“Exclusive: Digital Creator Jobs Soar 7.5x Since the Pandemic – The Rise of a New Career Era”
"The surge in digital creator roles marks a new era of online entrepreneurship and content-driven careers."
The number of people with full-time equivalent jobs as digital creators in the U.S. jumped from 200,000 in 2020 to 1.5 million in 2024, according to a new report.
| Year | Employment | Share of Total U.S. GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 |
3m
|
2% |
| 2012 |
5.1m
|
3% |
| 2016 |
10.4m
|
6% |
| 2020 |
17.7m
|
11% |
| 2024 |
28.4m
|
18% |
Why it matters: Creators are now the largest and fastest-growing segment of the 28.4 million internet-dependent jobs in the U.S.
By the numbers: The study, which is published every four years by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and written in conjunction with Harvard Business School professor emeritus John Deighton, found creator jobs have grown 7.5x since 2020.
Creator media revenue is growing five times the rate of the traditional media sector, the researchers found.
The internet-supported economy of $4.9 trillion accounts for 18% of U.S. GDP, up from 2% in 2008, and is the leading driver of GDP growth, according to the report.
Creators building businesses through content and community comprise 30% of new digital economy jobs generated since 2020.
Between the lines: The IAB commissions the report to educate legislators on the growing importance of the digital economy as they create and amend legislation, said Chris Bruderle, vice president of industry insights and content strategy at IAB.
“Each of the congressional districts in the United States, from big to small … has people, a not insignificant amount of people, whose jobs rely on the digital economy,” Bruderle said.
He said the report also serves to educate the group’s members. IAB’s membership includes internet giants like Google, Meta and Amazon alongside media companies like Disney, NBCUniversal and Netflix.
What we’re watching: The growing creator economy has attracted more investment dollars and spurred acquisitions from traditional companies.
The report noted Publicis bought creator-focused agency Influential, and Live Nation acquired a majority stake in creator-focused talent management firm Timeline.
