Class of 2026
Started on Upwork in 2026
13,688 freelancers got their first Upwork project this year. These are the top 100 by MRR. For anyone this new, MRR is their earnings divided by the months since their first project (at least two), so a July start is ranked on its real monthly pace.
Hyperscalers: $10K+ a month within 3 months
- Adam N.
Full-Stack Engineer | .NET, Java, React , AWS, AI/RAG/LLM & Healthcare
$33K/mo
3.0 months since first project (Jul 2026)
- Sawyer B.
Technical Architect
$38K/mo
0.8 months since first project (Sep 2026)
- Divya C.
Certified Salesforce & HubSpot Developer | Front End Developer
$24K/mo
2.9 months since first project (Jul 2026)
Leaderboard
| # | Freelancer | First project | Months | MRR | 30-day growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John N. Creative Director (ex.Estee Lauder) | Beauty & Luxury Brand & Campaign | Mar 2026 | 7.3 | $26K | +0.1% |
| 2 | Andrew A. Ex-Apple/Google | Full Stack AI Engineer | Go, Python, RAG, AI Agents | Apr 2026 | 6.0 | $23K | -2.5% |
| 3 | Sean R. Full-Stack AI Engineer | Claude, Gemini, RAG, MCP Agents, OpenClaw | Apr 2026 | 5.8 | $21K | +8.2% |
| 4 | Ben N. Web Developer | Feb 2026 | 7.4 | $20K | +0.0% |
| 5 | Ahmed U. Forward Deployed Engineer - AI Infrastructure and DevOps - AWS GCP K8S | Mar 2026 | 6.8 | $18K | +1.8% |
| 6 | Tania M. Premiere Pro, Avid | Jan 2026 | 8.7 | $18K | +0.0% |
| 7 | Brian P. AI & ML | Data Science | Rust, Backend | Software Development | Ph.D. | Jan 2026 | 8.9 | $17K | -2.8% |
| 8 | Adam N.Hyperscaler Full-Stack Engineer | .NET, Java, React , AWS, AI/RAG/LLM & Healthcare | Jul 2026 | 3.0 | $33K | +12.0% |
| 9 | William G. Embedded Systems & IoT | PCB Design, Firmware & Apps | Mar 2026 | 6.8 | $16K | +8.2% |
| 10 | Trayvon P. Amazon PPC & FBA, Walmart, TEMU Expert | Jul 2026 | 3.2 | $29K | New |
| 11 | Kris D. Senior Full Stack Developer | Mar 2026 | 6.3 | $15K | -0.2% |
| 12 | Matthew G. Rapid AI App Prototype Development | Autonomous Systems & MVPs in Days | Jan 2026 | 8.2 | $15K | +5.2% |
| 13 | Kwame E. Solving business problems Via Technology | Jan 2026 | 8.9 | $15K | +32.6% |
| 14 | Seyitan O. Product Design | Mar 2026 | 6.8 | $15K | +2.0% |
| 15 | Anuradha J. Senior Product Manager - AI / Digital | Feb 2026 | 8.2 | $14K | -19.2% |
| 16 | Kristen H. Commercial Contracts Counsel | Apr 2026 | 5.6 | $15K | -4.8% |
| 17 | Thomas D. Marketing, PR & Brand Strategy | Brand Strategy, Brand Strategies | Mar 2026 | 6.9 | $14K | -2.7% |
| 18 | Igor O. Patent Attorney | Software, AI, Electrical, & Mechan. Technologies | May 2026 | 4.7 | $18K | +22.0% |
| 19 | Caio D. Ex-McKinsey AI Director | First OpenAI LatAm Partner | LLM + Quant | May 2026 | 4.9 | $16K | -2.7% |
| 20 | Chun Yin L. Sr. Product Designer | UX Strategy, Design Systems & Workflow Optimize | Feb 2026 | 8.0 | $13K | -12.6% |
| 21 | Camille D. Business Operations Optimization | PMP, MBA | Mar 2026 | 6.8 | $13K | +2.5% |
