How To Hire Top-Rated Freelancers on Upwork: A Client's Guide

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Hiring top-rated freelancers on Upwork is one of the fastest ways to bring proven expertise onto your team without the cost or timeline of full-time recruitment. Top Rated freelancers represent the top 10% of professionals on the platform, vetted by client feedback, on-time delivery, and a Job Success Score of 90% or higher. 

Key takeaways

• Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, and Expert-Vetted badges identify the top 10%, 3%, and 1% of freelancers on Upwork – use talent badges as your first filter when searching.
• A clear job description, realistic budget, and quick first conversation are the foundations of a strong hire.
• Business Plus unlocks Expert-Vetted freelancers and curated shortlists – prescreened by Upwork's team.
• Any Hire lets you bring freelancers from your existing network onto Upwork and manage contracts, compliance, and payments in one place.

Most clients turn to Upwork because traditional hiring is slow and expensive. Posting a role on job boards takes weeks of screening, interviewing, and onboarding – and by the time you find the right person, the project window has shifted. Even when you do find a strong candidate, full-time hiring assumes a long-term need that may not match the work in front of you.

Hiring a freelance professional through Upwork compresses that timeline. You can post a project, review proposals from prescreened professionals, and start work within a few hours – with all the tools to manage the relationship in one place.

Our research shows that the most innovative companies are 1.6 times more likely to expand their use of freelance talent than their peers, and 1.3 times more likely to build a culture where freelancers are central to adopting new technologies, according to the Upwork Work Innovators Report 2024.

What is a Top Rated freelancer on Upwork?

A Top Rated freelancer on Upwork is a freelance professional in the top 10% of the platform, recognized for consistent client satisfaction and a strong on-platform track record. To qualify, freelancers must maintain a Job Success Score (JSS) of at least 90% for 13 of the last 16 weeks, earn at least $1,000 across multiple clients in the past 12 months, and keep a 100% complete profile. Upwork updates badge eligibility every two weeks.

Why hire freelancers through Upwork

Traditional recruiting with job boards, social outreach, careers pages, employee referrals, interview events, and in-person job fairs all work, but it may take weeks or months to surface the right person. Hiring a freelancer on Upwork compresses that timeline. You can post a project, review proposals, and start work within a few hours, with the tools to manage the relationship all in one place.

Upwork's platform gives you:

• Verified profiles with portfolios, ratings, and Job Success Scores
• Built-in messaging, video meetings, and a contract workroom
• Hourly Payment Protection and fixed-price project funds
• A global pool of professionals around the world
  

Use talent badges for instant insights

Among the most useful features on Upwork are the talent badges. They give you a fast read on a freelancer's track record.

Talent badges appear as small, colorful icons on freelancer profiles.

Once you know what each badge means, you can quickly gauge each professional's level of experience – and their reputation on Upwork.

• Rising Talent. Indicates a newer freelancer who's already showing early signs of success – a strong background, an up-to-date 100% complete profile, and a 4.8+ star average rating with $250+ earned in the past 12 months.
• Top Rated. Represents the top 10% of freelancers on Upwork. Recipients have a Job Success Score of at least 90% for 13 of the last 16 weeks, at least $1,000 earned across multiple clients in the past 12 months, and a 100% complete profile.
• Top Rated Plus. Represents the top 3% of freelancers on Upwork. Top Rated Plus recipients meet all Top Rated criteria, have earnings over $10,000 over the past 12 months, and have a proven track record on large or long-term contracts. The "large contract" threshold varies by category.
• Expert-Vetted. Represents the top 1% of freelancers on Upwork in select categories. Each Expert-Vetted freelancer is prescreened by Upwork's team through interviews and skill assessments.

You can see talent badges in Upwork search results and use them as a filter when searching profiles.

Searching for talent badges is a fast way to narrow your shortlist, but this works best when paired with a clear sense of where the strongest freelance talent lives on Upwork.

Highest in-demand freelance categories on Upwork

Knowing where the strongest freelance talent concentrates can help you focus your search. According to the Upwork In-Demand Skills 2026 report, demand for top AI-enabled skills more than doubled year over year, while demand for established categories like coding, creative, marketing, and customer support remain strong.

The following table shows some of the most in-demand freelance categories on Upwork right now, with examples of the kind of work each covers.

