11 Profitable Ways to Make Money as a Prompt Engineer (2023)

In the US, 59.8 percent of the workforce are white collar workers. Most of them will eventually be disrupted by AI tools. Many of them can already be replaced by large language models as shown in recent research:

This will release much of the work in our society and causes significant prosperity for society overall. However, some will be on the wrong side of change.

As a prompt engineer, you have a unique set of skills that can lead to many opportunities for generating income by being on the right side of change, i.e., you help businesses leverage AI to increase profitability and efficiency and create value for society, yourself, and your loved ones in the process.

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve rapidly, and your expertise in designing, optimizing, and refining prompts for large language models is in high demand. In this article, we will explore 21 ways you can leverage your abilities to make money as a prompt engineer.

Way 1: Develop AI-Powered Applications

By leveraging your expertise in designing and optimizing prompts for large language models, you can work with AI models like GPT-4 to develop unique and valuable solutions for various industries.

Firstly, identify the challenges businesses are facing and where AI-powered applications can provide significant benefits. For example, in the marketing industry, you can build AI-driven content generators that produce high-quality, engaging articles and social media posts on demand. These applications can then be monetized through subscription plans or per-use fees.

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Another potential avenue for prompt engineering is in the field of customer support. Design AI chatbots to handle inquiries and provide instant assistance to customers. Your prompt engineering background can help create a natural, human-like interaction experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction.

Incorporate AI models into the development of educational tools and e-learning platforms. By crafting well-designed prompts for AI tutors, you can help create personalized learning experiences tailored to individual students’ needs. This can set your platform apart from competitors and attract customers seeking personalized education solutions.

Use your prompt engineering skills to innovate in ways that cater to the unique needs of each industry. Doing so will open up various opportunities to make money as a prompt engineer while leveraging the cutting-edge world of artificial intelligence.

πŸ’‘ Recommended: 10 Steps Learning Path: Becoming a Python Prompt Engineer πŸš€ on the Finxter Academy

Way 2: Offer Consulting Services for AI Language Models

As a prompt engineer, you can use your expertise in prompt engineering to offer consulting services for businesses looking to optimize their AI language models. Many companies rely on AI systems for tasks such as content generation, customer support, and data analysis.

πŸ§šβ€β™€οΈ There are millions of new open-source tools, and nobody really gets the whole picture.

πŸ’‘ Recommended: Llama 2: How Meta’s Free Open-Source LLM Beats GPT-4!

Confusion is everywhere — which is your unique opportunity as an LLM prompt engineer consultant!

By providing sought-after insights and guidance, you can help these businesses enhance the performance and capabilities of their AI systems. How? Your in-depth knowledge of tech and prompt engineering will allow you to identify areas of improvement in their current AI models. You can recommend adjustments to the prompts used in AI systems, suggest strategies for refining the models, and provide guidance on best practices and data selection.

πŸ’‘ Pro Tip: To make your consulting services stand out, consider obtaining additional certifications in AI, machine learning, or data science. This will not only demonstrate your commitment to the field but also lend credibility to your expertise.

When offering consulting services, it’s crucial to maintain a confident, knowledgeable, and clear tone in your communication. As a prompt engineer, your role is to guide your clients through the complex world of AI and prompt engineering in a way that helps them understand and benefit from the potential of their AI systems. By doing this, you can create a successful consulting business that helps you earn money in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Way 3: Develop Chatbot Solutions for Businesses

As a prompt engineer, you can leverage your skills to develop chatbot solutions for various businesses. With the growth of language models like GPT-4, GPT-4V, and ChatGPT, there is a high demand for chatbots that can assist businesses in customer support, lead generation, and user engagement. By understanding the art of crafting perfect prompts, your chatbots can become more empathetic and efficient.

Many businesses constantly seek ways to automate their customer service and save costs. By designing a chatbot solution using powerful language models like GPT-4, you have the potential to create an additional income stream. Tailor your chatbot to address specific industry needs and emphasize how it can benefit the businesses you approach.

Your confidence in working with language models and the knowledge you’ve gained can open opportunities for you to collaborate with startups and established companies alike. Just recently, a Finxter reader (medical doctor) had an idea for a profitable startup and asked me for skilled prompt engineers to implement his idea for a share of the business.

