Best Niche For Upwork: Our Top 12 Picks (A Complete Guide)

So you’re ready to start your freelancing journey but unsure what is the best niche for Upwork? No worries, we’ve got you covered!

Here’s your guide to the 12 best upwork niches, broken down by difficulty, competition, and demand.

And stick around till the end—we’ve got a quick guide that’ll help you find the right upwork niche. Ready? Let’s jump in!

Key Takeaways:

• First step in freelancing on Upwork is identifying a niche that aligns with your skills and interests.
• Niches like Graphic Design and Social Media Marketing are high-demand but also high-competition niches on Upwork.
• Beginner-friendly niches like Thumbnail Editing and Virtual Assistance offer easier entry but face stiff competition.
• Researching Upwork categories helps you understand the demand and competition in any particular niche.
• You don’t have to get it perfect from the start; begin small and adapt as you learn and grow in your freelancing journey.

Best Niche For Upwork: Top 12 Options

1. Graphic Designing

Difficulty: 6/10

Competition: 🔴 (High)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈📈 (High)

Graphic designing is all about visuals. You’ll need to be skilled in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and have an eye for design. Great for creative individuals with a passion for using various digital tools to create cool graphics. The competition’s pretty stiff, but the demand is high.

2. TikTok Video Editing

Difficulty: 5/10

Competition: 🟡 (Moderate)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈📈📈 (Skyrocketing)

TikTok is on the rise right now and so is the niche of TikTok video editing. In this fast paced world of content, the creators are always on the lookout for talented individuals who can help them create great TikTok videos.

For starting, you don’t need to be a TikTok editing pro, but a good sense of timing and creativity is crucial. Demand is skyrocketing, and competition is moderate. The key to success? Quick, eye-catching edits that make people stop scrolling and watch. 

Interested in diving deeper into TikTok? Then learn how to find a niche on TikTok.

3. Thumbnail Editor

Difficulty: 4/10

Competition: 🟢 (Low)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈 (Strong)

Now, let’s talk about thumbnails—the first thing people see before clicking on a video or article. The difficulty is relatively low, and competition is scarce. This means it’s a great entry point for someone looking to dip their toes into the freelance world.

Demand is strong, especially with the rise of YouTube channels and video marketing. You’ll need an eye for design and an understanding of what grabs attention.

4. Email Copywriting

Difficulty: 7/10

Competition: 🔴 (High)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈📈 (High)

Email copywriting isn’t just writing; it’s crafting messages that encourage action. The demand is high, but so is the competition.

You’ve got to be good with words and understand consumer psychology to excel. Companies are always looking for compelling copy that’ll make their audience click that “buy now” button. If you can write emails that convert, you’ll find no shortage of work.

5. Facebook Ads

Difficulty: 8/10

Competition: 🔴 (High)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈 (Strong)

Facebook Ads is another great niche if you have good ad marketing skills. As a facebook ad manager, you can help ecommerce stores, brands, and creators reach the audience by creating the right facebook ads for them. The difficulty level is high, but so is the reward. You need a solid understanding of target audiences, A/B testing, and ad analytics.

The competition? It’s packed. But companies are constantly searching for experts who can get them in front of the right eyes. This niche is perfect for detail-oriented folks who love diving into data and trends.

6. VA (Virtual Assistant)

Difficulty: 3/10

Competition: 🔴 (High)

Demand: 📈📈📈 (Moderate)

This is the perfect field for beginners because the initial skill bar is pretty low. You can always learn and improve as you work with more clients. The demand is moderate and all you need is having a high-level overview and understanding of various online tools, and softwares.

Also, basic email communication and writing skills help. But keep in mind that since this is an easy field to enter, the competition is also high. Overall, if you can multitask like a pro, this field is for you.

7. Website Designing

Difficulty: 7/10

Competition: 🟡 (Moderate)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈 (Strong)

Website Designing is all about creating user-friendly and eye-catching websites. Skills in coding, UX/UI design, and visual aesthetics are crucial. There’s moderate competition here, but also strong demand for quality work. If you have a knack for combining creativity with functionality, this is a strong niche for you.

