How does joining an agency work on Upwork?

What is an agency on Upwork?

An agency is a team of freelancers working together, led by an agency owner. Your relationship with an agency, including how you get paid, is managed privately outside of Upwork.

Some freelancers choose to work exclusively with the agency, while others stay independent and take on their own projects too — that part's flexible.

How do I join an agency?

You can only join an agency if you’re invited by an agency admin. If invited, you'll need to decide whether working for an agency is the right fit for you and whether to work exclusively with the agency or take on separate projects too.

Important:

Your Upwork account is personal and must not be shared with anyone, including agency owners. While agency owners can manage permissions and roles through the agency’s settings, they should never request or be given access to your account credentials. Protecting your account ensures your data remains secure and complies with Upwork’s policies.

What's the difference between working as exclusive or non-exclusive agency member?

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Exclusive agency member

• • You work only through the agency on Upwork
  • Your profile and proposals will be branded with the agency
  • All proposals and contracts are tied to the agency
  • You can’t send proposals or take jobs independently
  • The agency gets paid by the client, then pays you

Non-exclusive agency member

• • You can work both independently and with the agency
  • Agency projects are paid to the agency; your personal contracts are paid to you
  • You decide which role (independent or agency) to use when submitting each proposal
  • If you want to show as an agency member in search results and on your profile, you'll need to set the agency as your default team in your Account settings (desktop) or Settings (mobile) › My Teams

Learn more about working for an agency.