Does Upwork pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Upwork employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Upwork. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Upwork?

59% of Upwork employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Upwork 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.5 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Upwork?

Software Engineer (23) , Senior Software Engineer (20) , Account Manager (19) , Freelancer (19) , Account Executive (16) , Enterprise Account Executive (15) , Software Developer (12) , Enterprise Account Manager (11) , Product Manager (11) , Business Development Representative (BDR) (10) , Data Analyst (10) , Virtual Assistant (10) , Manager (9) , Customer Service Representative (8) , Director (8)

What are the pros of working at Upwork according to real employee reviews?

"Most people are great (there are some truly brilliant people here)" ((in 58 reviews)); "Great benefits including remote" ((in 31 reviews)); "Flexible working hours and work from home." ((in 25 reviews)); "Pay is good and nice" ((in 24 reviews)); "Great team and dynamic was very supportive." ((in 23 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Upwork according to real employee reviews?

"Constant layoffs" ((in 38 reviews)); "bad leadership and a lot of feedback" ((in 35 reviews)); "Bad management and general disorganization" ((in 18 reviews)); "Salaries are obscure and no bonus for overseas employees compared to Full time employees" ((in 11 reviews)); "My direct manager had never even sold in her life." ((in 10 reviews))

What are employees saying about Upwork layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Upwork layoffs and their outlook for job security at Upwork in 2026.

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Upwork

Upwork reviews

3.8

59% would recommend to a friend

(633 total reviews)

Hayden Brown

55% approve of CEO

43% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.6

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Culture & values

3.5

Career opportunities

3.2

Senior management

Upwork has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 633 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Upwork employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Informationstechnologie industry (3.9 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

633 reviews

4.0

Jan 3, 2023

Great perks

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great perks and mostly remote work

Cons

Teammate quality low, as their recruiting isn't up to par

5.0

Jan 3, 2023

Growing company with a lot of opportunity

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Great benefits including remote-first organization, unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, etc. - Open communication and transparency from leadership - Lots of positivity on the future of the company

Cons

There's been a lot of change lately, which can feel quite unsettling at times. Sometimes it feels like we're at an early start-up, but luckily, there are leadership team members in place who navigate the change well. In addition, communication and collaboration between teams leaves a lot to be desired.

Upwork Response

Hi there, thanks so much for your review - your insight and input are valued and it's good to hear that you feel like our leaders are supportive and that you are taking advantage of the benefits we offer. If you have any additional feedback you'd like to share with HR, please feel free to reach out! - Upwork HR

2.0

Dec 20, 2022

Meh overall

Team lead

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Remote work, interesting challenges, important mission, stable product, easy to get away without doing much work, good analytics

Cons

Whimsical CEO who cries at company all hands, says there are no layoffs/strong business, then announces restructuring that pushes many people out of roles. Same CEO pushes on a strategy for 1.5 years that cannibalizes core business, doesn’t recognize it till much later, then pulls back strategy when damage is done. Stock prices plummeted, weak PM and engineering teams

Upwork Response

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. Please don't hesitate to reach out to HR if you'd like to provide any additional feedback! - Upwork HR

Viewing 337 - 339 of 633 Reviews

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