The next generation of the internet is here, and it has brought about numerous job opportunities for individuals to start a career in the metaverse. With Facebook’s announcement about its commitment to revolutionizing the way people interact, play and work over the web, more and more individuals are looking for metaverse jobs and other ways to earn in the metaverse.
The Rise of Metaverse Jobs
Big-name brands such as Nike, Adidas, Prada, Balenciaga and more have already entered the metaverse and have started planning for the future. Each brand is opting for its own entry strategy, for example, Nike is currently working on Nikeland in Roblox, which offers individuals to socialize, and play sports-related games. Whereas, Adidas is currently collaborating with big names in the NFT space such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, GMoney and more to launch their own NFT collection.
The movement of big businesses into the digital realm creates tons of new metaverse job opportunities. However, to fully capitalize on the potential that the Metaverse revolution offers, it is important for individuals to understand what skillsets will be in demand in the coming years.
Since the Metaverse has a long way to go before it’s fully ready, the future lies in the hands of the development teams that are working on it. This primarily includes Metaverse 3D Designers, Backend Developers, Marketers, Programmers and more. These jobs will be in high demand in the coming years, which is why it is worthwhile to start honing your skills in these domains. There are also a lot of non-technical metaverse jobs for individuals without any prior development/design experience. There are numerous online Metaverse resources and certifications that job seekers can use to sharpen their skills.
Top 6 Metaverse Jobs
Wondering what metaverse jobs you should be on the lookout for? Here are the top 6 metaverse careers that we predict will be in high demand for the next few years:
1. AR/VR Engineer Jobs
Virtual Reality is going to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the metaverse. With big-name companies such as Meta, looking to create fully immersive experiences for their users, VR and AR development is of massive importance. The demand for Metaverse VR engineers surged a massive 1400% in 2019 and the demand is expected to increase exponentially in the years ahead.
The skillset required for AR/VR metaverse jobs is to have experience in C++, C#, Swift, Server Programming and more. This is a highly technical job, which is why it is recommended that only developers who are experts in the field should apply.
According to Ziprecruiter, metaverse AR/VR engineers earn an average salary of $114,000 per year in the US. To be eligible for these sorts of metaverse job, individuals can take courses on the programming languages using various resources online.
Apart from expertise in the programming languages mentioned above, you’ll need to be well versed in the field of interactive 3D technologies that cover virtual and augmented reality. Expertise in Unity, Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine and Blender will definitely help you stand out from other applicants.
Familiarity with UX design is also important, since the ‘game’ or ‘experiences’ you create, need to be seamless and engaging for users.
2. Metaverse Game Designer Jobs (3D)
Game designers within the metaverse are going to be responsible for building, designing and launching 3D immersive gaming experiences that provide users experiences that they’ve never experienced before.
The current average salary for metaverse game designers in the US is $64,000 per year. To land a metaverse job in the 3D Game Designing space, you would need various competencies that include creativity, animation knowledge, lighting and experience with gaming interfaces. You will most definitely need knowledge about gaming software programs such as Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender and Maya.
These software programs play a crucial role in designing immersive Metaverse games, but it is extremely important to have an analytical mindset and collaboration skills since you’ll be working as part of a large team. To learn more about the metaverse career in game design and gain the expertise and skills needed, you can try completing some game design degrees.
3. Metaverse Content Manager and Storyteller Jobs
Although developers of the metaverse play an important role in the success of a project, without the right storytellers and content managers by their side, metaverse projects could find it extremely hard to survive.
The job of a metaverse storyteller is to come up with compelling copy for the project/game to help the users understand the potential behind the project. These storytellers help shape metaverse experiences, promote features, and also help create hype for upcoming projects.
To be a good metaverse storyteller, it is important that users feel fully immersed in the storyline. This involves understanding the target audience, their needs and desires, to help them experience different emotions and to orient the content according to what would resonate with the audience the best.
Storytellers have to collaborate with game designers, programmers and more to help shape the feel of the game, which is why understanding the basics of metaverse design, game development etc. can help you write more compelling stories for the metaverse.
The average job salary for a metaverse storyteller is $53,000 per year, but this can easily go up once you obtain experience and have a good portfolio. A passion for writing and gaming is a must because if you’re not fully involved with the project, your writing will show it.
A very good example of an NFT project with excellent storytelling is Originals by Logan Paul. The project consists of 99 polaroid pictures that have a unique story behind them as well as utilitarian benefits such as the ability to appear on a podcast or a stake in the Originals DAO. The team telling the stories behind the scenes have managed to make this metaverse project a massive success.
4. Metaverse Product Manager Jobs
While product manager jobs have always been in demand, the large growth of users in the metaverse indicates that businesses are going to need even more product managers to satisfy users.
While technical knowledge is required for this job, you don’t necessarily have to be a coder to be eligible for it. However, basic knowledge is necessary since metaverse product managers have to work with developers and storytellers on a regular basis. This is a management-level position often sought after by experienced developers to get into a managerial role.
Metaverse product managers are responsible for all new initiatives and to drive the development of new products alongside a team of metaverse developers, engineers and designers. Large businesses such as Oculus and Meta are regularly posting jobs for product managers.
This is an extremely important position within a company and thus has a high average salary as compared to other jobs in the metaverse as well, i.e. an average of $123,000 in the US. To get experience in this domain, you could take product management courses and certifications online.
5. Metaverse Marketing Expert Jobs
Each business requires a marketing expert to thrive within their industry, which is why there are a wide variety of metaverse jobs for marketing experts. This is an extremely important role and most companies ask for prior experience when hiring for this job.
