Pitch Pitch Kiln › Tools › Upwork fee calculator
Upwork fee calculator
Upwork's freelancer fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract, and Upwork shows the exact rate on each offer. Enter that rate to see your take-home.
- Client is billed (before client fees)
- —
- Upwork service fee
- —
- You receive
- —
- Rate to charge for that take-home
- —
Uses the fee you enter. Withdrawal and currency fees are separate and not included.
How Upwork's freelancer fee works
Upwork charges freelancers a service fee taken from each payment. Its help center says the fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract and is shown when you get an offer. There are exceptions: Upwork Payroll and Any Hire contracts carry no freelancer fee, Direct Contracts carry a reduced fee, and Enterprise contracts are typically 10%. If a client gets a refund, the matching fee is refunded too.
Upwork's own worked example, reproduced
To take home $20 an hour at a 10% fee, charge $22.22. Over 12 hours the client is billed $266.64, the fee is $26.66 and you receive $239.98. Those are the defaults above, and this calculator matches Upwork's numbers to the cent.
Write the proposal
Once the rate is set, the Pitch Kiln video below shows seven free prompts for a sharper Upwork proposal.
FAQ
How much is the Upwork fee for freelancers?
Upwork says it ranges from 0% to 15% per contract, and the rate is shown on each offer. Enter the rate from your offer to get exact numbers.
How do I work out what to charge to take home a set amount?
Divide the take-home you want by (1 − fee rate). At 10%, $20 ÷ 0.9 = $22.22, which matches Upwork's example.
Does this include the client's fees?
No. Clients pay their own marketplace fees on top. This tool covers what you, the freelancer, keep.
Are there contracts with no freelancer fee?
Yes. Upwork lists Upwork Payroll and Any Hire contracts as having no freelancer service fee. Direct Contracts have a reduced fee.
Sources
- Upwork Help Center — Freelancer Service Fees — fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract and is shown on each offer; worked example at 10%
Figures last checked: . Not legal or tax advice.
Watch: Upwork Proposal with ChatGPT: 7 Free Prompts
The short Pitch Kiln video that goes with this tool.
Watch the videoWin more of the jobs you price
Free: the Win & Price Kit. Or get the full Pitch Kiln system for $29.