99% of business owners and professionals still rely on your expertise to guide them through the process, which solidifies your value as a prompt engineer.

Way 4: Offer Prompt Engineering Consulting Services

We’ve already seen how you can make money by providing Consulting Services for AI Language Models (Way 2). However, as a prompt engineer, your expertise can be invaluable to various industries. One way to share your knowledge and make money is to offer consulting services, working closely with clients to optimize and refine prompts for their specific needs, domains, and use cases.

πŸ’‘ Prompt engineering consultancy rather than AI large language model consultancy – it’s a different offer and business model!

You can start by identifying your target market, such as businesses, educational institutions, or marketing agencies. Once you’ve narrowed down your audience, showcase your skills by creating a portfolio of prompt engineering samples that demonstrate your ability to design, optimize, and refine creative prompts such as this one:

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Then, you can reach out to potential clients and introduce your services. Your value proposition can be focused on improving the efficiency of their AI models, generating better results for their end-users, or creating custom-tailored prompts that cater to a specific domain.

Freelancer Pro Tip: “Maintain an air of confidence, neutrality, and professionalism. Communicate your value proposition effectively, understand your client’s needs, and demonstrate how your skills can directly benefit their business or domain. If you do this, your prompt engineering consulting services can become a lucrative venture as you assist clients.”

Way 5: Develop and Sell AI Tools for Various Applications

As a prompt engineer, by leveraging your knowledge of large language models and machine learning, you can develop advanced AI tools and monetize them effectively.

Identify High-Demand Applications Start by researching the market to find areas where AI tools are in high demand. Some popular applications include content generation, language translation, and data analysis. By focusing on these high-demand areas, you increase your chances of creating a valuable product that will attract a wide range of customers.

Customize AI Models for Specific Problems Develop AI models tailored to solve specific problems in various industries. Remember that customization is key – pay attention to the unique requirements of each domain and make sure your AI tools address those needs effectively. For instance, if you create an AI tool for content generation, you can customize it for different types of content like blog posts, social media updates, or press releases.

Offer Various Pricing Options Once you have developed your AI tools, create various pricing options to accommodate different budgets and needs. You can offer tiered pricing plans based on the complexity of the AI model, the number of usage hours, or the level of customer support provided. This allows businesses of all sizes to access your AI tools and benefit from them, leading to a broader customer base.

Promote Your AI Tools Effectively Use your knowledge and expertise in prompt engineering to create compelling marketing materials and tutorials for your AI tools. Clear, informative content that showcases the benefits of your AI solutions will help potential customers understand the value of your products. Participate in relevant forums, webinars, and conferences to increase your visibility and establish yourself as an expert in your field.

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Note: Creating an AI-based tool is often as simple as integrating OpenAI’s API in a Streamlit app:

πŸ§šβ€β™€οΈ Recommended: How I Created a Weekly Shopping List and Recipe App in Streamlit

Way 6: Educate Others through Online Courses and Workshops

As a confident and knowledgeable prompt engineer, you have the power to share your expertise with others. By developing online courses and conducting workshops, you can help people learn the ins and outs of prompt engineering. This not only benefits your students but also provides you with an additional revenue stream.

One option you can explore is creating online courses for platforms like Udemy or Coursera. These platforms make it easy for you to publish your educational content and reach a wide audience. You can design the course to cover all aspects of prompt engineering, from foundational concepts to advanced techniques. By setting your price point and marketing efforts, you can attract students and grow your earnings.

In addition to online courses, you can also conduct workshops for local businesses and organizations. Many companies seek professionals who can teach their employees how to effectively leverage AI-powered tools, and your expertise as a prompt engineer fits this demand. By collaborating with businesses, you can offer tailored workshops that cover specific use cases and applications relevant to their industry. This hands-on approach not only helps bridge the knowledge gap for participants but also allows you to earn money for sharing your skills.

Here’s a screenshot of the Finxter academy courses on prompt engineering:

Way 7: Develop Prompt-Based Automation Solutions

As a prompt engineer, you can leverage your programming skills to create innovative automation solutions for various industries. By combining prompt engineering with AI platforms, you can create effective tools that save time, reduce costs, and improve efficiency for businesses.