The experts are responsible for the entire planning and execution of marketing promotions such as social media ad campaigns, commercials, video ads and more. Their primary job is to generate engagement and interest for the metaverse product or service.
Marketing is an ever-evolving practice which is why these experts will need to stay up to date on the various marketing practices within the metaverse niche. The primary audience for metaverse-related projects is millennials and generation Z.
Metaverse companies aim to deliver fully immersive experiences and to transform the way individuals interact with each other and their products and services. Knowledge about the metaverse, NFTs, cryptocurrencies and other virtual worlds is extremely important for this metaverse career.
Knowledge about whitelists, discord communities and more can also be extremely helpful as these are common elements within the NFT space.
Remember, this is not about marketing a regular real-life product. The marketing sector in the metaverse requires a different set of skills, creativity and vision. Analyzing ad results, modern trends and strategizing long-term solutions is a huge part of this job description.
The best way to prepare yourself for this job is to volunteer for small-scale metaverse projects, stay up to date on all metaverse-related news and to even complete some metaverse marketing-related courses that can help further enhance your job profile. There are several podcasts that you can follow that will help you understand what your competitors are doing and how you can come up with suggestions to improve strategies and more.
To give you a hint on how much you can earn in this position, the metaverse marketing manager’s salary at Meta is $145,000 per year.
6. Metaverse Hardware Engineer Jobs
Remember, the metaverse is not only dependent upon developers and coders. The future of the metaverse lies in incorporating sensors to make the entire experience more immersive and interactive. Wearables, sensors, cameras, VR headsets are all extremely important to ensure the customer gets the perfect experience.
A lot of metaverse job opportunities are out for individuals who can create the hardware required to fulfil the vision of the metaverse. For example, Facebook is currently hiring individuals to work on a robot based skin that can help users get sensory feedback for touching things within the metaverse. Hardware engineers are working relentlessly to make them ready for commercial use, and a large portion of testing, user experience analysis and more are also conducted by hardware engineers.
Familiarity with software and tools such as AutoCAD, Degree of Freedom, Eye and head tracking, FOV, and haptics is essential for this job as these are core VR concepts. Although most metaverse companies are looking for hardware engineers with years of experience, there are numerous entry-level opportunities for hardware engineers with basic knowledge of embedded systems or product development with an IT/engineering background.
However, since this metaverse job is highly technical, the salaries of experienced hardware engineers can go up to $168,522 per year.
See also: How to Become a Metaverse Developer & Get a Job in 2023
How to Get a Job in The Metaverse?
With different businesses working within the metaverse space such as OpenSea, Roblox, The Sandbox metaverse, Meta (Formerly Facebook) and more, metaverse jobs within this space are more lucrative than ever before. Before you get a job in the metaverse, it is important to understand where your skillset actually lies.
Are you enthusiastic about a development career? Or are you more into community management for NFT companies? If you’re good at technical writing, you could easily look for a metaverse career in writing for tech companies. Essentially, most metaverse jobs revolve around AI, Blockchain, gaming, content creation, and VR/AR.
One promising metaverse career is to become a metaverse architect. With many brands and businesses looking to move to digital spaces, there will be metaverse construction companies looking for reliable architects to help create beautiful buildings to rent out.
Here are the steps you need to take in order to start a successful career in the Metaverse:
1. Build the Right Skillset
As mentioned in the section above, it is important to attain knowledge and build your profile around what you’re intending to work on. With numerous learning resources available online, it is important to identify which resources are worth utilizing. You can also look into obtaining metaverse-related certifications that can further enhance your profile. For example, job seekers looking to get into metaverse avatar development will have to learn to utilize software such as Cinema 4D, Blender, Maya and more. Similarly, programming-related jobs require knowledge of Application Programming Interfaces etc. Coursera and Udemy offer various courses related to the metaverse and other skills.
2. Brand Building
Since almost everyone is looking to land metaverse jobs currently, there will be a large influx of applicants for each position. The way to separate yourself from the rest is to build a brand around yourself that showcases your knowledge and skills in the Metaverse.
3. Volunteer to Build Portfolios:
Most companies will be looking for individuals with experience. Volunteering for free to manage community rooms for NFT projects could be a great way to build up a portfolio that you can utilize for future jobs. A portfolio exhibits your skillset in a particular domain, which can help separate you from inexperienced applicants while applying to jobs.
How Bright is The Future of jobs in the Metaverse?
With metaverse platforms such as The Sandbox and Decentraland gaining massive interest, more and more businesses are trying to build their own metaverses, such as the Pavia Metaverse. There is going to be a massive influx in metaverse job opportunities mentioned above and many more for example, customer support jobs etc.
Since the metaverse is rapidly evolving, it is going to create new jobs for individuals all across the world. More and more brands will be seeking marketing experts and developers to help them transition into the metaverse. With jobs such as avatar fashion designers, event directors, ecosystem developers and more, there are metaverse careers for almost every skillset out there. If your skillset lies more towards the artistic side of things, jobs in metaverse designing might be the way to go!
Final Thoughts
To start a successful metaverse career, it is more important than ever before to look up the skills necessary to land the desired job. Although the demand for metaverse specialists is definitely expected to increase in the coming years, the space is also going to be highly competitive.
Focus on learning what you’re passionate about first and then begin gathering the necessary tools and learning more about it now, you can prepare yourself for the future and the limitless possibilities that it holds.