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If you aren't sure how to scope a project in one of these categories, you can also book a paid consultation with a freelance professional to talk through the work before you post a job.

How to find and hire top-rated freelancers on Upwork

The hiring process on Upwork is straightforward once you know the order of operations. The following sections walk through each step.

1. Get clear on the skills you need

As with any hiring process, you need to be clear on the kind of help you're looking for. This is how you connect with the right candidates.

If you've mostly hired full-time staff in the past, you may immediately think you need a full-time employee when you spot a skill gap. Some of the most effective teams take a different approach – known as skills-first hiring – and it can help you get more innovative work done with less overhead.

With skills-first hiring, you keep a core team and bring in freelance professionals for specific skill sets as projects demand. Your team doesn't have to reskill, and you don't have to launch a full hiring initiative.

2. Review your company culture and brand

You'll also want to take a fresh look at your company's employer brand.

While you want to be honest about your company's mission, vision, goals, and values, make sure you're also emphasizing why you're a great client. It's a small mindset shift from traditional recruiting, but it matters.

Think about:

• What your company stands for, and why a freelancer would be proud to bring you on as a client
• How your company culture supports professionals bringing specific skills to the table
• Ways to provide social proof for your brand values, including reviews from past freelancers (on Upwork, freelancers can leave starred reviews on your client profile)

Once you're confident your company is putting its best face forward, get specific about the project at hand.

3. Set a budget

Budget is an important part of hiring a freelancer. On Upwork, sharing your hourly or project budget up front helps you connect with the right candidates faster.

Review your operating plans and financial projections to set a budget for the project. Factor in any associated fees you may encounter when posting and engaging freelancers.

If you aren't sure how much to budget, look at similar job posts on Upwork to see what other clients are paying. You can also review profiles of freelancers with related skill sets to get a feel for typical rates in your industry.

4. Write a targeted job description

Once you have your budget set, you can include it in your job description.

A strong job description is targeted to specific professionals. Include:

• Job title and skills required. Use the real role name ("Customer Service Representative," not "Helpful Community Conversation Rockstar")
• Purpose. What your company does and who you serve
• Scope of work. Explain the problem you're solving and the goal you're trying to reach
• Timeline. Note how long the project will run and the expected weekly commitment (for example, five hours a week for 12 weeks)
• Location. Include only if it matters for the project
• Budget. Specify whether the project is hourly or fixed-price
• Qualifications. Note the level of experience and any specific credentials needed

Posting your first project on Upwork is easier with the help of the Job Post Generator, powered by Uma™, Upwork's Mindful AI. Write a short description to get started, and Uma will help you turn your ideas into a complete job post that attracts qualified freelancers.

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5. Review Upwork profiles to find the right fit

There's no single right way to search for candidates and review proposals, but here's an approach that works well:

• Post your project on Upwork
• Wait several hours for proposals to come in
• Review the first batch and save your favorites to a shortlist
• As you review, look at Talent Badges, JSS, portfolios, total earnings, feedback from other clients on Upwork, and any certifications shared on the profile
• If you haven't received enough proposals you like, run a freelancer search and send invites
• Reach out to your shortlist with any initial questions or to set up a quick video call through Upwork Messages

Repeat until you find the right fit. In many cases, you'll find the right freelancer for your project within the first 24 hours after posting. If it takes longer, that's fine too – taking your time to evaluate options can lead to a better hire.

Note: You can only see if someone has earned an Expert-Vetted badge if you have an Upwork Business Plus plan or an enterprise plan. Otherwise, you'll see Rising Talent, Top Rated, or Top Rated Plus badges.

6. Talk to freelancers on Upwork

Be sure to ask freelancers all your questions. Freelance professionals on Upwork are used to working with clients, and they can:

• Provide any additional information you need
• Help you scope what you actually need (sometimes through a paid consultation, which is a great starting point for many projects)
• Explain how they see the project unfolding
• Discuss pricing and timelines

Your conversation may not look like the typical in-person interview you're used to. That's OK. You can meet freelance professionals from around the world on Upwork, so embracing asynchronous communication tools like Upwork Messages and Loom can help you select the best hire.

You're also welcome to start a phone call or video meeting with a freelancer. Just keep all communication on Upwork before you have a contract in place. This part of the Terms of Service is in place to keep both you and the freelancer safe as you get to know each other. Plus, having a record of all your messages helps you work more efficiently.

