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 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Upwork?

60% of Upwork employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Upwork 4.1 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)); "Amazing culture and product that truly benefits the customer" ((in 36 reviews)); "Great benefits and rewards." ((in 29 reviews)); "work from home, flexible program, diversity," ((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 35 reviews)); "bad leadership and a lot of feedback" ((in 32 reviews)); "Bad management and general disorganization" ((in 18 reviews)); "My direct manager had never even sold in her life." ((in 9 reviews)); "No bonuses and paid time offs" ((in 7 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

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3.8

60% would recommend to a friend

(631 total reviews)

Hayden Brown

57% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Work/Life balance

3.9

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 631 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

631 reviews

1.0

Jan 18, 2026

Layoffs galore

Account executive

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

people were nice and decent benefits

Cons

\n my experience, the company has struggled with long-term stability. There have been repeated rounds of layoffs nearly every year over the past several years, which makes it difficult for employees to feel secure or plan for the future. Leadership continuity has remained the same throughout these changes, yet the underlying issues have persisted. For anyone considering a role here, it’s important to be aware of the ongoing uncertainty and evaluate whether this level of risk aligns with your career goals

1.0

Dec 10, 2025

Revolving door of layoffs

Enterprise account executive

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice office, people were easy to work with, stipend was joining to equip home office and tech supplied was good (plus got to keep the tech when laidoff)

Cons

I spent eight months at Upwork in 2022 before being impacted by a company-wide reduction in force that affected 150 employees. Since then, I’ve noticed a troubling pattern each year, around the same time, Upwork announces another large-scale layoff. You would think a company like Upwork would learn from past mistakes but it seems like it a continuous cycle at this employer

3.0

Jul 29, 2025

good tech benefits, no growth, bad leadership

Enterprise account executive

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- great benefits, 401(k) match, wellness benefit, 100% remote, etc. - mediocre salary - smart coworkers, there was some really strong talent among ICs and mid-level managers

Cons

- little to no growth - tone deaf executive team, very poorly managed from the top - the CEO has the least emotional intelligence I've seen from an exec at a publicly traded company

Viewing 106 - 108 of 631 Reviews

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Layoffs galore

Revolving door of layoffs

good tech benefits, no growth, bad leadership

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