8. 3D Animation

Difficulty: 9/10

Competition: 🟢 (Low)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈📈📈 (Skyrocketing)

3D Animation is one of the most complex but rewarding niches. It requires proficiency in specialized software and a deep understanding of animation techniques. The competition is low, probably because the skill bar is high. But, the demand is skyrocketing, especially in sectors like gaming, film, and virtual reality.

9. Illustration

Difficulty: 6/10

Competition: 🔴 (High)

Demand: 📈📈📈 (Moderate)

Got a knack for drawing? Illustration is all about bringing ideas to life with images. You’ll want to know your way around digital drawing software and maybe even traditional mediums.

While competition is stiff, there’s a steady demand for quality work. This niche is great for those with artistic skills who can consistently create visuals that make people stop and think.

10. Social Media Marketing

Difficulty: 6/10

Competition: 🔴 (High)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈📈 (High)

Social media marketing is trending right now. Every business wants to be where the people are—on social media platforms. Here, you need to be good at crafting posts, analyzing metrics, and engaging with audiences. The competition? Pretty High! But, hey, the demand is also high. If you’re good at communicating and love staying on top of trends, dive in!

By the way, social media marketing is a type of digital marketing. And for a closer look at other sub-niches within digital marketing, check out this detailed guide on the best digital marketing sub-niches.

11. UX Design

Difficulty: 8/10

Competition: 🟡 (Moderate)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈📈📈 (Skyrocketing)

UX Design is about making websites and apps user-friendly and visually appealing. Expect to work with wireframes, user flows, and a lot of testing. It’s not easy, but if you get it right, the rewards are big. There’s moderate competition and the demand is off the charts. If you’re creative and analytical, this could be your perfect upwork niche.

12. Full Stack Development

Difficulty: 9/10

Competition: 🟢 (Low)

Demand: 📈📈📈📈 (Strong)

Full Stack development means you’re working on both the front-end and the back-end of the websites. This one’s tough—you’ll need to know multiple programming languages and how to solve complex problems.

The good news? Low competition and strong demand. If you love coding and problem-solving, this niche is for you.

If you’re more into the techy stuff, there are even more specialized areas you can explore. Head over to this guide on the best technology sub-niches for further information.

How To Find A Niche On Upwork?

Ready to dive into the freelancing world on UpWork? Great! But before you get started, let’s talk about finding your niche. 

Begin with What You’re Good At:

First things first, what are you good at? Maybe you’ve got a knack for designing websites, or perhaps writing is more your thing. Take a moment to jot down your skills.

Stick to what you enjoy because when you love what you do, it shows in your work.

Check the Stats:

Next up, it’s time for a little research. Go on UpWork and look at the categories that match your skills. 

Check the demand, see what people are willing to pay, and take note of how many freelancers are already in that space. This gives you a snapshot of both the competition and the potential rewards.

Validate Your Niche:

Alright, you’ve got your list and your upwork niche, but now what?  It’s time to validate. 

• Is this niche really profitable?
• Is there enough demand?
• Can you stand out among the competition?

If the answers are mostly ‘yes,’ then congrats, you’ve found your ideal niche!

Struggling? Here’s a Tip:

Now, if you’re still scratching your head, don’t sweat it. You can take a different route. Look for niches that have high demand but low competition. Also, it’s best if it requires less skills to start.

For instance, for becoming a thumbnail editor, you don’t need years of experience or a high-skill set for simply starting. Just watching a few tutorials on YouTube or enrolling in a few courses, you can have all the skills to begin.

Then of course, you can improve your skills, as you keep learning and do more projects.

Start Small and Level Up

Remember, you don’t have to hit a home run on your first try. It’s okay to start small. Choose a niche where you can build some skills, get a few projects under your belt, and earn those crucial early reviews. As you gain experience, you can pivot or specialize even further.