s billboard flashing images of golden french fries. Offer a brief solution outline or a couple of strategies you’d use to tackle the project. Show them you already have a roadmap in mind.
- Avoid Lowballing: If a client is asking for a job worth $1,500 and you come in with a bid of $300, they won’t be impressed — they’ll be suspicious. It’s better to quote the job at a realistic rate and explain the value you’re bringing. If you need to build a reputation first, offer a competitive rate without going too low.
4. Build Long-Term Client Relationships
If you’re constantly hunting for new clients, you’re not maximizing your time. Repeat business is the holy grail on Upwork, and the best way to secure it is by building strong, long-term relationships.
- Offer Maintenance or Follow-Up Work: Let’s say you just finished building a custom Vue.js dashboard for a client. Instead of saying, “Thanks for the work,” mention how you could help maintain the project long-term, add features in the future, or offer monthly updates. This turns a one-time gig into ongoing work.
- Stay in Touch: After completing a project, don’t just disappear. Follow up in a couple of months to see how the client is doing with the product you built. Maybe they’re ready for the next phase or have more work for you. Plus, this kind of follow-up shows you care about the outcome, not just the paycheck.
- View client profiles. You can tell by looking at a client’s Upwork profile how much they’ve spent on past jobs, the total jobs they’ve listed, and the total number of freelancers they’ve hired. Chances are, the more time a client appears to have spent on Upwork, the more likely it is they’ll be willing to continue working with the same freelancer if that freelancer produces high-quality work.
5. Master Your Time and Focus
Once the gigs start rolling in, time management becomes essential. You need to be as efficient as possible to hit that $5K a month without burning out.
- Use Time-Tracking Tools: If you’re working hourly, make sure you’re using Upwork’s time tracker or another reliable tool to log your work. This keeps everything transparent and helps you stay on task.
- Set Boundaries: Clients will sometimes try to push beyond the original scope. While it’s great to be accommodating, don’t let scope creep turn a 5-hour job into a 20-hour one without compensation. Be clear upfront about what’s included in your bid and offer additional work as a separate, paid service. I’ve fallen into this trap once before — once you’ve started allowing the scope to creep without charging for your service, it’s hard to make it stop.
- Batch Similar Tasks: If you’re juggling multiple projects, try to group similar tasks together. For example, if you’re working on two Laravel projects, block out dedicated time for both rather than bouncing back and forth between unrelated tasks. This minimizes context switching and boosts productivity. It also reduces the chance of you accidentally referring to a project A issue when discussing or documenting project B. I know us devs like multitasking, but come on. Let’s get organized.
6. Increase Your Rates as You Grow
Once you’ve got some solid reviews and repeat clients under your belt, it’s time to raise your rates. The beauty of freelancing is that you control your price. Don’t be afraid to increase your hourly rate or project bids as you gain more experience and demand.
- Test the Waters: Try increasing your rates incrementally. If you’re charging $40/hour, bump it to $50/hour and see how clients respond. As long as you continue delivering high-quality work, clients are usually willing to pay more for your services.
- Value-Based Pricing: For fixed-price projects, consider using value-based pricing rather than hourly estimates. If a project will bring significant value to the client, price it based on that value, not just the number of hours you think it will take. For example, a website that generates revenue for the client is worth more than the 10 hours you spent coding it.
While we’re on the topic of hourly pay and the dilemma it presents for high-value but efficient work, I recommend viewing this Chris Do presentation on this topic:
Conclusion
Becoming successful on Upwork as a web or software developer isn’t about being the cheapest or the fastest — it’s about positioning yourself as an expert, building a solid reputation, and forming long-term relationships with clients. Start small, specialize, and always over-deliver. Before long, whatever monthly target you set, whether $5K or another number, will feel less like a goal and more like a stepping stone.
