Some skills are almost always in demand on freelance marketplace Upwork.
Full stack developers, for example, who build the back end of websites, were in demand in both 2023 and 2024. They're now listed on Upwork's most recent report as well, 2025's Most In-Demand Skills. Graphic designers have shown up on the list in each of the last three years, too.
But there are some fast-growing new skills Upwork has seen on its platform as well.
"What our report points to this year," says Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute, "especially in the technical categories like AI, is specialized skills are winning." Instead of someone looking to hire a machine learning expert, for example, they're looking for the more specific AI data annotation expert.
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She adds that freelancers with these specialized skills are also "able to demand higher wages." Here are five of Upwork's fastest growing skills for 2025, what it takes to learn them and how much you stand to make.
Career coaching
Career coaches guide their clients on their journeys to achieve their professional goals.
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The labor market is seeing a lot of rapid change, especially with the advent of generative AI. "A lot of people are having to make pivots or move to some sort of tangential category in order to stay employed," says Monahan. Career coaches can help them make those pivots.
Career coaches often have bachelor's degrees, experience in the work world and a relevant certification from organizations like the International Association of Career Coaches.
One career coach on Upwork is charging $185 per hour.
Scripting and automation
People with this coding skill use scripting languages to create automation within code, Monahan says, adding that "this is growing simply because of all the demand that's happening with generative AI." She believes by 2026, this will be one of the top 10 most in-demand skills within coding and web development.
You can learn to code by taking all sorts of online courses through universities or sites like Coursera, which also offers courses on automation, specifically.
Scripting experts on Upwork charge as much as $250 per hour.
Supply chain and logistics project management
With so many people now buying their day-to-day items online instead of in person, for industries like retail and health care, "the ability to really manage your supply chain is going to continue to become critical for businesses to deliver services and goods," says Monahan. Which is exactly the kind of task supply chain and logistics project managers oversee.
"It's getting on the phone with vendors," she says. "It's making sure that there's enough supply in the warehouses, making sure, from a transportation perspective, you've got enough vehicles going in transit."
Many people with this skill earn a bachelor's degree in subjects like business administration and gain experience on the job.
These types of project managers charge as much as $120 per hour.
Pattern design
When an engineer is creating code for a website or app, a design pattern can help streamline that process. It's about "making sure that there is consistency in the way that the data is being coded," says Monahan. Sites like Coursera offer courses in pattern design that can help an engineer improve this skill.
That specificity within the coding world is "something that's popping and growing on our platform," she says, "and I think that's going to become more and more important."
Pattern design specialists on Upwork charge as much as $250 per hour.
Display advertising
This skill focuses on designing the display ads that show up on website banners and platforms like YouTube. "I think it's probably because of the continued use of social media and just our consumer behavior" that the skill is becoming so popular, says Monahan.
There are multiple ways to gain experience in this type of design, including a bachelor's degree in advertising or graphic design, similar online courses or internships in the field.
Display ad experts on Upwork charge as much as $210 per hour.
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