How to become Top Rated on Upwork: the requirements for each badge, and a realistic path
How to become Top Rated on Upwork: the exact requirements for Rising Talent, Top Rated and Top Rated Plus, how the Job Success Score works, and the path between them.
How to become Top Rated on Upwork: keep a Job Success Score of 90% or higher over time, earn at least $1,000 in the past 12 months, keep a complete profile with current availability, and stay active. Upwork checks eligibility for you; there's nothing to apply for. The usual path runs through Rising Talent, then a Job Success Score, then Top Rated.
Upwork badge requirements at a glance
| Badge | Main requirements | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Rising Talent | Invited, or 4.8+ average rating and $250+ earned in 12 months; ID verified; no negative feedback | Promising newer freelancers |
| Top Rated | JSS 90%+ sustained; $1,000+ earned in 12 months; 100% profile; active in the last 90 days | About the top 10% |
| Top Rated Plus | Top Rated, plus $10,000+ earned in 12 months and a large contract with no negative outcome | About the top 3% |
Upwork help center ("How to become Top Rated", "How to become a Rising Talent", "Learn about Upwork's talent badges") and its talent badge guide, November 15, 2026.
Step 1: Rising Talent
Rising Talent is the badge for promising newer freelancers, and you can earn it before you have a Job Success Score. Per Upwork's Rising Talent article, you either get invited, or you need an average star rating of 4.8 or above and at least $250 earned in the past 12 months. On top of that:
- A 100% complete profile with accurate skills and genuine work
- A proposal sent or work done in the past 90 days
- A JSS of 90% or higher, if you already have one
- No account holds and no public or private negative feedback
- The ID verified badge and a valid withdrawal method
You don't apply. Upwork emails you when the badge is added, and it brings 30 free Connects. Upwork's badge guide also accepts Rising Talent status for Top Rated in place of the 13-of-16-weeks JSS record.
Step 2: earn a Job Success Score
Top Rated is built on the Job Success Score, so it helps to know how it works. Your score first appears once you have two or more contract outcomes within 24 months, with at least two different clients. Upwork describes the formula at a high level as successful outcomes minus negative outcomes, divided by all outcomes. It is recalculated daily over your last 6, 12 and 24 months, and your profile shows the best of the three.
What goes into it: client feedback, the reasons contracts ended, higher-value projects and long-term relationships. Early on you only have a few outcomes, so each one moves the score a lot.
Step 3: Top Rated
The Top Rated article lists a 90%+ JSS, sustained high performance, recent activity, $1,000+ in annual earnings and following Upwork's terms. Upwork's badge guide spells out the details:
- A 100% complete profile
- At least 90 days since your first Upwork project
- A JSS of 90% or higher for 13 of the past 16 weeks, or Rising Talent status
- At least $1,000 earned in the past 12 months
- Availability kept up to date, activity in the past 90 days, an account in good standing
One snag: an older Upwork help page lists more than $10,000 in 12-month earnings for Top Rated. That matches the Top Rated Plus threshold, and the dedicated Top Rated article says $1,000. We went with the dedicated article. Check your own progress in Upwork if you're close to either number.
What Top Rated gets you, per Upwork: the badge on your profile, weekly Job Digest emails, payment five days sooner on hourly contracts than the standard ten-day hold, the option to offer consultations, and 30 more Connects.
Step 4: Top Rated Plus
Top Rated Plus is Top Rated with a bigger track record. Per Upwork's badge article you also need more than $10,000 earned in the past 12 months and to have worked on one or more large contracts in that time without a negative outcome. What counts as large depends on your field. Upwork's badge guide gives examples: $10,000 for accounting, consulting and admin support, $20,000 for customer support, $5,000 for writing.
Pick clients who hire
Every badge above depends on contracts that end well, and that starts before the contract does. In the jobs we tracked over the last 12 months, 36% came from clients who had never hired anyone, and 36% from clients with no verified payment method. Clients who had hired before went on to hire on about 5 in 10 of their jobs.
A first-time client isn't a bad client. They just have no record that shows how they run a contract, and while your JSS rests on a handful of outcomes, you can't afford many surprises. While you're building towards Top Rated, lean towards clients with a verified payment method and a hiring history.
Next steps: get the profile right with how to optimize your Upwork profile, and see what the badges are worth in Connects in free Upwork Connects.
Only see jobs from clients who hire
Filter new Upwork jobs by payment verified and minimum client spend, so the contracts that build your score start with the right clients.
Create a free Telegram alert →Badge requirements, JSS and benefits: Upwork help center and resources, November 15, 2026. Hire history: Upwork X-Ray, 2026-10-29, last 12 months.
Questions people ask
- What are the Upwork Top Rated requirements?
- A Job Success Score of 90% or higher, sustained over time (Upwork's resources say 13 of the past 16 weeks), at least $1,000 earned in the past 12 months, a 100% complete profile, up-to-date availability, activity in the past 90 days and an account in good standing.
- How long does it take to become Top Rated on Upwork?
- Upwork's badge guide says you need to be at least 90 days out from your first Upwork project. Beyond that it depends on how fast you build a Job Success Score, which first appears after outcomes with at least two clients.
- How do I get the Rising Talent badge?
- Upwork either invites you, or you need an average rating of 4.8 or more and at least $250 earned in the past 12 months. You also need a 100% complete profile, the ID verified badge, a valid withdrawal method, no negative feedback and a proposal or work in the past 90 days. No application is needed; Upwork emails you.
- What is the difference between Top Rated and Top Rated Plus?
- Top Rated Plus adds more than $10,000 earned in the past 12 months and work on at least one large contract in that time with no negative outcome. Upwork says Top Rated is about the top 10% of freelancers and Top Rated Plus the top 3%.
- Do you get free Connects for becoming Top Rated?
- Yes. Rising Talent, Top Rated and Top Rated Plus each award 30 Connects. Skip a level and the amounts are combined, up to 90.