- Hiring trends among creator economy startups can tell you a lot about the state of the sector.
- Creator Economy Jobs analyzed the hiring offers of more than 600 companies in 2024.
- Silicon Valley still has a hold on creator-related technology, while London could be the “next big” hub.
Be a Creator is not the only career path in the creator economy.
Jobs in the creator economy, a job offers platform founded by James Creechanalyzed the hiring offers of more than 600 companies in the creator economy in 2024.
Overall, creator economy startups typically hired for roles in engineering, marketing, product, and sales.
“This year, the creator economy has definitely felt more energy and activity,” Creech, who is also an investor and advisor to several creator startups, told Business Insider.
Since its launch at the end of 2023, the platform has brought together more than 1,000 job offers from companies in the creative economy each quarter.
Creech’s job site pulls listings from various third-party platforms and applicant tracking systems, like LinkedInGreenhouse and Lever, among others. Some companies also list jobs directly through the site, Creech said.
While the creator economy – from big tech companies to startups — was hit hard by layoffs in recent years, the post-hype cycle the industry appears to be landing on two feet.
Creech predicts that by 2025, more companies will become strong players in the field and expand their teams by recruiting. This might be true for a handful of creators startups have raised millions in 2024 — some, like the newsletter platform Beehiivwith the intention of hiring.
Another trend Creech expects in the creator economy next year is that corporate brands continue to hire creators to fill in-house roles.
Here are some takeaways about the state of jobs in the creative economy:
- Creator economy startups are looking for engineers
“The most in-demand jobs are engineering,” Creech said. “As we think about the types of companies in this space that are growing and need help, it’s a lot of software companies.”
The majority of engineering roles on CEJ are either backend or full-stack, Creech added.
Since the second quarter, the platform has seen more than 500 engineering jobs listed quarter over quarter.
The second and third most in-demand job categories were in sales and marketing, respectively, Creech said.
- Silicon Valley still has a stranglehold on the creator economy
“We all think, ‘Oh, the creator economy is Los Angeles,’” said Creech, who himself is based in Los Angeles. “When we first started publishing these reports, the San Francisco Bay Area ranked number one.”
This is due in part to the large number of startups that continue to grow in the broader Silicon Valley region.
Los Angeles and New York were the second-largest job markets in the United States throughout the year, Creech said. Meanwhile, international cities such as London, Bangkok and Berlin are also employment hubs on the platform.
“International markets are growing very quickly,” Creech said. “We think the creator economy is a global phenomenon, and you see that people can live anywhere and create great companies everywhere, and that’s reflected in the fact that there are now cool companies and nice jobs everywhere.”
Creech also identified London as “the next big destination for the creative economy”.
- These 6 companies were among the most active job postings for 2024
When analyzing the top companies in the creator economy that are hiring, CEJ excludes large platforms like Meta, TikTok and Pinterest. The six companies below have consistently listed new jobs within the creative economy throughout 2024, according to CEJ data.
- Coda Paymentsa digital product monetization platform
- ElevenLabsa generative AI and video dubbing startup
- Impact.coman affiliate marketing company
- Light roundsa content creation and publishing company
- Podimoa podcast and audiobook platform
- Shelfa live-shopping company
Whatnot told BI it will continue to prioritize recruitment across all its teams in 2025.
And Lightricks, which currently has 40 open positions, told BI it plans to expand its teams in 2025 while continuing to build generative AI products.