Employers prefer to see evidence of how you’ve delivered business results, than seeing the results on your exam paper
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If you thought your degree alone would guarantee a six-figure income, you’re in for a real surprise. Here are some intriguing stats about what really propels your salary in 2025, according to Upwork:
Freelancers in the U.S. earn an average of $99,230 a year…that’s literally $770 shy of a six-figure income.
About 78% of CEOs assert that their top freelancers contribute more value than degree-holding employees.
What’s more, nearly half (48%) of CEOs are planning to boost freelance hiring in the coming year, looking ahead to 2026.
And let’s not forget, in 2024, freelancers in the US collectively earned more than $1.5 trillion.
How Can AI Tools Like ChatGPT Help Me Make Money?
One of the core contributing factors to the freelance hiring and earning boom is AI. AI is enabling more professionals to profit off their skills independently, because:
New job titles and specialisms are being created because of AI.
AI implementation being top priority for employers, many are turning to consultants and freelancers to help them close the gap on tech integration.
High demand for very specific, unique skill sets that are hard to find amongst employees.
Employers becoming obsessed with operating lean, cutting HR costs, and being more efficient and agile, leading to a strong window of opportunity for freelancers.
Any professional can start a business and use AI as an assistant to strategize, speed up delivery, improve quality, and automate many aspects of their workflow, leading to reduced barriers to entry as a budding entrepreneur–no degree or start-up fund needed.
What Are The Best ChatGPT Prompts To Make $100,000+ In 2025?
The best ChatGPT prompts are the ones that are detailed, provide context, and allow ChatGPT to help you think and operate at a high-level as a business owner. They help you move along each step with greater confidence, precision, and quality, than if you were working on your own, without needing to hire a business coach, at least to start with.
Here a few ChatGPT prompts you can use and adapt to your specific needs:
ChatGPT Prompt #1
Here’s my resume attached [attach your resume]. Based on the roles I’ve held over the past X years, make a list of all my monetizable skills that would be in high demand in 2025, and list some use cases or applications as examples for how I can use each one to make money.
ChatGPT Prompt #2
Teach me [name of high-income skill, we’ll use digital marketing in this example] digital marketing as if you were my tutor for a crash course on digital marketing in 2025. The goal is to learn and grasp key concepts of digital marketing, especially in the AI age, within 90 days. I need a study plan and lessons from you. Give me one lesson at a time. Each time you quiz me on what I’ve learned, using real-life scenarios and case studies, and I get the answers correct, move me along to the next lesson in the 90-day course.
Top tip: Use ChatGPT’s study mode for this prompt. To access study mode, open a new chat, go to tools, and click “study and learn.” Then enter this prompt. The study and learn tool guides you on a journey of exploration and skill development, without spoon-feeding you the answers. See below photo of how this prompt works in ChatGPT’s study mode:
ChatGPT’s study mode (also known as study and learn) in action
Rachel Wells
ChatGPT Prompt #3
This is my background in [name of industry, then proceed to explain your background, and any non-conventional experiences you have that are relevant]. List some AI-powered business ideas that can help me achieve my goal of making $100,000 a year within 18 months.
ChatGPT Prompt #4
How can I increase the perceived value of my offer in [name your offer and describe it]
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ChatGPT Prompt #5
What are some of the best AI tools that optimize productivity and free up my time as a [your freelance job title] in [name of industry]? The goal is for me to make more money with less time and effort, gradually cutting back so I’m able to produce more even if extremely busy or under pressure.
What Are The Best Ways To Make Money Online Without A Degree?
Use any in-demand skill that you already have, to:
Create guides and e-books
Launch courses and paid communities/memberships
Write a newsletter and have paid upgrade options
Offer social media management services
Offer video editing and production services, for specific business niches
Create industry-tailored digital products like journals, content calendars, templates, swipe files, etc.
Now, it’s time to get to work. Every moment you delay and procrastinate here, deciding to read just one more article or do one more Google search to assure yourself you’re doing the right thing, you’re wasting precious time that could have been better spent, not researching, but acting on what you already know. Get out of your own way, get the ideas out of your head, and start designing your future. Because the future of work…starts with you.
High demand for very specific, unique skill sets that are difficult to source in mainstream talent, provides you with a gap in the market as a freelancer
gettyFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What ChatGPT prompts make the most money?
Prompts that concentrate on enabling you to solve a high-value problem and get paid for it are the most effective.
How do I make $100,000 a year without a degree?
Use the skills and experience you already have from your work. Find niche ways to apply them to solve the most revenue-driven problems, like sales, marketing, and AI enablement. Study microcredentials and remember, employers care more about the business results you deliver than the results on your exam paper.
How much money can I make as a freelancer?
The average freelancer in the U.S. makes about $99,000 a year, according to Upwork 2025 data.