| 22 | Dani T. Statistics and Data Science | Feb 2026 | 7.4 | $13K | +3.3% |
| 23 | Andrew G. Senior AI/ML/Data Tech Lead | Strategy and Implementation | Mar 2026 | 7.2 | $13K | +11.3% |
| 24 | Sawyer B.Hyperscaler Technical Architect | Sep 2026 | 0.8 | $38K | New |
| 25 | Scott F. Product Builder, 10+ yrs | MVPs, SaaS, Marketplaces | Jan 2026 | 9.2 | $12K | +6.9% |
| 26 | Alexander B. Senior Designer & Art Director | AI-Assisted Video Producer | UX/UI | Apr 2026 | 5.7 | $13K | -18.0% |
| 27 | Clare H. Global Senior Client Services/Project Management, 10+ years in FMCG, | Mar 2026 | 6.4 | $12K | -18.0% |
| 28 | Mumbi M. Real Estate Lead | Jan 2026 | 8.5 | $12K | +0.2% |
| 29 | Marc G. Business & Systems Clarity | Process Mapping, Discovery & Integrations | Apr 2026 | 6.0 | $12K | +4.6% |
| 30 | Divya C.Hyperscaler Certified Salesforce & HubSpot Developer | Front End Developer | Jul 2026 | 2.9 | $24K | -10.1% |
| 31 | Jessica A. Sales Enablement Leadership, Program Management & Sales Methodology | Mar 2026 | 6.5 | $12K | +18.9% |
| 32 | Claire P. Brand, Communications & Partnerships Consultant | Jun 2026 | 4.2 | $17K | -0.9% |
| 33 | Paulo V. Principal Engineer | Engineering Manager | Feb 2026 | 8.1 | $12K | -0.3% |
| 34 | Celeste A. PhD Pharmaceutical Scientist - AmLaw 100-Trained Biotech Patent Agent | Jan 2026 | 8.5 | $11K | +0.9% |
| 35 | Saamarth B. FP&A Manager | Jun 2026 | 4.3 | $16K | -5.0% |
| 36 | Nikolay G. AI Builder | May 2026 | 4.7 | $14K | +9.1% |
| 37 | April B. Product Management & Scrum | Agile Software Development, API, Graph | Mar 2026 | 7.0 | $11K | -5.5% |
| 38 | Jordan T. Developer, Network Architect, Information Architect | Jun 2026 | 4.1 | $16K | -1.1% |
| 39 | Trevor D. Product Designer | Feb 2026 | 7.8 | $11K | -33.3% |
| 40 | Bre L. Strategic Program Manager | Operations I Ex-Stripe | May 2026 | 5.0 | $13K | +5.2% |
| 41 | Jess H. Project Management | Creative Direction, Operations Management | Mar 2026 | 6.8 | $11K | -3.5% |
| 42 | Andy R. Creative Director, Brand & Marketing Strategist, Integrated Campaigns | Apr 2026 | 6.0 | $11K | +2.8% |
| 43 | Max S. Go-To-Market & Revenue Growth Specialist | Sales & Marketing Expert | Jan 2026 | 8.3 | $11K | +7.1% |
| 44 | Daniel B. PLC programmer | Jun 2026 | 3.6 | $17K | +41.2% |
| 45 | Anja B. Market Research & Strategy Consultant | Insights & Behavioral Science | Mar 2026 | 6.7 | $10K | -18.8% |
| 46 | Paul P. Sr. Mixed Methods UX Research | Quantitative Analysis | Jan 2026 | 8.6 | $10K | +0.9% |
| 47 | Chintankumar N. Mobile App Developer | iOS | Android | Flutter | AI App Developer | Feb 2026 | 7.7 | $10K | +10.3% |
| 48 | Katie H. Full-Cycle Sr. Recruiter | Strategic Sourcer | Talent Partner | Jan 2026 | 8.8 | $9,987 | New |
| 49 | Oxel M. Web3 Developer | Solidity, DeFi, Next.js, Security Audit | Mar 2026 | 6.3 | $9,950 | -4.3% |
