In 2025, niche side hustles are propelling even the ordinary individual into six-figure incomes. On Upwork, top freelance software engineers can earn over $1 million through milestone-driven contracts, per the SWE‑Lancer benchmark of 1,400 real-world tasks.
Upwork data also shows U.S. freelancers average nearly $99,000 annually, with experienced professionals earning up to about $275,000. In fact, one developer reported that she earned $600,000, an average of $120,000 per year over five years (2017 - 2022) that she worked on Upwork alone.
Similarly, Fiverr Go, a new AI-powered assistant of the Fiverr platform, is helping creators to scale premium services like digital marketing or graphic design, leading to services revenue growing at about 94% year-over-year in early 2025. Although most sellers on Fiverr earn modestly, 96–97% report monthly income below $500. So it can be said that top-tier freelancers are the ones thriving .
These success stories underscore a growing reality that with just the right skills, platforms, and persistence, side hustles and freelancing can evolve into full-time, high-income careers, powered by social media presence, high-value expertise, and efficient gig infrastructure.