One approach is to develop software or applications that utilize AI-driven prompts to streamline complex tasks. For example, you can create a tool that automates the generation of marketing content, customer support responses, or even financial analysis using natural language processing and machine learning models.

Five quick examples:

Idea 1: Automated Content Creation: Develop a tool that generates SEO-optimized content for blogs, websites, and social media platforms, catering to marketers, content creators, and businesses looking to enhance their online presence.

Idea 2: Customer Support Automation

Implement a chatbot that uses AI prompts to understand and respond to customer inquiries, reducing response times and enhancing customer experience, which is crucial for businesses of all sizes.

Idea 3: E-commerce Product Description Generator

Create a tool that automatically generates compelling and unique product descriptions for e-commerce platforms, aiding online retailers in improving product listings without manual effort.

Idea 4: Legal Document Generator

Develop a solution that automates the creation of legal documents based on user inputs, providing a valuable tool for legal professionals and individuals who require quick, standardized legal documents.

Idea 5: Automated Financial Analysis

Design a tool that provides in-depth financial analysis and reporting based on user prompts, which can be invaluable for financial analysts, investors, and businesses making data-driven financial decisions.


To begin, identify problems that businesses face and understand their unique needs. Focus on areas where automation can make a significant impact and where your programming skills can truly shine. Once you’ve identified potential opportunities, design and develop prompt-based solutions that cater to those specific needs.

You must stay updated on the latest AI platforms, programming languages, and machine learning models to ensure your solutions remain relevant and effective. As the field evolves, so should your expertise.

You can check out our free email academy with regular updates on this rapidly evolving field of large language models and AI by downloading our Python cheat sheets:

Way 8: Offer Your Services on Freelance Platforms

As a prompt engineer, you possess a unique set of skills that can help businesses and individuals make the most out of their AI technologies and services. One path to earn money is by offering your expertise on popular freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.

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To get started, create a compelling profile showcasing your skills, accomplishments, and expertise in prompt engineering. This will help potential clients learn about your background and what you can offer them. Make sure to tailor your profile to emphasize your experience as a freelance writer, as this could attract clients looking for content creation services that leverage AI.

Next, explore the available job postings on these platforms, and don’t hesitate to submit proposals for any projects that align with your skills. Keep an eye out for requests to fine-tune language models, enrich content, or even develop AI solutions.

Proactively promoting your services is crucial for success. Share your profile with your network, and use social media platforms like LinkedIn to connect with potential clients in industries that could benefit from prompt engineering.

Lastly, always focus on delivering high-quality work to your clients. Create more value than you take in payment! This will not only help you maintain a strong reputation on the platform but also increase the chances of receiving referrals and well-paying projects in the future.

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Recommended: Finxter Freelance Developer Course

Way 9: Integrate LLMs into Business Workflows to Unlock Millions

As a prompt engineer, you can maximize your income potential by leveraging various AI tools and platforms. One way to do this is by offering services related to popular AI language models like PromptBase and LLMs.

Many businesses are highly interested in integrating AI-powered solutions into their existing workflows. In fact, I’d say this is the low-hanging fruit of our times: integrating existing LLM solutions into existing companies to unlock millions of dollars of value with a few clicks! You can serve as a consultant, guiding them through the process and helping them smoothly incorporate AI tools into their systems.

Want some stats on this thesis? No problem, look at this McKinsey report: πŸ‘‡

Always stay up-to-date with the latest advancements and trends in the AI world to maintain your competitive edge. Enhancing your proficiency in various AI language models, frameworks, and techniques will ensure that your services remain in demand and provide you with many opportunities.

Your success as a prompt engineer depends on your ability to adapt and leverage the current AI market. By mastering AI tools and platforms, you can unlock new revenue streams and expand your client base.

Here’s such an example framework that’ll help you connect LLMs with myriads of data sources to unlock massive value in many businesses:

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Recommended: LlamaIndex – What the Fuzz?