| 50 | Blaine M. Software Engineering Consultant | Jun 2026 | 3.7 | $16K | -27.7% |
| 51 | Cheng-Yu L. Senior Product Manager | AI-Driven Solutions | Data-Driven Delivery | Jan 2026 | 8.9 | $9,672 | +2.1% |
| 52 | Isabella G. Marketing, PR & Brand Strategy | Growth Strategy, Content Strategy | Mar 2026 | 6.6 | $9,581 | -0.2% |
| 53 | Shweta S. Financial Planning | Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling | Apr 2026 | 5.6 | $10K | +0.5% |
| 54 | Connor D. Full Stack Engineer | AI, Integrations, Data, Automation & Security | Mar 2026 | 7.0 | $9,490 | +2.4% |
| 55 | Diego A R. Contract Manufacturing | Adobe Flash, FLA, Castilian Spanish | Jan 2026 | 9.1 | $9,490 | +3.3% |
| 56 | Eiryn H. Marketing & Brand Strategy | Marketing Operations & Workflow | Apr 2026 | 5.3 | $11K | +2.1% |
| 57 | Monica O. Senior Marketing Manager with PPC & SEO, 10+ years agency experience | Apr 2026 | 6.2 | $9,421 | +0.0% |
| 58 | Dhruv R. Data, Software Engineering, AI | Jan 2026 | 8.9 | $9,370 | +37.1% |
| 59 | Anna L. Experienced in leading and delivering communications and change | Jan 2026 | 8.9 | $9,209 | +2.1% |
| 60 | Diana G. Recruiting & Human Resources | Recruiting, Hiring Strategy | Apr 2026 | 5.9 | $9,412 | -1.6% |
| 61 | Shivani B. Masters Intern Distributed Systems / AI Infrastructure | Jan 2026 | 8.5 | $9,187 | +24.0% |
| 62 | Mrunali Mohan K. Data Entry & Transcription Services | Apache Airflow, Amazon EC2, API | Jan 2026 | 8.4 | $9,126 | +16.6% |
| 63 | Jaskaran S. Accountant | Apr 2026 | 5.6 | $9,768 | -1.8% |
| 64 | Gabriel G. IT Support Engineer | Technical & Administrative Support | Feb 2026 | 7.4 | $9,022 | +0.0% |
| 65 | Iwona B. Senior Product Owner/ Product Manager | Mar 2026 | 7.3 | $8,947 | -0.7% |
| 66 | Phillip L. Strategy and Operations Professional | May 2026 | 4.8 | $11K | +0.2% |
| 67 | Melecia N. Global HR Consultant | Full Employee Lifecycle & People Strategy | Mar 2026 | 7.1 | $8,875 | -1.5% |
| 68 | Jaron T. AI-Enabled Software Engineering Leader | Jun 2026 | 4.2 | $13K | -24.5% |
| 69 | Dexter R. Web & Mobile Engineering Lead | Startup Technologist | Jan 2026 | 8.3 | $8,842 | -0.4% |
| 70 | Lukas E. E-Commerce Growth | Shopify, Meta Ads, CRO & Tracking | Feb 2026 | 8.0 | $8,783 | +5.4% |
| 71 | Rafaela S. Recruitment Manager | Mar 2026 | 6.6 | $8,764 | +1.7% |
| 72 | Robert S. Marketing Strategy and Creative Design | Jan 2026 | 8.6 | $8,752 | +1.5% |
| 73 | Kylie M. Impactful Branding & Illustration Design | Jan 2026 | 8.8 | $8,692 | +3.9% |
| 74 | Jessica R. Marketing & Brand Strategy | Campaign Development B2C, B2B Marketing | May 2026 | 4.5 | $12K | -18.4% |
| 75 | Parinitha M. Learning & Development Specialist | Feb 2026 | 7.6 | $8,667 | -20.0% |
| 76 | Tilek C. AI Developer AI Integration AI Python Developer Data Scientist SQL ETL | Feb 2026 | 8.1 | $8,588 | +9.4% |
