Digital Content Creator Jobs: How to Get Started

When it comes to digital content creator jobs, it would be difficult to identify another field with quite so much variety and opportunity. Fueled by the increasing use of tech and the number of tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) becoming available to the average individual, the digital content creation market is expanding at an impressive rate. 

Content in the form of video, text, or audio is now mostly digital. Similarly, while physical books are still more popular than e-books when comparing the overall amounts of digital and physical text you consume, chances are you’re reading more on a screen than you are on a page. Someone has to create all of this digital content, and just as the various forms that digital content takes are vast and varied, so are digital content creator jobs. 

Explore popular digital content creator career paths and their standard requirements.

What is a digital content creator? 

A digital content creator is anyone who creates digital content. While that may seem relatively straightforward, consider all the types of digital content that exist:

• Written content, such as blogs, e-books, and white papers 

• Visual content, such as digital photography, infographics, and videos 

• Audio content, such as podcasts and music

• Social media content

• Marketing content, such as email newsletters and digital ads

These mediums just scratch the surface. Chances are, if you enjoy consuming any type of digital content, an opportunity exists for you to create a career out of crafting that content.

Content creators may work as contractors for content creation agencies that serve clients with content creation-related services or for businesses or brands that want to manage their content creation internally without relying primarily on the help of an agency or contractor.

Types of digital content creator jobs 

Social media manager

Median annual US salary: $55,852 [1]

Job outlook: 8 percent growth from 2023 to 2033 [2] 

Requirements: Knowledge of social media platforms and related tools. Some employers may prefer you have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, as well as certifications or specializations. High-level communication skills are also valuable. 

Social media managers create digital content specifically for use on a brand’s various social media channels. This content may be text, video, or imagery. Additionally, social media managers often interact with other brands or individuals on social media platforms. All the while, they’re tracking their content’s effectiveness against key performance indicators and adjusting their content approach accordingly. 

Social media managers are skilled in using various social media platforms, as well as associated tools used for creating social media content, scheduling social media posts, and monitoring analytics. Popular bachelor’s degree options for social media managers include degrees in communications, public relations, or marketing. You’ll find that some institutions additionally now offer bachelor’s degrees, specifically in social media marketing. 

Video content creator

Median annual US salary: $55,486 [3]

Job outlook: 4 percent annual growth from 2023 to 2033 [4] 

Requirements: Knowledge of video creation software and technology and a bachelor’s degree related to video production. 

Video content creator jobs may overlap with other content creation jobs given that video is a medium used frequently in social media, advertising, and elsewhere. If you specifically want to focus on the art of creating amazing video content, you’ll likely seek a role in camera operation, video editing, or video production. In some cases, you may need to be able to both film and edit video content, particularly if you’re working for yourself or on a small team. 

Video content creators often have a bachelor’s degree in film, broadcast, or communications. They may also seek coursework, degree specialties, and certifications related to using various video production and editing software as well as digital cameras. 

Writer

Median annual US salary: $73,690 [5]

Job outlook: 5 percent annual growth from 2023 to 2033 [5] 

Requirements: A high level of written communication skills, writing experience (paid or unpaid), and a bachelor’s degree or certification in a related field, such as English literature, journalism, or communications. 

Writers are responsible for text-based digital content. This written content could be news articles, magazine or lifestyle articles, blogs, marketing content, or fiction. 

The majority of writers are self-employed, so they may write for a variety of brands or publications on a freelance basis. While a bachelor’s degree in a field such as journalism, communication, or English literature is often preferred, many writers gain further experience through unpaid writing work, such as starting their own blog and building a portfolio. 

In addition to possessing a high level of written communication skills, effective writers are also often skilled researchers and editors. 

Graphic designer 

Median annual US salary: $58,910 [6]

Job outlook: 2 percent annual growth from 2023 to 2033 [6] 

Requirements: An artistic eye for design and a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a comparable level of certification in the technical skills related to graphic design, such as the use of certain design software. 

Graphic designers are responsible for an array of digital content, from simple logos on a website to full websites, infographics, email newsletters, and online-only magazines. A graphic designer collaborates usings other digital content creators’ materials, such as text from a writer, and then creates a layout and design for that content, aiming for the most aesthetically pleasing and reader-accessible display. 

A graphic designer needs to be a good collaborator with other content creators and have an eye for design. While degrees in graphic design are available, it is possible to gain necessary design skills (such as skills related to the use of certain design and editing software) through certification and similar training programs. 

Podcast producer

Median annual US salary: $74,189 [7]

Job outlook: 8 percent annual growth from 2023 to 2033 [8] 

Requirements: Knowledge of the podcast industry, sometimes an associated degree. 

A podcast producer oversees the digital content creation choices for a podcast. They might pick topics to cover on the podcast, book guests for the podcast, and provide direction to the podcast talent, among other tasks. Depending on the size of the podcast and associated team, a podcast producer may need to do much of the work outside of podcast hosting. This might include audio editing, podcast distribution, deciding what content will appear on the podcast, and more. 

A college degree is not always necessary for a podcast producer role. However, technical skills for recording, editing, and distributing podcasts are necessary. 

Influencer

Median annual US salary: $89,781 [9]

Job outlook: Positive job outlook [10, 11] 

Requirements: Skills in communication and promotion as well as all-around digital content creation skills. 

Influencers use a range of digital content mediums to grow an audience and then promote products, services, or lifestyles to that audience. You’ll find influencers active on social media, blogs, video platforms, and podcasts, depending on the influencer’s preferences.

As influencers are self-employed and earn money via partnerships with brands that pay the influencers to promote them, influencers don’t face the same job requirements, such as post-secondary degrees, that some of the above digital content creator career paths require. However, because influencers generally produce a range of digital content, acquiring the skills related to these types of digital content creation can increase content quality and effectiveness. As an influencer, you might pursue growth in technical skills related to podcast or video production or skills related to crafting social media posts and monitoring analytics. 

Additionally, because partners pay influencers to achieve goals such as increasing brand awareness or sales, skills related to marketing, sales, and branding are also useful.

SEO specialist

Median annual US salary: $64,721 [12]

Job outlook: 8 percent annual growth from 2023 to 2033 [2] 

Requirements: An analytical and data-driven mindset, plus SEO-related technical proficiency via a certificate or specialization program. 

A search engine optimization (SEO) specialist helps ensure an organization’s digital content reaches the highest number of people possible by employing tactics that generate higher levels of organic search traffic for a website. Compared to many of the above digital content creation roles that may be more reliant on creativity, an SEO specialist is more analytical and data-driven, with a high level of technical proficiency that allows them to make back-end changes to websites as necessary. 

While a post-secondary degree is not always necessary to pursue a role as an SEO specialist, SEO-related certifications and training can ensure proficiency. As SEO evolves, you can keep your skills current via continuing education. 

Preparing for digital content creator jobs with Coursera

Pursuing a career in digital content creation can open a number of doors, and with digital content creation impacting so many different mediums and industries, you’ll have no shortage of pathways to pursue. Consider getting started with digital content creator-related courses on Coursera, like Johns Hopkins University’s Social Media Analytics Specialization or the University of London’s bachelor’s degree in marketing.