Upwork fee calculator
Your take-home after Upwork's 0% to 15% Freelancer Service Fee, or the rate to charge to keep a set amount.
- ๐บ๐ธ US federal & state rules
- Upwork Freelancer Service Fee, as of 2026-10-19
- See sources
Take-home an hour
$45.00
Upwork keeps $5.00 (10%) of $50.00
- Client pays you
- $50.00 an hour
- Freelancer Service Fee
- $5.00 (10%)
- Take-home for 20 hours a week
- $900.00
- About a year (52 weeks)
- $46,800
This is an example. Enter your numbers above and press the button to see your own result.
Take-home from $50.00 an hour at each fee
| 0% fee | $50.00 |
|---|---|
| 5% fee | $47.50 |
| 10% fee | $45.00 |
| 15% fee | $42.50 |
- Upwork sets the Freelancer Service Fee per contract, from 0% to 15% as of 2026-10-19. You see the exact percentage on the proposal or offer, and it stays the same for that contract.
- Contracts you set up through the Direct Contracts page with a client you brought yourself cost 5% on the Basic plan and 0% with Freelancer Plus.
- Withdrawal fees, Connects and income tax are not included. Upwork may round the fee up or down by a cent per invoice.
Show the math
| Fee | $50.00 ร 10% = $5.00 |
|---|---|
| Take-home | $50.00 - $5.00 = $45.00 |
What to do next
How it works
Upwork takes its Freelancer Service Fee as a percentage of each invoice. The fee varies by contract, from 0% to 15%, so the calculator asks for the percentage you see on the proposal or offer. Take-home is the billed amount minus that percentage.
To find the rate to charge, the calculator divides the amount you want to keep by one minus the fee. Upwork rounds each fee to the cent, so a long contract can be off by a few cents.
Things to keep in mind
Clients also pay their own marketplace fee to Upwork, which does not come out of your earnings. Withdrawal methods may charge their own fees.
Upwork income is self-employment income. Set aside money for federal and state income tax and the 15.3% self-employment tax.
Upwork is a trademark of Upwork Inc. motifly is not affiliated with or endorsed by Upwork. Figures come from public pricing pages and may change.
Sources
Rules applied as of 2026-10-19. See the sources below for details.
- Upwork Help: Learn about the Freelancer Service FeeChecked 2026-10-19
- Upwork Help: Direct Contracts fees (5% on Basic, 0% with Freelancer Plus)Checked 2026-10-19
- Upwork: Upgrading to Freelancer PlusChecked 2026-10-19
- Upwork Fee and ACH Authorization Agreement (version 12.8, effective July 20, 2026)Checked 2026-10-19
Frequently asked questions
How much does Upwork take from freelancers?
Upwork charges a Freelancer Service Fee between 0% and 15% of what you invoice, set per contract. At 10%, a $50 hourly rate leaves you $45 an hour.
How do I find the fee for a job on Upwork?
Upwork shows the fee percentage when you submit a proposal or receive an offer. Once the contract starts, the fee stays fixed for that contract.
What should I charge to take home $20 an hour?
Divide by one minus the fee. At 10%, $20 รท 0.9 is $22.22 an hour, the same example Upwork uses in its help center.
Is the fee lower for clients I bring myself?
Yes. Contracts you start through the Direct Contracts page with a client you brought to Upwork cost 5% on the free Basic plan and nothing with an active Freelancer Plus membership. Plus has a monthly price of its own, so it pays off only if you bill enough through Direct Contracts.