Whether you have just begun job searching as a graphic designer or have been completing professional projects for years, chances are that you have heard of Upwork. Upwork is a freelancing platform where clients can post job opportunities and freelance graphic designers, writers, and more apply for posted jobs. Is Upwork worth it for graphic designers?

Upwork is definitely worth it for graphic designers. The technology of the world today calls for more graphic designers than ever. With job opportunities asking for skill levels from entry-level to expert, Upwork offers several opportunities for graphic designers.

Read on to learn more about whether Upwork is worth it for graphic designers. In discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the freelance platform, you might find that Upwork is the perfect place to search for your next graphic design project. 

Is Upwork Worth It for Graphic Designers?

Upwork offers opportunities posted by people from all over. Whether it involves designing a flyer or creating a webpage layout, infographic, or logo, jobs for graphic designers are constantly available on Upwork. In the freelance industry, it can be difficult to find specific jobs on other platforms.

As a graphic designer, you might spend hours searching for jobs through online career sites. The difference between Upwork and other sites is that Upwork is meant specifically for freelancers. While you can add filters in seeking certain project types, you will not have to funnel through countless jobs that have no relation to what you are looking for. 

Upwork is great for all skill levels and all types of work. Typically in the form of contracts, clients can hire you to work on one project, stay on board for a few months, or even hire you for a full-time job. Oftentimes, a client offers one or more projects with the opportunity to attain a full-time job depending on your work. 

As with any venture, there are some considerations to think about before deciding if Upwork is a good fit for you. However, there are ways to improve your chances of getting hired. In any case, Upwork is a great place to look for graphic design work, both for experts and those just beginning their journey in the industry.

Pros and Cons of Working With Upwork

Upwork is a great place to find graphic design opportunities. With the ability to customize your profile, capitalize on successful projects with clients, and earn money quickly, you will find yourself happy to have invested your time.

Upwork has its pros and cons:

As you can see, there are more advantages than there are disadvantages when you choose to find jobs with Upwork. However, the cons are still worth consideration. Below are more details regarding how Upwork is both beneficial yet costly.

Advantages 

The largest advantage of choosing Upwork involves the amount of work available. Depending on your skill level, you should have no problem finding work that you are capable of completing. By simply searching for graphic design projects based on the skill level the client is looking for, you can better find jobs you are suited for.

You can also choose the base pay for which you wish to be compensated. Though some clients state how much money they are willing to offer, establishing your own hourly rate is a great way to determine how much your labor is worth for a client. In many cases, you can also choose your own hours. Sometimes, especially with a time-sensitive project, the contract may require certain hours, but quick design endeavors should not be a problem.

Whether you are hired by a client to complete one project or find a 3-month job that eventually leads to a full-time hire, Upwork allows you to make money quickly. With the contract-style hires, you can get paid after each successfully completed project.

Clients can rate you after completing a project. If you work well with the client, have quick turnaround times, and do good work, the rating your client gives you can help boost your success in finding other jobs on Upwork. Other clients can see how you have been rated in the past and better judge if they would like to work with you.

Disadvantages

While it is not a drastic downside, you do have to pay a fee to apply to most jobs. Upwork uses “Connects” that you must purchase and give a portion of for every job you apply to. However, every 10 Connects only costs $1.50. So, you can easily get 80 Connects for $12.00. Most jobs offered by clients on Upwork only require 1-5 Connects to apply.

Another fee involves the money your receive for successfully completing a project. Since Upwork is essentially a free-to-use platform, it takes 20% of your earnings when you get paid. If you do a good job of finding worthwhile work and completing projects for good money, however, this may not be a huge issue for you. Just keep in mind that whatever the client is offering, you will make 20% less than that.

The last notable downside to using Upwork is the skill level required. Yes, there are plenty of entry-level projects offered by clients, but many clients require intermediate or expert-level hires. You can change your experience level on Upwork, but if you truly are entry-level, even jobs that seem easy but are labeled expert may be out of grasp.

How Much Do Graphic Designers Make on Upwork?

How much you make on Upwork depends on the work you complete. You might only make $20 on an hour-long project, but some contracts lasting months can extend to allow you to make thousands of dollars. It is also worth noting that the more money you make, the less percentage Upwork takes from your earnings. If you truly apply yourself when using Upwork, you can make a substantial amount of money. 

Most posted jobs are short projects, so it can be difficult to make a living on Upwork, but many people who please their clients find themselves earning a full-time, salary job that transfers from Upwork to the client’s company directly.

Depending on your intentions when using Upwork, you can secure a nice chunk of spending money or find jobs that act as your main source of income. That is why Upwork is such a great platform. You have different options for how often you want to work, what type of work you do, and how much money you can make.

Should You Use Upwork?

If you are a graphic designer struggling to find work, Upwork is the place to go. Even if you struggle to find as much consistent work as you would like, you can continue to build your portfolio for future endeavors.

You should absolutely use Upwork to search for freelance graphic design jobs. With the low fees and endless opportunities, you may find that working through Upwork is your preferred way to get paid for graphic design.

Use Placeit for Upwork Projects

If you get hired to complete graphic design work, you are going to need a platform through which you create your designs. Placeit has everything you need for your graphic design endeavors. From logos, to design layouts, to a wide variety of templates to choose from, you will have no problem creating the best designs for your Upwork clients when working with Placeit.

Best of all, everything you create on Placeit comes with full commercial usage rights. This means you can sell the designs to paying clients, and they are fully copyright-free.

Takeaway

Upwork is worth it for graphic designers. The freelance industry is constantly seeking those with the technological skills to complete a wide range of projects. Upwork offers the opportunity to choose your hours and the type of work you want with ease.