7. Build long-term freelance relationships

Once you find the right fit for your project, you can extend a job offer and enter into a contract in a few steps. You and the freelancer will have a dedicated contract workroom for files, messages, tasks, and more.

Upwork also makes it easy to maintain your relationships with freelancers. Your account gives you quick access to the name and profile of everyone you've worked with on past projects, so you can reach out to favorite collaborators for new work.

Keep expanding your talent pool with Any Hire

You don't have to choose between finding top-rated freelancers on Upwork and working with professionals you know through your personal network. Any Hire lets you bring freelancers you already work with onto the platform and manage contracts, compliance, onboarding, and payroll in one place.

So reach out to your network for potential collaborators, keep hiring on Upwork, and bring everyone together on a platform you trust.

Tap into the top 1% of freelancers with Business Plus

If you want to see Expert-Vetted freelancers on Upwork – and access tools that make hiring faster – you'll need a Business Plus plan. There's no up-front cost to join Business Plus, which makes it a strong fit for small and growing businesses that want the fastest way to hire prevetted freelance professionals.

With Upwork Business Plus, you get:

• Premium 24/7 customer support
• Curated shortlists of prescreened freelancers, delivered within six hours
• Additional reporting and dashboard insights
• Live coaching and office hours to help you get started
• Monthly invoicing with 30-day payment terms (Net 30 available by application for U.S.-based companies)

Business Plus is free to join. When you hire, you pay an 8% to 10% service fee on payments to freelancers. Eligible U.S. clients paying with a checking account qualify for the 8% rate. A one-time contract initiation fee of up to $4.99 applies to new contracts of $100 or less.

Hire top-rated freelancers on Upwork

With access to Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, and Expert-Vetted freelancers on Upwork – plus support from Upwork's team and Uma at your fingertips – you can hire and collaborate with freelance professionals faster than ever. Sign up for Business Plus or upgrade your existing account to start hiring top-rated freelancers on Upwork today.

FAQs about hiring top-rated freelancers on Upwork

Hiring through a marketplace looks different from traditional recruiting, and most clients have similar questions when they're getting started. The following answers cover the most common ones – from what top-rated really means, to how Upwork's badge tiers compare, to what you can expect to pay.

Who are the best freelancers on Upwork?

The best freelancers on Upwork are typically those who have earned talent badges – Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, or Expert-Vetted. These badges signal proven track records, consistent client satisfaction, and a strong Job Success Score. You can filter by badge in your search to focus on freelance professionals with this level of recognition.

How do I find top freelancers on Upwork?

To find top freelancers on Upwork, post a clear job description, then use the search filters to narrow results by talent badge, hourly rate, location, and skills. You can also review the proposals that come in and check each freelancer's Job Success Score, portfolio, and client reviews. If you're on Business Plus, you can request a curated shortlist of prevetted freelancers.

What is the top 1% of Upwork freelancers called?

The top 1% of freelancers on Upwork are called Expert-Vetted. These freelance professionals are personally prescreened by Upwork's team through interviews and skill assessments. The Expert-Vetted badge is only visible to clients on the Business Plus plan or an enterprise plan.

How much do top-rated freelancers on Upwork cost?

Top-rated freelancers on Upwork set their own rates, so cost varies by category, experience, and project complexity. Many top-rated freelancers charge above the platform average because of their proven track record – but you'll find a wide range across categories. As a reference point, looking at similar job posts and freelancer profiles in your category gives you a realistic sense of typical rates.

What's the difference between Top Rated and Top Rated Plus on Upwork?

The difference between Top Rated and Top Rated Plus on Upwork is the scale of contracts the freelancer has worked on. Top Rated represents the top 10% of freelancers, based on Job Success Score, earnings, and consistent client feedback. Top Rated Plus represents the top 3% and requires the same criteria, plus a proven track record on large or long-term contracts. The "large contract" threshold varies by category.

Is Business Plus worth it for hiring on Upwork?

Business Plus is often worth it for clients who hire freelance professionals regularly or want access to the top 1% of freelancers on Upwork. Membership is free, and you pay an 8% to 10% service fee on payments to freelancers – slightly higher than the Basic plan. In return, you get visibility into Expert-Vetted freelancers, curated shortlists, premium support, and Net 30 invoicing if approved.