Hey there, freelance friend! 👋
Today, we’re digging deep into the thing most freelancers don’t think about until it’s too late: your Job Success Score (JSS).
If you’ve been on Upwork for more than five minutes, you’ve probably seen this mysterious percentage floating near the top of freelancer profiles. But what IS it, really? And why does it matter more than your actual skills when it comes to landing jobs?
Let’s just say this: one bad contract can tank it. And getting it back up? Brutal. (Ask me how I know...)
So I’m walking you through exactly how Upwork calculates your JSS, why it can be more powerful than your portfolio, and the strategies I used to pull mine up from the 70s to a sparkling 100%—and keep it there ever since.
Quick Intro for the Newbies 🙋♀️
I'm Erica Nall, one of the top 1% freelancers on Upwork out of over 18 million. I replaced my six-figure healthcare job by freelancing in a totally unrelated field—sales copywriting.
I've since retired my husband, hit the road as a full-time RVer, and now work on my own schedule while managing chronic illness. Upwork was the foundation that made this possible.
And now, I help beginner freelancers build their own bridge to freedom—faster, easier, and with fewer Oreos stress-eaten in the process. (Although no judgment. Oreos got me through my 73% JSS era.)
Wait, What IS the Job Success Score?
Let's talk Job Success Scores—or as I like to call it, "The Number That Controls Your Freelance Destiny."
Your JSS is Upwork’s way of summarizing your performance into one tidy, powerful percentage. It’s like your freelance GPA or credit score.
High score = high trust. Low score = you’ve got work to do.
Clients do check it. The algorithm does prioritize it. And while it might feel unfair, it’s also one of the most leverageable parts of your freelance career—IF you understand how it works.
The truth? It’s easier to protect your JSS than it is to fix it.
Your Job Success Score is like your GPA. A 4.0 is great—but one "C" can drop you to a 3.5 and take MONTHS to climb back up. Same with JSS.
A good JSS:
✅ Boosts your visibility (hello, page one!)
✅ Increases likelihood of landing jobs
✅ Attracts new clients like moths to a flame
✅ Plays a CRUCIAL role in landing those sexy badges (Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, or Expert Vetted—which is the top 1% of freelancers on Upwork)
When I first joined Upwork in 2019, I was winging it. I took random jobs, had no niche, no plan, and treated it like a fun little side hustle.
And my JSS? Fluctuated wildly:
97% → 84% → 92% → then... the SEVENTIES. 😱
When I returned to Upwork in 2023, I was serious—but I had a 73% JSS working against me. Clients didn’t want to take a chance. I had to write 3x as many proposals, explain myself in every single one, and prove that I was not the 73% girl anymore.
The only reason I recovered? Strategy. Persistence. And an obsessive focus on protecting my JSS from every angle.
I've since clawed my way back to 100% and maintained it ever since. Getting it back up? BRUTAL.
I don’t want that for you.
That's why I teach my students how to protect it from day one.
Your goal: Keep this baby at 90% or above. The closer to 100%, the better.
Think of it as your freelance credit score, except instead of determining if you can buy a house, it determines if you can afford a house. 💸
The Secret Sauce: What Actually Goes Into Your JSS 🔍
Upwork used to guard their JSS formula like it was the 11 herbs & spices for Kentucky Fried Chicken. But at the end of 2024, they added a beautiful, nerdy new feature: the Stats and Trends dashboard.
Let me take you behind the scenes using my own account...
Finding Your Stats (AKA Your Freelance Report Card) 📈
From your profile picture in the upper right corner, there's an option called 'Stats and Trends'.
Quick sidebar for the trust-issue folks (I see you, and I am you): I first tried Upwork back in 2019 and quit like a proper quitter. Returned in September 2023, and in less than 6 months, I was moving my business OFF platform because people were throwing referrals at me left and right.
These days? I basically just keep two dreamy copywriting clients on Upwork that I love working with. Almost all my billing these days comes from direct off-platform clients.
BUT—and this is a big but—I still recommend EVERYONE start on Upwork. It's like learning to drive in a parking lot before hitting the highway. You need that foundation before you can scale to the fancy stuff.
(On Day 2 of 10 Days to Paid, I literally show you inside my bank account and client invoices. I probably OVERSHARE, but after being duped by fake-it-til-you-make-it gurus, I'm all about that radical transparency life.)
Inside the Stats Page: Where Dreams Meet Data 📊
Once you're in, you'll see ALL sorts of fun stats:
Last 12 months of earnings (totally OK if this is a big fat ZERO when starting)
Proposal history (including how many were opened, messaged, and hired)
Profile metrics (views, invites, impressions)
Want to see something wild? I’ve barely touched Upwork in the past year—yet I STILL get invited to jobs, show up in search, and hold a $333/hour profile rate.
