The three most in-demand digital jobs and how much they make, according to Fiverr

There’s been a 133% increase in demand for Instagram social media managers, a 50% increase for marketing strategists, and a 34% increase for Facebook Ads managers in the last 12 months as Australia’s historic labour shortage sends freelancer demand skyrocketing.

That’s according to Fiverr’s latest Business Trends Index, which found that, despite rising inflationary pressures on petrol, sundries and bills, businesses are investing in growth and customer acquisition at a rapidly rising rate.

Freelancers are riding the wave, Fiverr says, with some sole traders making up to $2300 per project according to an analysis of millions of searches for services on the platform.

Chief operating officer Hila Klein says the data is indicative of a tight labour market that’s making the recruitment of in-house marketing roles all the more complex for business.

“Australian businesses continue to navigate unpredictable times from both a labour shortage and economic outlook,” Klein said.

“It’s great to see that businesses are investing in digital and marketing roles that are fundamental to growth.”

Fiverr crunched the data to pull out the top ten most lucrative digital jobs, with their earning potential to boot.

It showed that an Instagram social media manager pulls in between $330 and $1955 per project, while a marketing strategist will make between $1600 and $6900 a job.

A Facebook Ads Manager makes between $580 and $1400 a project, while video advertisers can make between $1170 and $4,600, and a Twitter manager between $100 and $323.

A Google Adwords manager can make between $381 and $1560, Shopify marketing between $248 and $490, a YouTube monetisation specialist between $132 and $414, a YouTube video editor between $828 and $3647, and a podcast editor between $165 and $414.

And work isn’t in short supply. All 10 experienced anywhere from 18% to 133% growth in demand during the last 12 months.

Google to skill newcomers

And those looking to capitalise on the growth of digital jobs may look to a new micro-credentialing program that Google launched this week, offering career certificates programs in IT support, data analytics, project management, digital marketing and e-commerce, and UX design.

It’s part of the tech titan’s $1 billion investment in the Digital Future initiative. So far Google has launched a research hub and partnered with the CSIRO on clean energy as well as Macquarie University on quantum computing.

Pundits looking to upskill can pay $56 a month to access the online learning platform, with Australia Post, Woolworths, Canva, Optus and IAG all on board to consider graduates from the program when recruiting.

Google Australia’s managing director Mel Silva says the courses, which take three to six months to complete, will both “upskill Australians” and “connect them to jobs in really high-demand areas across the country”.

“These are short, flexible micro-credential courses. They’re designed to help Australians get the skills they need and connect them to the jobs that are in demand from employers across the country,” she said when she launched the new initiative at Google’s Sydney office on Wednesday.

“If you want to attract people who are looking to change their career or are perhaps at a different stage of life… and can’t commit to a long-term formal education program. Short, flexible micro-credentials are a real enabler to closing the gap.”

Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic praised the initiative, which includes 10,000 scholarships, as allowing businesses to fill seats while opening the door wider for marginalised communities.

“Everyone should have an opportunity to participate because we need you in terms of the global race we’re in. We need talent, and we need firms like Google and others to contribute and work with us on it,” he said.

Google will work with Indigitek, Project F, Generation Australian, and Code Like a Girl to fill the scholarships.

Second-worst skills shortage

It comes as Australia languishes through a historic labour and skills shortage — the country is second only to Canada as the worst skills shortage in the OECD.

And it shows no sign of improving. A new National Skills Commission report showed the number of occupations trying to fill vacant roles has doubled from 153 to 286 over the year.

It means nearly a third of all Australian sectors are struggling to recruit new staff right now.

By the numbers, Australian job vacancies have grown more than 40% in the year to August 2022, with 309,000 jobs advertised at the moment, according to the report.

The shortages were an issue prior to the pandemic, but have ballooned during those years, according to Jobs and Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor.

“We’ve failed to identify existing shortages and forecast areas of demand in the labour market,” he said.

“The staggering jump in occupations listed reinforces the urgent need to tackle skills shortages.”

To that end, the federal government has announced new agency Jobs and Skills Australia will take on the issue, in addition to 180,000 extra free TAFE places announced earlier this year.