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When it comes to whether content creators are in demand, the easy answer is yes. However, the market can still be competitive, and your specific skill in content creation matters.
And there are so many nuances to consider. For one, what type of content creator are we talking about? There are two big buckets:
- The solo creator who runs their YouTube channel or blog to make money.
- Creators that work at companies – either full-time or on a freelance basis.
The Creator Economy
There are 207 million creators in the creator economy. Holy cow. Over 46 percent state they do that full-time and about the same about says it’s a part-time gig. Mark Schaefer reported that full-time creators make $170,000 or so a year.
So those are creators that have created their own niche. They work with brands on sponsored deals, product videos and more.
I have participated in this industry as part of the Amazon Influencer Program and Associates Program and through sponsored content and podcasts on this site.
Content creators at companies
And then we have creators who work at companies. These are the writers, content strategists, designers, video folks, and even podcast producers who work at companies. I participate here as the director of content strategy at Growgetter, a growth marketing firm in the market research space.
- In 2024, there were over 45,000 in-house writers. The average in-house writer makes a touch over $66,000 a year – just about a third of what professional solo creators are claimed to be making.
- LinkedIn shows almost a quarter million content strategists on the network.
- There’s also around 30,000 video editors that work at companies.
There are advantages to working at companies, and there are disadvantages. A huge advantage is that you can really learn about the brand, produce content about the brand, and move those initiatives forward. It’s the job, and there are no other projects of completely different clients – which can be the case for freelance creators.
Some people appreciate the perceived stability of in-house roles. And while they can be more stable than doing freelance work for 15 clients, it’s also one revenue stream versus 15 versus 30. Layoffs are, unfortunately nothing new to the content community.
Read next: Why writers need to understand the whole content experience
Freelance content creators for hired work
Then we have content creators who work independently as freelancers and get hired by several companies. For example, there were over 80,000 freelance writers in the United States, which is almost twice the number of writers at companies. But there are also over three-quarters of a million people on LinkedIn who have the title freelance writer in their profile.
Once a client base has been established, freelance writers can make good money and certainly are in charge of their own schedules. How much do they make though? PayScale said it can vary widely – from in the $10s/hour to the $50s/hour.
When it comes to pricing their services, freelancers typically use one of three models:
- project-based rates
- hourly billing
- or per-word pricing.
Each has its advantages depending on the type of work and client relationship.
Of course, there are those of us – including myself – who work at a company and then have side hustles. My monthly salaries are, on average:
- 80 percent day job
- 20 percent side hustles (affiliate marketing, sponsored deals for the most part)
How many open jobs are there currently?
As of this writing, there are these job openings…
So while there are openings, there are not that many when considering that they span the entire country.
But there’s clearly a need for content creation – whether that’s through influencers, in-house teams, hiring a freelancer here or there, or a mix.
The trick is to figure out where your specific niche is and where you can make the most out of your career. As the content creation landscape evolves with new technologies like AI, success depends on continually developing your skills and adapting to changes. This might mean:
- Learning new tools and technologies
- Developing your unique voice and perspective
- Understanding how to create content across multiple formats
- Building expertise in your chosen niche
- Maintaining the human touch that connects with audiences
The key is finding opportunities and positioning yourself as a creator who can bring unique value and authentic perspectives to your work. After all, content creation is ultimately about connecting with people in meaningful ways.