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Freelance Marketplace

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The short answer: On freelance marketplaces, one guide to starting pay comes from freelance writer Steph Spector, who on Chris Koerner's show cited $30–$40 an hour as common Upwork starting rates. The catch on freelance marketplaces is client management: app builder Billy Howell warns about high-maintenance clients and running out of bandwidth. (Chris Koerner) Sandy Lee, who keeps a full-time job, shows freelance marketplace work can fit alongside other employment. (Chris Koerner)

Key numbers for freelance marketplace, with the source of each
Reported earnings$30–$50/hr
2 reports by 2 creators, Jan 2024–Sep 2026
One creator's reported hours1–2 hrs/week
Reported by The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast, Jul 2020

From 10 quotes by 4 creators. A creator figure is one person's account.

Go deeper: every source on freelance marketplace

How much can you make on freelance marketplaces?

Freelance marketplace earnings here are individual reports: Sandy's Upwork retainer started at $3,000/month and rose to $5,500 when she added languages. Steph, who found clients on Upwork and through cold pitches, reports about $6-7K a month from SEO blog posts at $800-1,200 each. (Chris Koerner)

What do people doing freelance marketplace say?

“So keep it at $50 an hour and just get more.”

— Double Your Freelancing Podcast, podcast, 12 Jan 2024, at 11:15. Backs: hourly earnings, $50/hr

“I think I'm seeing a lot of 30 an hours on Upwork, 40 an hour.”

— Chris Koerner, YouTube, 18 Sep 2026, at 34:45. Backs: hourly earnings, $30–$40/hr

“Start by spending 15-20 minutes on LinkedIn five days of the week.”

— The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast, podcast, 13 Jul 2020. Backs: typical hours per week, 1–2 hours/week

“So the common freelancer mistake, the common beginner one, which I think I've told you, it's I almost think of it as right a passage, but it's so avoidable is that they get in over their head, they get overwhelmed and they just ghost.”

— Double Your Freelancing Podcast, podcast, 8 Mar 2024, at 13:21. Backs: common pitfalls, Getting overwhelmed and ghosting clients
Billy Quit his Job to Start an AI App Agency: Here's How · YouTube, 2025-04-21

What does it cost to start on freelance marketplaces?

Freelance marketplace costs include Upwork Connects, which Billy recommends paying for to boost proposals. The tools depend on the work: Billy builds apps with AI coding tools such as Replit, Lovable and Cursor, while Sandy built n8n workflows with ChatGPT. (Chris Koerner)

  1. Pick a less crowded adjacent niche, as Sandy did. (Chris Koerner)
  2. Build a 4-5 piece portfolio, as Steph advises. (Chris Koerner)
  3. Pitch with an unedited 2-3 minute Loom video, Sandy's tactic. (Chris Koerner)
  4. Start with small troubleshooting jobs, as Billy recommends. (Chris Koerner)

How much time does freelance marketplace work take?

For freelance marketplace workers looking for clients, The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast advises starting with 15-20 minutes on LinkedIn five days of the week. Chris told Billy that someone could go from nothing to a full-time freelancer or agency in two weeks. (The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast; Chris Koerner)

Time tracking showed one coached beginner that daily video creation was crowding out paid work. (Double Your Freelancing Podcast)

Who are freelance marketplaces for?

Freelance marketplaces can suit newcomers to a skill, going by Sandy, who applied to seven Upwork jobs with no SEO experience. Because the Double Your Freelancing Podcast names getting overwhelmed and ghosting clients as the common beginner mistake, anyone without spare capacity for clients should skip this. (Chris Koerner; Double Your Freelancing Podcast)

Which platforms do people use for freelance marketplace?

Platforms people doing freelance marketplace use: 99designs, DesignCrowd, Fiverr, Upwork, Voices.

Are freelance marketplaces worth it?

Pros

  • Billy suggests turning one-off audits into recurring consulting. (Chris Koerner)
  • Billy vets Upwork clients by spend and hiring history before bidding. (Chris Koerner)

Cons

  • Billy's Upwork proposals pair a tight pitch with a Loom video, so bids take real work. (Chris Koerner)
  • A Double Your Freelancing Podcast coach told one freelancer to get full at $50 an hour before raising to $100, to avoid backtracking without lead flow. (Double Your Freelancing Podcast)

What are the risks of freelance marketplaces?

For freelance marketplace workers, the Freelance to Freedom podcast poses the income risk of losing clients as "what happens when they leave you?" Accounts disagree on building before a sale: Billy wins bids with quick clickable demos, while Sandy pitches the idea before building it. (Freelance to Freedom; Chris Koerner)

What are the alternatives to freelance marketplace?

Sources and method

Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the every source on freelance marketplace.

Other data behind this page (4)
FactValueStatusSource
Full-time or part-timefull time capableAcceptedChris Koerner
Common pitfallsRaising rates before there is enough lead flowOne reportDouble Your Freelancing Podcast
Income volatilityhighOne reportFreelance to Freedom
Income volatilitymedOne reportFreelance to Freedom