Rising Talent, Top Rated & Expert-Vetted
What Upwork's badge tiers mean, how to earn them, and what they actually do for your profile.
The badge progression
Upwork has three badge tiers: Rising Talent, Top Rated (and Top Rated Plus), and Expert-Vetted. Each builds on the last. Badges appear on your profile header and in search results, signaling to clients that Upwork has recognized your performance. They're not cosmetic, each tier unlocks practical benefits and changes how your profile is surfaced.
Rising Talent
Rising Talent is designed for newer freelancers showing strong early signals. Requirements:
- No JSS threshold. You may not have a score yet
- Complete profile
- At least one completed contract
- High contract completion rate
- Account in good standing
Rising Talent typically appears within the first 1–3 months for freelancers who start well. Its signal to clients: "this is a promising new freelancer that Upwork has identified as performing well early." It's most useful as a trust signal during the period when you lack reviews. It tells potential clients that Upwork itself is backing your early track record.
Top Rated
Top Rated is the primary badge for working freelancers and the most practically useful. Requirements:
- A current Job Success Score of 90% or higher, and 90%+ (or Rising Talent) for at least 13 of the last 16 weeks
- At least $1,000 earned in the past 12 months
- A 100% complete profile
- Your first Upwork project more than 90 days ago, plus activity in the past 90 days (a proposal, an accepted invitation, or earnings)
- An account in good standing with no recent holds, and up-to-date availability
Benefits of Top Rated status:
- Access to premium job postings. Some clients restrict applicants to Top Rated freelancers only.
- Feedback removal. Top Rated freelancers can request removal of one contract's feedback every 3 months, provided they have completed 10 or more contracts since the last request. Significant for JSS protection.
- Priority support. Faster response from Upwork's support team.
- Improved search visibility. Upwork surfaces Top Rated freelancers more prominently in search results.
Top Rated Plus
Top Rated Plus is a higher tier for top earners. Requirements are similar to Top Rated but with higher earnings thresholds and sustained high JSS over a longer period. The practical benefit over Top Rated is access to a wider range of exclusive and higher-value job postings, including enterprise clients. If you're actively growing and consistently earning, this tier follows naturally from maintaining Top Rated status.
Expert-Vetted
Expert-Vetted is invitation-only. You cannot apply for it. Upwork extends invitations based on performance data to the top approximately 1% of freelancers in selected categories. Earning it requires a manual skills assessment and review by Upwork staff, not just sustained metrics.
What it unlocks: access to enterprise-level clients routed through Upwork Enterprise, including Fortune 500 companies and large organizations that engage Upwork for high-value engagements. The work available through Expert-Vetted channels typically commands significantly higher rates and comes with more professional clients who have larger scopes and dedicated procurement processes.
Expert-Vetted is a long-term outcome for freelancers who specialize deeply and perform consistently at the top of their field. It's worth knowing it exists, but it's not something to optimize for directly. It follows from being excellent in a specific area over time.
What badges actually do for you
| Badge | Visibility benefit | Practical benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Rising Talent | Appears in search; mild algorithmic boost | Trust signal for clients when reviews are sparse |
| Top Rated | Strong visibility boost; premium job access | Negative feedback removal; priority support |
| Top Rated Plus | Higher-tier job access; enterprise visibility | Access to higher-value exclusive postings |
| Expert-Vetted | Enterprise client access | Highest-value work via Upwork Enterprise |
Maintaining your status
Badges are not permanent. Top Rated status is re-evaluated regularly. If your JSS drops below 90%, you lose Top Rated. If earnings fall below the threshold or you go inactive, you lose it. It requires ongoing effort, not just one good period.
Rising Talent can also be lost if you stop performing at the level that earned it, or if a run of poor contracts changes your early-stage signals.