“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary says the most valuable job in today’s economy does not require a degree. It requires a smartphone and the ability to turn social media content into paying customers.
Speaking on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, O’Leary said he has personally raised salaries for social media customer acquisition specialists from $48,000 to $250,000 a year. The reason, he said, is that the results are measurable every week.
“I used to pay those guys 48 grand a year,” O’Leary said. “Now they’re $250,000 because you can measure their work based on customer acquisition every week.”
O’Leary calls performance-based content creation “more valuable than engineering”
The role O’Leary is talking about is not traditional influencing. It is performance-based content creation tied directly to sales.
A person in this role creates content on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X with the explicit goal of driving customers to a business. The conversion is tracked weekly.
O’Leary framed the skill as more valuable than engineering because the output is measurable in real time. Unlike traditional advertising, customer acquisition through social media produces a clear weekly number: how many people clicked, converted, and paid.
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“Everybody says you have to be an engineer. Now you wanna be an artist,” O’Leary said. “Write stories, acquire customers, know how the social media platforms work, know how to post on TikTok versus LinkedIn versus Twitter versus Instagram.”
He added that younger workers have a natural advantage. “These people in their early 20s are so valuable now. If you know how to use your phone, somebody wants to hire you.”
Why the creator economy is backing O’Leary’s view
O’Leary’s comments reflect a broader shift in how companies allocate marketing budgets. According to Goldman Sachs research, the creator economy was valued at approximately $250 billion and is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027.
The firm estimates that 50 million people globally now work as creators in some capacity. Brand deals are the dominant revenue source, accounting for roughly 70% of total creator income.
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That concentration reflects where corporate budgets are moving: away from broad-reach traditional advertising and toward performance-based creator partnerships where ROI is direct and trackable.
O’Leary has made the same argument from the business owner’s side. Earlier this year, he outlined what he would do if he needed to generate $10,000 in 30 days from scratch. His answer was to sell customer acquisition through social media, charging businesses $100 per customer brought in.
The creator economy is valued at approximately $250 billion and projected to reach $480 billion by 2027.
What O’Leary says makes this role worth $250,000
- Measurable output: Customer acquisition through social media produces a trackable weekly number, unlike traditional marketing, according to Newsweek.
- Platform fluency: Knowing how to post differently on TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X is a skill most businesses lack internally.
- Low barrier to entry: The only tool required is a smartphone. O’Leary has described it as the best side hustle available today for anyone starting from zero, Inc. reports.
- Market size: The creator economy will reach $480 billion by 2027, nearly double its current size, Goldman Sachs projects.
What the performance-based compensation trend means for workers
O’Leary’s comments are drawing attention because they cut against conventional career advice that pushes young people toward technical degrees. His argument is simple: The person who can bridge the gap between a business and its next customer commands serious pay.
Most business owners, O’Leary argues, do not know how to use social media effectively. That gap creates opportunity. Someone who grew up with a phone in their hand already has a skill that is in short supply at the decision-making level.
For workers considering the path, the caveat is clear. The $250,000 figure reflects top performers who consistently deliver measurable customer growth week over week. Those who cannot demonstrate that output do not command that rate.
What performance-based hiring means for businesses
The shift is visible at the corporate level, too. Companies that once relied on agencies are increasingly building internal creator teams based on performance-based pay model. The metric that matters is customer acquisition cost, not impressions or reach. That is a fundamental change in how marketing budgets are justified.
O’Leary’s broader point is that the economy is rewarding people who can prove their value in real time. In a role where every customer is tracked and every campaign is measured, there is nowhere to hide.
There is also no ceiling on what good execution is worth. That combination, he argues, is exactly why the pay has moved so fast.
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