Way 10: Fine-Tuning and Stable Diffusion

As a prompt engineer, you can venture into the world of AI-generated images by leveraging stable diffusion techniques. This opens up a new avenue for you to make money while staying abreast of cutting-edge technology. With model fine-tuning skills under your belt, you’ll possess an unmatched advantage in the industry.

By using stable diffusion, you can generate high-quality AI images that are both visually stunning and detailed. This skill can be applied to various industries, such as advertising, gaming, and fashion, where unique and eye-catching visuals are always in demand. Offer your services as an image generation specialist and assist clients in creating innovative visuals for their projects.

Another aspect where your expertise could prove valuable is in assisting businesses to incorporate AI-generated images in their processes. Many organizations need personalized visuals that align with their brand identity. As a prompt engineer with experience in stable diffusion, you can provide a bespoke image generation service that caters to these needs.

In addition to creating AI images, you can also offer your skills in model fine-tuning. As AI models become more sophisticated, the demand for prompt engineers with the ability to fine-tune them grows. By fine-tuning these models for specific applications, you can help clients improve their AI systems and ensure that they generate relevant and accurate outputs.

Way 11: Sell GPT-4 Generated Merchandise on Etsy

As a prompt engineer, you can harness the power of GPT-4 to create unique and personalized products that cater to niche markets. By selling your products on Etsy, your target audience can access and purchase these AI-generated products with ease. Let’s explore this method with a few examples.

First, imagine designing custom t-shirts with unique slogans and catchphrases generated by GPT-4 or GPT-4V. You can input a list of keywords or interests, and the AI will provide you with numerous creative options. Simply select your favorites, print them onto high-quality t-shirts, and list them for sale on your Etsy shop.

Another possible product idea involves creating artwork or illustrations using GPT-4-generated descriptions. Once you have the AI’s creative input, collaborate with a talented artist or graphic designer to bring your vision to life. Or just pass it into Midjourney. These one-of-a-kind pieces can be sold in the form of prints, posters, or even digital downloads.

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Recommended: 4 Effective Prompt Generators to Use Daily for ChatGPT & Midjourney

In addition, consider offering personalized poetry or short stories as an Etsy product. Customers can send you their interests, memories, or even specific events to shape the narrative.

To validate the effectiveness of your unique product offerings, create a few case studies to showcase your best work. Share these case studies on your Etsy shop and social media channels to demonstrate how you expertly combined prompt engineering with marketable products.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of projects do prompt engineers work on?

Prompt engineers typically work on various projects, which may include developing creative prompts for AI applications, creating online courses, tutoring, and writing articles or blog posts. They may also dabble in freelancing or consulting, as well as inventing and creating new products or services.

Which platforms or websites offer opportunities for prompt engineers?

Opportunities for prompt engineers can be found on various platforms and websites. Some popular options include Freelancer, Upwork, and Vital Dollar. Additionally, you can explore opportunities on websites like Medium for publishing content, or even create your own blog or website to showcase your expertise.

How can one enhance their skills in prompt engineering?

To enhance your skills in prompt engineering, consider enrolling in online courses, participating in workshops, or attending webinars. A good starting point is the Prompt Engineering Course which aims to take you from zero to hero in prompt engineering.

Are there any certifications available for prompt engineers?

The Finxter Academy provides six certification levels for prompt engineers certifying the completion of six prompt engineering courses at the time of writing (Downloadable Personalized PDF Certificates). The course library is expanding, so you can learn skills such as prompt engineering, OpenAI API, Streamlit, web scraping, and Llama-2.

What strategies can help in successfully making money as a prompt engineer?

To successfully make money as a prompt engineer, focus on building a strong online presence by showcasing your skills and expertise. You can do this through a personal website, portfolio, or by contributing to well-known platforms. Additionally, engage in continuous learning, stay updated with the latest trends, and maintain a reliable network of contacts who can recommend you for projects or collaborations.

How can networking benefit a prompt engineer’s career?

Networking can greatly benefit your career as a prompt engineer by opening up opportunities for collaborations, referrals, and new projects. By building strong connections with other professionals within your niche, you can learn from their experiences and gain valuable insights about the industry.


Check out our related but more specific article as well: πŸ‘‡

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