| 77 | Anika S. BC2 and B2SMB Marketing Leader & Advisor | Product & Brand Marketing | Feb 2026 | 7.7 | $8,579 | -28.8% |
| 78 | Natali G. Senior Product Designer Specializing in B2B SaaS | Mar 2026 | 6.9 | $8,478 | +3.9% |
| 79 | Jason C. B2B Marketing Operator | Video, Content & Sales Enablement | Feb 2026 | 7.5 | $8,404 | +1.0% |
| 80 | Kary S. Content Strategy + Copywriting for Growth-Focused Brands | Mar 2026 | 6.3 | $8,375 | +10.2% |
| 81 | Kim F. Cybersecurity Analyst | Vulnerability Management & Risk Reporting | May 2026 | 4.6 | $11K | +9.0% |
| 82 | Christina N. Brand Storyteller | Content Writer | Idea Machine | Mar 2026 | 6.3 | $8,363 | -20.0% |
| 83 | Amber C. Emerging Tech Consultation | Apr 2026 | 6.2 | $8,333 | -13.6% |
| 84 | Thomas M. Fractional CFO/Financial Management | Jan 2026 | 9.1 | $8,313 | +7.0% |
| 85 | Ihor S. Senior Product Designer | UX/UI Designer | Graphic Designer | Mar 2026 | 6.8 | $8,283 | -0.2% |
| 86 | Caroline H. Content, Thought Leadership & Media Strategy | Jan 2026 | 8.8 | $8,257 | +5.1% |
| 87 | Kory W. Product Design | Product Strategy, Product Leadership | May 2026 | 4.3 | $11K | -23.9% |
| 88 | Eric B. AI Developer | Full Stack Developer | n8n, Make | Workflow Automation | Jan 2026 | 8.4 | $8,207 | +27.7% |
| 89 | Brian M. Creative Director | Jun 2026 | 4.2 | $12K | -6.1% |
| 90 | Erika T. Data Analyst | Data Engineer | Business Intelligence | WordPress Dev | Jan 2026 | 9.1 | $8,133 | -1.0% |
| 91 | Eelke B. CPA | Catch-Up + Ongoing Bookkeeping | Close-Ready Financials | Feb 2026 | 7.3 | $8,060 | +0.7% |
| 92 | Colin M. Market Research, Brand Strategy, Innovation Strategy, Shopper Research | May 2026 | 4.7 | $10K | +3.9% |
| 93 | Dylan G. Story Driven Video Editor for Brands & Creators | Feb 2026 | 7.3 | $8,045 | +20.9% |
| 94 | Teniola A. Project Management | Jan 2026 | 8.4 | $7,924 | New |
| 95 | Kyle G. Marketing Automation Specialist | Webinars | Funnels | Cold Outbound | Mar 2026 | 7.0 | $7,856 | +47.0% |
| 96 | Tim D. Web Scraping & Data Extraction | Python, Scrapy, Selenium, Playwright | Mar 2026 | 7.2 | $7,828 | +9.3% |
| 97 | Carlos Eduardo de França Locio M. Experienced Video Generalist | Specialist in High ROAS videos | Feb 2026 | 7.3 | $7,793 | +7.4% |
| 98 | Hazem A. Senior Power Platform Specialist | Mar 2026 | 6.5 | $7,735 | +12.3% |
| 99 | Tori G. Atlassian Systems Engineer | Jira & JSM Administration | Automation | Mar 2026 | 6.5 | $7,717 | +4.2% |
| 100 | Destiny G. Call Center & Lead Management Specialist | Mar 2026 | 6.9 | $7,707 | +0.3% |
First project = start of the freelancer's first-ever Upwork contract. Months = time since then. MRR = earnings in the last six months divided by six, or by the months since the first project when that is less (never fewer than two). 30-day growth = MRR now against about four weeks ago; "New" when there isn't four weeks of history yet. Hyperscaler = $10K+ MRR within 3 months of the first project.