As new technologies continue to emerge and companies recognize the need for new skills to stay competitive, Upwork’s study reveals the extent to which businesses are increasingly turning to skilled freelance professionals to meet key project needs and address skills gaps. While businesses are looking to freelance talent for scale and specialization, independent professionals are also leading the charge in adopting new technologies and upskilling. In particular, the AI & machine learning subcategory on Upwork saw 70% year-over-year growth in the fourth quarter of 2023, as clients and independent professionals collaborate on today’s most cutting-edge projects.
“Every company is vying for the best talent and there remains huge demand for a broad range of skills across the Upwork marketplace as businesses big and small are finding solutions in the growing reservoir of skilled independent professionals,” said
Among the lists of most in-demand skills, Data Science & Analytics is one of the fastest-growing types of work, and generative AI modeling and machine learning were the two fastest-growing skills in that category. Additionally, notable new skills to make the top 10 most in-demand skills lists this year include medical and executive virtual assistance, as well as development & IT project management and digital marketing campaign management.
“As technology rapidly changes and more specific expertise is needed, more and more businesses are coming to Upwork to find the solutions they need,” said
Here are the in-demand work skills for 2024:
Upwork’s Data Science & Analytics Skills for 2024:
- Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills
- Data Analytics
- Machine Learning
- Data Visualization
- Data Extraction
- Data Engineering
- Data Processing
- Data Mining
- Experimentation & Testing
Deep Learning - Generative AI Modeling
- Top 3 Fastest-Growing Skills
- Generative AI Modeling1
- Machine Learning
- Data Analytics
Upwork’s Coding & Web Development Skills for 2024:
- Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills
Full Stack Development Front-End Development - Web Design
Mobile App Development Back-End Development Ecommerce Website Development - UX/UI Design
- Scripting & Automation
CMS Development - Manual Testing
- Top 3 Fastest-Growing Skills
- Scripting & Automation
- Database Development
- Web Design
Upwork’s Sales & Marketing Skills for 2024:
- Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills
- Social Media Marketing
- SEO
- Sales & Business Development
- Lead Generation
- Telemarketing
- Search Engine Marketing
- Marketing Automation
- Email Marketing
- Marketing Strategy
- Campaign Management
- Top 3 Fastest-Growing Skills
- Marketing Automation
- Sales & Business Development
- Email Marketing
Upwork’s Accounting & Consulting Skills for 2024:
- Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills
- Accounting
- Bookkeeping
- Recruiting & Talent Sourcing
- Financial Analysis & Modeling
Management Consulting HR Administration - Instructional Design
- Business Analysis & Strategy
- Tax Preparation
- Financial Management/CFO
- Top 3 Fastest-Growing Skills
- Personal Coaching
- Financial Management/CFO
- Bookkeeping
Upwork’s Customer Service & Admin Support Skills for 2024:
- Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills
- General Virtual Assistance
- Data Entry
- Digital Project Management
- General Research Services
- Dropshipping & Order Processing
- Market Research
- Executive Virtual Assistance
- Manual Transcription
- Development & IT Project Management
- Medical Virtual Assistance
- Top 3 Fastest-Growing Skills
- Business Project Management
- Medical Virtual Assistance
- Supply Chain & Logistics Project Management
Upwork’s Design & Creative Skills for 2024:
- Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills
- Graphic Design
- Video Editing
- Presentation Design
- Illustration
- Image Editing
- 3D Animation
- Video Production
- Product & Industrial Design
- Cartoon & Comic Illustration
- Logo Design
- Top 3 Fastest-Growing Skills
- Packaging Design
- Music Production
- Videography
Connect with skilled, global, in-demand talent on Upwork’s work marketplace. For further information on these skills and how to apply them, tune into an online Q&A with
Methodology
Skills data was sourced from the Upwork database and is based on
About Upwork
Upwork is the world’s work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent from across the globe. We serve everyone from one-person startups to large, Fortune 100 enterprises with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential. Our talent community earned over
Contact:
press@upwork.com
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1 Note: This skill was not available in 2022, but was the fastest-growing in terms of percentage growth in 2023.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2fe2a4fa-fcaa-492e-8ffb-e0524b4c702a
Upwork In-Demand Skills 2024
Upwork's most in-demand skills for 2024
Upwork In-Demand Skills 2024
Upwork's fastest-growing and new skills for 2024
2024 GlobeNewswire, Inc., source