Are all Freelancer earnings legitimate?

[3bdcb03f]

I'm fairly new to UW. I often look at Freelancer and Client reviews for projects. Sometimes when I click on a Freelancer's name in the Reviews section I see earnings that are shocking. For example, one young woman in a country whose resident's average monthly income is in the $hundreds, reports something like $40K in Upwork total earnings. She's been on UW for about one year, and does editorial work. Seems suspect to me. I've seen other similar examples - one software developer is showing $1M total earnings after four years. 

Is there a way that Freelancers can show larger earnings than they've earned? I hope not, and I cannot imagine how it could be done. I actually hope those earnings are accurate - I want in!

[nycjoseph]

Those are legit numbers. There is no "in". There is only having your proposals being accepted and delivering on them. There is no standard for an acceptable proposal except that it presents you as competent. Since your profile is private, there's not much else to say.

[yofazza]

We noticed (and I'm personally 100% sure) that some new people are given an advantage, so feel free to proceed, you should at least work seriously with your profile (portfolio, etc.).

And just like entering a casino, my advice would be, "don't spend more than you can afford to lose".  Don't get caught in the game. Spend some of your time to read threads in this forum.

[the-right-writer · Accepted solution]

Don't be too excited. While there are people who have made "large" amounts of money in a short time, they are often working as part of a farm, or a business. Some people acknowledge the reality, and some don't. Never assume a freelancer is excellent by the mount of money in their profile. There are ways to alter the numbers and jobs, but I wont't mention them.

There are freelancers who have made a significant amount, and some in a fairly short amount of time. Those freelancers invite additional scrutiny, to see where the money is coming from, before being hired. It's possible they have done a great job and worked hard. Often, if you break down the money, it's not that much per year. Clients can be just as deceptive as freelancers, and both require heavy vetting before working with them.

[yofazza]

Regarding farming that Jeanne mentioned, I don't quite remember what's their (Upwork and their predecessors) policy on such practices before, but:

• Freelancers generally look down on it, although...
  
  
• I know people have been doing it since the beginning of freelance marketplaces. In 2011 I started a local office for this, to get jobs from 'the internets' and pass them to local people who couldn't do it themselves because of language barrier. It didn't go well because I'm not a good businessman/manager 😁
  
  
• Recently, I have a feeling that Upwork has become more "open" with their "acceptance" on this practice. Mods wrote a few times that it's okay as long as the client knows, and you do it on a fixed-price projects.

So if you feel like a businessman, go ahead 😁

[3bdcb03f]

I think you all misunderstood my intention when I stated "I want in". It was a dumb way of saying "if people are making that kind of earnings, then I want to make it too, and I'm glad I've joined Upwork". I don't want to know anything about so called "farming". It's not something I'd ever do.

[yofazza]

I don't want to know anything about so called "farming". It's not something I'd ever do.

But do you want to make the millions? 😁

Nothing serious, just a morning blabber. No problem with either wanting millions or just to make enough and enjoy.

I remember there was a recent discussion about the possibilities for someone to earn millions in X years as a worker, or as a businessman. Basically you don't get the millions in X years even though you have a high hourly rate. It's only possible if you run a business.

--

'Farming' doesn't have to be done with people in non-English speaking countries. There are farmers in the US too. The most important trait to have I think, is the businessman/manager skills, which I don't possess.

So apparently I'm a worker not a manager (with experiences that allows me to see through their tricks 😁).

When I see a client in the US spent hundreds of thousands of dollars but their jobs were things like logo design for $5, I know they're a "succcessful businessman". In this case they position themselves "correctly", as a client, but they are a farmer as well.

Lots of freelancers (including the veterans) look down to them as well. They hates agencies as well. Why? To be honest, I too don't like them that much, I joke about them. But if I'm being fair, then I'll say they're not doing anything wrong. It's just the free market that Upwork is playing with .

[bobafett999]

Yes.  Some people have made that kind of money.  It all depends on what you offer.

[rekasesh]

| For example, one young woman in a country whose resident's average monthly income is in the $hundreds, reports something like $40K in Upwork total earnings. She's been on UW for about one year, and does editorial work. Seems suspect to me. |

That is probably someone working with an agency or lucky to get a big-contract client. There is a food-niche videographer from Turkey who made $20k from just one job last year (a real client who invited me for another of their jobs).

This is precisely why many join marketplaces like Upwork. You get to set a rate that never works for local businesses, unless they are top-tier companies who usually prefer everything inhouse.

The average monthly income or a nation's GNI doesn't define freelancers or even everyone in the said country. There are all classes (monetary) of people in every country and region from the extremely poor to the ostentatious Richie Rich.

I am tired of people expecting everyone to earn minimum wages because they live in a specific part of the planet.

To put it in perspective, one of my writer acquaintances earns around Rs400k as an employee in a small firm, while I earn twice that as a freelancer.

  On one hand she earns less than me, but on the other hand, everything work related is handled by the company. From travel and lunch to health insurance and retirement funds, not to mention a steady paycheck and a reasonably secure job.