This coaching gig is growing in demand on Upwork and can pay $179 an hour

It’s a tough job market out there.

The number of applicants per job on LinkedIn jumped from 1.5 in 2022 to 2.5 in 2024, according to the site, signaling steeper competition. Nearly half, 49% of Americans say the job search has gotten harder in the last year and 68% of HR professionals say the same.

Which might be why freelance marketplace Upwork has seen an uptick in demand for career coaches. The site recently released its 2025’s Most In-Demand Skills report, including a list of fast-growing skills. When it comes to their work trajectory, “people are realizing that they can get better results faster by enlisting an expert than they can alone,” says career coach Phoebe Gavin.

If you’re interested in exploring the fast-growing gig, here’s what it takes to become a career coach and how much you could make.

When it comes to being a successful career coach, there are two critical components.

You have to understand the hiring process, says Julie Bauke, founder of career planning company The Bauke Group. And when it comes to your clients, you “have to have a good dose of empathy and ability to relate to people.”

Bauke recommends getting a certification through an organization like the International Coaching Federation to learn the ropes, “something that teaches you how to interact and pull things out of people,” she says.

Plus, “you have to have had some experience in the workforce, preferably in hiring and managing people,” she says. This can come from working in human resources or recruitment specifically, but can also come from having served in a leadership position.

“You really have to be able to combine those two things to have credibility,” she says.

Once you’ve gained the experience, you can list your services on sites like Upwork, Fiverr and LinkedIn, where you can also find openings for various gigs. You can also turn to local gatherings to find clients.

Sometimes “communities have groups of people who are unemployed who meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to share tips and ideas,” says Bauke. “Maybe you go offer yourself as a speaker, as a resource,” and find some clients there. Sites like Facebook and Nextdoor could offer insight into these types of gatherings.

Pay varies depending on factors like type of clients (CEOs versus lower level employees) and framework (private sector or universities) in which you’re offering your services, says Gorick Ng, Harvard career advisor and creator of the “How To Say It” flashcard series for professional communication.

Career coaches on Upwork charge as much as $179 per hour.

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