For many people, freelancing on Fiverr is a side hustle. It’s something they do around a full-time job, to earn extra money or explore running their own business. But can Fiverr be your full-time job?
Fiverr can be a full-time job, but it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. You won’t become a millionaire overnight on Fiverr, but you definitely can make $2,000 per month or more on the platform. It takes hard work, time, and persistence to build up clients and earn a full-time income on Fiverr.
Our 5 tips for earning a full-time income on Fiverr are:
- Be patient
- Price strategically (and realistically)
- Deliver high-quality work
- Offer exceptional customer service
- Aim to become a Pro seller
This is our guide for sellers interested in making a living on Fiverr. Spoiler alert – it doesn’t suggest you quit your job tomorrow and freelance full-time on Fiverr right away!
Instead, we discuss the work required to make a full-time income from the platform. We also take a look at some freelancers who now make a living from Fiverr. Let’s get into it!
Can You Actually Make A Living With Fiverr?
You can make a living on Fiverr, whether that’s $500 a week or $10,000 a month. A number of sellers run their businesses exclusively on Fiverr. But it takes time, persistence, and hard work to build your Fiverr business to the level where you can earn a living.
A good approach is to start freelancing on Fiverr part-time. While this may involve working evenings and weekends, it gives you the chance to familiarise yourself with the platform and gain some experience.
Once you’ve done this, there are several reasons why you might decide to focus your efforts on eventually working full-time on Fiverr. Obviously, not everyone will have the ability to do this. We all have our own sets of bills, debts, and other responsibilities that mean we can’t simply quit our day jobs and go full-time on the freelancing side of things at the drop of a hat.
I was able to use Fiverr to replace my part-time job while I was at university, and you can read more about how I did that in my 60+ page Fiverr ebook.
But if you are in a position where you feel you could maybe shift more of your time towards your freelancing endeavours, there are a few things to consider before you do so.
Massive Pool Of Buyers
For starters, the platform gives you access to around 3.42 million buyers interested in a wide range of services. So there’s a big pool of potential clients on offer, no matter whether you’re offering writing services or voiceover work.
Fiverr is also very safe to use. It facilitates secure payments between sellers and buyers, protecting their credit card details and personal information. It’s also easy to join. It only takes a few minutes to set up a Fiverr account before you can create and sell your first gig. You can sell 7 when you first join, but you can offer more when you become a Level 1 Seller (and even more as you continue moving up the ladder).
Lots Of Competition
But these factors, along with a low barrier to entry, mean there’s lots of competition on Fiverr. This makes it hard to stand out from the crowd and forces some freelancers to lower their prices to attract buyers. While it’s good to go low when you first start, you’re never going to make Fiverr your full-time job if you’re working for $2 per hour!
To make a living on Fiverr you need to offer high-quality work and excellent customer service. You also need to spend time building up your reviews and seller level. Doing this will go a long way towards boosting your exposure on the platform and, eventually, your income. But what if you’ve never used the platform before? Can you still make Fiverr your full-time job?
Can Beginners Make Money On Fiverr?
It’s possible to make money on Fiverr as a total beginner, but you need to be realistic. At the start, your prices need to reflect your experience and you have to put time and effort into developing your skills. You’ll also likely need to start by offering services for low prices.
It’s unlikely you can start earning the equivalent of a full-time income right away. For this reason, many freelancers start a side hustle on Fiverr. This supplements their main source of income while building up their Fiverr profile and experience.
Levelling Up As A Seller
In order to get access to more gigs and be a more attractive candidate for buyers, you’ll need to level up as a seller. This takes time (you will need to have been active on the platform for 120 days to become a Level 2 Seller for example), and you’ll also need to be a responsible seller. This involves replying to messages within 24 hours, minimizing your cancelled orders, and always delivering on time.
Once you’ve made a start, there are several things you can do to help increase your Fiverr income.
How To Make A Living On Fiverr
1. Be Patient
We’ve already said it but we’ll say it again. If you want to make a living on Fiverr, you need to put the time into building up your work on the site. If you wake up tomorrow and decide to join Fiverr, you won’t be making $4,000 by the end of the month.
Like any freelancing career, it takes time to grow your skills, clients, and reputation on the platform. It’s the sellers who have the patience to work at it who go on to make a full-time income from Fiverr. As we mentioned, simply moving up the ranks takes time and effort, but it can all be worth it in the end when a buyer chooses you over a Level 1 Seller because you’re Top Rated with 150 five-star reviews!
