‘There are too many creators’: Confessions of a creator going back to a 9-to-5 for the stability

By Antoinette Siu • February 27, 2025 •

This article is part of our Confessions series, in which we trade anonymity for candor to get an unvarnished look at the people, processes and problems inside the industry. More from the series →

The creator economy is still growing rapidly but that growth isn’t always a benefit to creators.

It’s already difficult to maintain a living as a full-time creator — even more so in recent years as new creators continue to flood the market. An estimated 3% of the U.S. population in 2022 was considered an influencer, up from about 2% in 2020, per influencer marketing platform Influencity — with places like New York (6.45% of its population considered an influencer) and California (5.42% of its population considered an influencer) leading in influencer density in the state.

Meanwhile, influencer agency Neoreach found that only around 15% of 2,000 creators surveyed in 2023 made more than $100,000 per year, and about 69% made less than $50,000 annually. Some 48% made less than $15,000 per year, per the company’s data. Given the competitive landscape as well as an uncertain economic market and the stability of platforms like TikTok, some creators are considering re-joining the traditional workforce for more stability.

Coming back isn’t easy. In the latest edition of our Confessions series, in which we trade anonymity for candor, a Brooklyn-based lifestyle and culture creator in their late 30s shares why they are looking for a 9-to-5 now. Despite being a content creator that made six-figures through brand deals and having professional experience in marketing and social media strategy, this creator faces challenges getting employment.

This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

How long were you a creator and how much were you making?

Full-time from 2013 to the end of 2021, making over $200,000 per year. Especially around 2017 to 2021, it was over $200,000. Before that, over $150,000. Around 2021, I noticed budgets were getting different and I was like, “Got to get out of here.”

How were budgets different?

I noticed [the pay] was downtrending in 2022. There are people already at, “I can’t pay my rent. [I’ve] got to crowdfund my rent.” I jumped out before it got that bad… The ROI on creators overall shifted, [brand and marketing] budgets shifted — a lot of those things changed. Honestly, there are too many creators.

As you grow up and want to be an adult, you realize the cycle of how this works is not mentally sustainable — especially at the brevity of what you have to create content with now.

Is it common for creators to be looking for full-time work now?

I know people that have gotten other jobs, that are struggling and trying to figure [stuff] out. I know people that are trying to find work. I know people that are have had to sell their houses and move back in with their mom.

Creators vary in age. Why do you say when you’re an adult you realize the cycle isn’t mentally sustainable?

It’s really a matter of how many places you are spread [across], because engagement is super key. You can’t just have a following and get numbers anymore. Now that everybody’s trying to be a content creator and people are doing these UGC things for like, $300, $400, $250, $150 a pop — a brand will toss that in the air in a content brief and do that before they do something else [so the competition can be unsustainable].

That’s true for any creator. Why does age factor into it?

As you age, anybody who’s like 28-years-old now, I think that’s a full grown adult. So if the next phase of what you need to be to be seen as a content creator is you being under 28, that’s a game that doesn’t make sense to keep up. … I need stable health insurance, because things are also precarious when it comes to Obamacare. Like the government’s making that go away. That is only attainable through a job.

How’s the job hunting going?

I’ve been temping where I can. I have been actively looking for full-time work for two years and three months. A lot of my experience has come against me. I do have experience in social [media], but like when someone does a Google search, it’s been really challenging to have people feel like I want to stick around — or like I know what I’m talking about. I always ask for feedback and whenever I’ve gotten it, it’s always been along the lines of someone saw me as too impressive, or they thought that I was too superior — or they thought they saw me as more like a peer than a subordinate.

What roles are you seeking?

[These positions are mainly] director of social strategy, vp of social strategy, director of social, all those roles in sports to entertainment to agencies and brand-side entertainment companies. Those in-house jobs are paying like $70,000, $90,000, and [with my experience] I command more than $180,000. So if you want to be a full-time content creator and find a way to do that and apply to a job, where that’s just what you do, great. But those jobs don’t pay a lot, from [what I see].

What other projects are you working on since leaving content creation?

I have a short film that I made over the past two years, and now I’m submitting it to film festivals. I’m trying to raise funding to turn it into either a scripted pilot … but now I have to do all this like work of tracking down friends, contacts, trying to get eyes in front of things. I will dedicate time to doing that as much as possible, but stability is so key right now, especially what’s coming down the pipeline in this whole entire economy and world that we’re about to be in. I’m focused on a full-time job; the film will happen when it needs to happen. … I don’t want to be a content creator, so I’m not going to go out there and [chase] for Threads bonus, chasing for that TikTok shop invasion. I am still active [on social media], but way less since 2022.

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