Quick answer
In SmartBid’s tracked sample from July 13 through August 12, 2026, Web, Mobile & Software Development had the largest observed category volume among categories with at least 100 eligible jobs. Data Science & Analytics showed a median hourly budget midpoint of $29.50, while applicant pressure varied substantially by category. These are marketplace benchmarks for jobs observed by SmartBid, not platform-wide earnings or freelancer win-rate estimates.
Key takeaways
Use category benchmarks to compare opportunity sets, not predict individual outcomes.
Keep hourly and fixed-price economics separate.
Applicant counts describe applications to postings, not unique freelancer supply.
Refresh the page monthly because marketplace conditions change.
What SmartBid observed
Category | Observed jobs | Median hourly budget midpoint | Avg applicants | Median applicants at 24h | Avg client hire rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Web, Mobile & Software Dev | 755 | $30.00 | 50.7 | 12 | 60.7% |
Sales & Marketing | 540 | $20.00 | 25.8 | 5 | 81.3% |
Admin Support | 503 | $9.50 | 32.5 | 3 | 92.9% |
Data Science & Analytics | 432 | $29.50 | 41.9 | 9 | 85.4% |
Accounting & Consulting | 194 | $17.50 | 26.2 | 2 | 67.2% |
Methodology
SmartBid analyzed jobs observed in its tracked Upwork market. The category benchmark uses eligible jobs created from July 13 through August 12, 2026 and reports only categories with at least 100 observed jobs. The skills benchmark uses the latest 30-day and 7-day skill aggregates available on August 12, 2026. Posted hourly budget measures are not realized earnings, and applicant counts are not unique freelancer counts.
How to use these benchmarks
Use the data to compare market conditions and identify questions for deeper niche research. Do not infer a personal win probability from these aggregates.
Related SmartBid benchmark
Upwork Skills Demand Benchmark: 12 High-Volume Skills — August 2026