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Upwork lists most in-demand, fastest-growing skills for 2025

Upwork lists most in-demand, fastest-growing skills for 2025

Amrita Ahuja
| January 14, 2025

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Accounting and consulting ranked as one of the fastest-growing work categories, according to data released Jan. 15 by Upwork as part of its list of most in-demand and fastest-growing skills. Within the accounting and consulting segment, the fastest-growing skills include personal coaching, career coaching and training and development.

While demand for advanced AI skills, such as generative AI modeling and AI data annotation is surging — along with the corresponding freelancer earnings — the research also noted a significant rise in roles focused on career coaching and training and development.

“The data reveals a dual narrative,” Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute, said in a press release. “On one hand, there’s explosive demand for technical expertise in areas like AI. On the other, businesses are investing in coaching and human development to help their teams navigate technological change.”

Here are Upwork’s lists of most in-demand skills for 2025:

Accounting and Consulting
  1. Accounting
  2. Bookkeeping
  3. Recruiting and talent sourcing
  4. Financial analysis and modelling
  5. Management consulting
  6. HR administration
  7. Tax preparation
  8. Instructional design
  9. Business analysis and strategy
  10. Financial management/CFO

The three fastest-growing accounting and consulting skills are:

  1. Personal coaching
  2. Career coaching
  3. Training and development
Coding and Web Development
  1. Full-stack development
  2. Front-end development
  3. Web design
  4. Mobile app development
  5. Back-end development
  6. E-commerce website development
  7. UX/UI design
  8. Scripting and automation
  9. CMS development
  10. Manual testing

The three fastest-growing coding and web development skills are:

  1. Scripting and automation
  2. Web design
  3. UX/UI design
Customer Service and Admin Support
  1. General virtual assistance
  2. Data entry
  3. Digital project management
  4. General research services
  5. Executive virtual assistance
  6. E-commerce management
  7. Market research
  8. Manual transcription
  9. Medical virtual assistance
  10. Business project management

The three fastest-growing customer service and admin support skills are:

  1. Supply-chain and logistics project management
  2. Construction and engineering project management
  3. Qualitative research (such as survey coordinator, interview transcriber and focus group moderator)
Data Science and Analytics
  1. Data analytics
  2. Machine learning
  3. Data visualization
  4. Data extraction
  5. Data engineering
  6. Data processing
  7. Data mining
  8. Experimentation and testing
  9. Deep learning
  10. Generative AI modelling

The three fastest-growing data science and analytics skills are:

  1. AI data annotation and labeling
  2. Knowledge representation
  3. Generative AI modeling
Design and Creative
  1. Graphic design
  2. Video editing
  3. Presentation design
  4. Image editing
  5. Illustration
  6. 3D animation
  7. Video production
  8. Product and industrial design
  9. Cartoons and comics
  10. Brand identity design

The three fastest-growing design and creative skills are:

  1. Pattern design
  2. Product and industrial design
  3. Video production
Sales and Marketing
  1. Social media marketing
  2. SEO
  3. Sales and business development
  4. Lead generation
  5. Search engine marketing
  6. Telemarketing
  7. Email marketing
  8. Marketing automation
  9. Marketing strategy
  10. Campaign management

The three fastest-growing sales and marketing skills are:

  1. Display advertising
  2. Campaign management
  3. Email marketing

Data for the report was sourced from the Upwork database and is based on freelancer earnings and job postings from Jan. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024.