Here’s what my 2025 Upwork stats look like:
Sent: 1 proposal
Hired: 1 job (100% close rate)
Profile views: 67
Job invitations: 7
JSS: 100%
Top Rated + Expert Vetted badges
Connects: Nearly 1,000 💀
(If I could gift these Connects to you beginners, I would! You're probably scraping the bottom of your Connect barrel while I'm sitting here like Scrooge McDuck swimming in unused Connects.)
The JSS Factors That Actually Matter 🎯
Here's where it gets juicy. Let's break down what ACTUALLY impacts your score:
1. The Basics (AKA "You Need These to Even Play")
As a beginner, you won't get a JSS until you:
✅ Successfully complete 2 jobs
✅ Work with 2 unique clients
(No, hiring your mom twice doesn't count. Nice try though.)
2. Client Satisfaction (The Obvious One)
This includes:
Public feedback (those pretty stars everyone can see)
Private feedback (the REAL tea they spill to Upwork)
Contract ending reason (did they close it happy or... not?)
3. Long-Term Relationships (The Secret Weapon) 💪
A relationship qualifies as "long-term" if a client's last payment is made more than 90 days after their first payment.
These are GOLDEN because they count as positive feedback even if the client doesn't leave a review!
(Yes, you read that right. Sometimes silence IS golden.)
4. Higher Earnings (Size Matters... For Your JSS) 💰
Jobs with higher earnings have a bigger impact on your score:
$1+ = Weighted as 1 job
$251+ = Weighted as 1.25 jobs
$1001+ = Weighted as 1.5 jobs
This can either amplify positive impact when you nail it, or amplify negative impact when you don't.
(No pressure or anything.)
5. Contract Length (The Marathon Bonus) 🏃♀️
A single contract with a payment every 90 days is considered an extra "job" toward your JSS, up to a maximum of 8 jobs.
Translation: Keep those good clients around, and Upwork will love you for it.
6. Ineligible Jobs (The Ones That Don't Count)
These WON'T help your score:
Jobs with no earnings
Jobs with no feedback
Jobs with feedback removed
(Yes, that "test" job your friend hired you for but you refunded them back the money? Useless. Stop it.)
The Beginner's Focus: Keep It Simple, Stupid 🎯
As a beginner, your PRIMARY focus should be:
Get those first 2 jobs and 2 clients (activate your JSS)
Keep client satisfaction HIGH (use those strategies from 10 Days to Paid)
Everything else will naturally happen as you scale. Don't stress about long-term clients when you're still trying to land your first gig!
Want to Protect Your JSS From Day One? 🛡️
Now that you understand why your Job Success Score matters (and how easily it can slip, especially when you're just starting out), the next step is making sure you're set up to protect it from Day One.
That's EXACTLY why I created my free 10 Days to Paid Challenge. It's a 12-hour course sent straight to your inbox daily that takes you from "never freelanced a day in my life" to landing your first paying clients and 5-star reviews.
And we've already proven it works! We used my kiddo—a 22-year-old Starbucks barista—as our guinea pig. He followed the program while I documented his progress, and he landed his first client just 6 days after sending out his first round of proposals.
There's absolutely NO COST. I give you EVERYTHING:
✅ Swipe files
✅ AI prompts
✅ Tools and resources
✅ Checklists
✅ My sanity (okay, that last one's debatable)
Your Next Steps 🚀
Join our free community if you haven't already
Take the 10 Days to Paid Challenge
Start tracking your proposals with my free tracker
Drop your wins in our chat so I can celebrate with you!
REMINDER: I provide FREE coaching in our Substack community, focusing on what I teach in Find Your Freelance Ready Skills and 10 Days to Paid Upwork Challenge for Beginner Freelancers.
Drop your:
Questions ❓
Profiles 👤
Proposals 📝
Tracker snapshots 📊
Reviews/testimonials ⭐
WINS (especially those first messages and contracts!) 🎉
Links You'll Need:
Free Community: freelancewitherica.substack.com
Find Your Freelance Skills: How to Find Your Freelance Ready Skills
10 Days to Paid: Start the Challenge
Free Proposal Tracker: Get Your Tracker
I'll see you next Tuesday with another free training. Don't forget to drop your wins so I can celebrate with you! 🎉
P.S. Yes, my JSS really did drop to the 70s. Yes, it was painful. Yes, I may have stress-eaten an entire sleeve of Oreos about it. But look at me now! gestures wildly at the recovered 100% JSS There's hope for all of us! 💪
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