Here's the thing. You can make money on Upwork but it takes work and patience.
Check Upwork Several Times a Day
You have to look for jobs EVERY day. Not just once a day, but several times a day. Jobs fill up fast. If you only check the jobs once a day, you will miss out on a ton of opportunities. Even though I am a web designer, I never look for web design work on Upwork. I am an SEO consultant so I exclusively look for SEO and content writing. There are a ton of writing and SEO jobs posted every day.
Be Picky About the Jobs You Pitch TO
The bad thing about Upwork is there are a lot of people looking for cheap freelancers to work with. This is why I don't use Freelancer. Freelancer seems to be the go-to for out of country work. When you look through jobs read the job description and the pay. The pay isn't the only thing you should consider. Do they sound demanding? Do they need fast turn-around time? Can you keep up with the project? If a job seems like more trouble than it's worth I skip it.
Have a Great Profile
I think one of the reasons I get work when other people don't is because I have a great resume and experience. If you don't, work on improving your resume and profile. This is your opportunity to sell yourself so sell yourself up.
Get Reviews
When you first start out, you might have to take some crappy low paying jobs just to get some reviews on your profile. I did that in the beginning and now I have a ton of 5 star reviews. Make sure you ask all your clients to leave you a review and let them know how much it helps you with your freelancing at Upwork.