Copywriters

Employment for writers, including those who work for advertising, public relations, and related services firms, is expected to increase by 5 percent (as fast as the average for all careers) from 2023 to 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Smaller agencies and home-based businesses may have more jobs but usually offer lower salaries. The mega-agencies—multinational agencies created from mergers and acquisitions—still dominate the industry. Competition for jobs will be keen, however, as the industry attracts many more candidates than available positions.

Another important trend that will affect the employment of copywriters is specialization. Many agencies are increasing their focus on niche markets, and they will continue to specialize. Expected high-growth areas include foreign-language programming, advertising aimed at specific ethnic groups, advertising targeted at the over-50 market, special events advertising and marketing, and direct marketing campaigns for retailers and technological companies. Copywriters who can offer skills such as the ability to speak a foreign language will be in demand. In addition, the development of social media outlets has created employment opportunities for writers who are skilled and experienced in these arenas. Copywriters who have an understanding of search engine optimization will have good job prospects.

By the mid-2020s, artificial intelligence was having a significant impact on the advertising industry. The technology was being used to analyze things like click-through rates and impressions, and as a copywriting tool. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), specifically, was being incorporated into programs that optimized ad copy, according to a June 2024 Exploding Topics article by Josh Howarth. Beyond text, other applications included audio, video, images, simulations, and code, according to McKinsey & Company. In April 2024, the firm explained that tools like ChatGPT had "the potential to drastically change the way we approach content creation."