2. Price Strategically (And Realistically)
You’ll find lots of $5 gigs on Fiverr. If you’re new to the platform, you might need to also start at this price to attract your first buyers and reviews. But you’re not going to make a full-time income selling $5 gigs (unless you can do many of them every hour). You need to be strategic about your pricing and increase it over time. As a guide, look at how the top sellers in your niche are pricing similar services and aim for that.
Of course, some will overcharge, or they might have unique experience that allows them to charge higher rates than you might be able to. That’s why it’s key to remain realistic!
3. Deliver High-Quality Work
While it’s easy to join Fiverr, you need to put in the hard work when it comes to completing gigs. Delivering high-quality work is key to becoming a top seller and earning a living from Fiverr.
By doing so, you’ll build up positive reviews and repeat clients. Getting reviews builds credibility, and that’s what buyers want to see in the search results. If you were a buyer, you’d want to choose a freelancer with a proven track record of providing quality work. So, aim to get 5-star reviews to make your gigs more attractive to potential buyers.
4. Offer Exceptional Customer Service
High-quality work is only part of the equation when it comes to earning a full-time income on Fiverr. You also need to provide excellent customer service to ensure satisfied buyers.
This includes being responsive and communicating clearly, delivering work on or before time, and incorporating client feedback into revisions. As long as you’re a courteous seller and provide high-quality work, most buyers will be happy to provide you with a review or maybe even become a repeat customer!
5. Aim To Become A Pro Seller
Fiverr Pro is Fiverr’s premium platform that connects professional buyers with vetted, expert-level sellers. While it’s not easy to become a Fiverr Pro seller, it’s worth trying if you have the necessary experience.
Selling on Fiverr Pro gives you access to professional clients who often want to buy packaged or ongoing services. With a Pro badge on your gigs, you can charge more for them and increase your earning potential. This will require you to get the attention of some Fiverr staff, and there may be a bit of luck involved, but if you stick at it, you might be able to unlock a very lucrative set of customers.
Can Fiverr Make You A Millionaire?
It’s unlikely that Fiverr will make you a millionaire. There are sellers who report earning six figures on the platform, but this is a very small portion of the top 1%. It takes a long time to get to these numbers, and so while it’s unlikely you’ll make $1 million, you can still make good money.
Fiverr isn’t the place to make your first million. While over time you can build up to a full-time income, the chances of earning at that level are slim. The freelancers who are making six figures or more on Fiverr describe putting in long hours and building up their business and prices over time. This means it’s definitely possible, but it’s 100% a marathon and not a sprint.
Freelancers Making A Living On Fiverr
Charmaine Pocek
Charmaine started reviewing resumes on Fiverr in 2011. A side hustle to her corporate career, she charged $5 a gig at the start. In 2017, she became the first female seller to earn $1 million on Fiverr.
One of the keys to her success was using her experience to eventually charge higher rates for her gigs. This is going to be a must for you if you want to truly make a living on Fiverr.
Jennifer Shealey
Jennifer’s career on Fiverr started as a side hustle which she worked on in the evenings and during weekends. Initially, she sold Facebook advertising gigs for $5, working in the evenings and on weekends.
But after losing her job, she turned it into a full-time gig. Now, Jennifer’s a top-rated seller earning six figures a year from Fiverr gigs. In 2020, she earned $106,000. To do this, Jennifer works 50-60 hour weeks, so this is one example of where earning a good living on Fiverr comes down to putting in more work than the average day job.
Emilina Lomas
Emilina is a full-time writer. She’s making $10,000 a month writing health and fitness Instagram captions and articles on Fiverr.
She explains it took three years before she start earning a full-time income from Fiverr. At the start, she sold gigs for $5, accepting any work offered to her to ensure consistent jobs and reviews. But from there, she has grown her presence on the platform and offers gigs at higher prices.
Levi Newman
Levi is a copywriter on Fiverr offering a range of marketing services. Since 2015, he’s been making between $10,000 and $15,000 a month on Fiverr. He credits upselling his gigs as a big factor in his success, so being aware of how you can get more out of your existing gigs could be the key to your own success on the platform.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to earn a full-time income on Fiverr, although it will take a long time and a lot of effort. Fiverr isn’t going to make you an overnight millionaire. For many, it remains the ideal freelancing platform for a side hustle to supplement a main source of income.
For more information about creating a successful freelance career, check out our guide on making a full-time income from freelancing.
Kate is an Australian freelance writer now based in Europe. She has contributed to Freelance Ready as both a writer and an editor, drawing on her legal background to write about the regulatory and financial aspects of freelancing. She’s also an expert at finding the best flat white within a 5km radius! Learn more about Kate here.
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