A Guide to Getting NFT Jobs in the NFT Space

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that indicate proof of ownership and a log of previous owners. They also offer a record of the purchase and sale price, amongst other details. NFTs are revolutionising the world of art, music, sports memorabilia, and marketing with blockchain technology allowing digital objects to have definite ownership. 

According to data from Statista, the United Kingdom’s NFT market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5 percent to reach a total of USD 175.2 million in 2028, up from USD 126.40 million in 2024 [1]. With the growth of this industry, jobs are becoming more readily available. Find out how to enter a career in NFTs, the different sectors you might work in, and the qualifications you need.

What is an NFT job?

Numerous career opportunities exist in the NFT field. Even if you’re not a programmer or designer, you can provide education about NFTs with online courses, publish an ebook, design and promote an NFT yourself, or buy, sell, and trade NFTs. The following represents some industries where blockchain technology and NFT positions might be encountered. 

1. Marketing NFT jobs

Companies collaborate with NFT studios and artists to create unique NFT projects to promote their company, the artist, or both. More and more companies are using NFTs for their marketing campaigns to bring customers' attention to their brand and ultimately increase profits. 

2. NFT art or music jobs

Since pieces on the blockchain indicate ownership of an item, the nature of NFTs and blockchain architecture is ideal for artists to create and sell pieces. Musicians and artists are starting to promote and sell their work on NFT marketplaces due to the high level of security and unique capacity to indicate exclusive ownership of pieces. 

3. Collectibles

The nature of blockchain has popularised digital collectible items such as sports cards, game cards, game assets, and collectible NFT series. Anyone in the community of tradeable items on the blockchain or collectible can pursue employment in the NFT community. 

4. Crypto NFT jobs

People typically purchase NFTs using cryptocurrency. An NFT background may help you become involved in the NFT minting and registration process. 

5. Decentralised finance (DeFi)

Decentralised finance is a branch of finance associated with technological currencies not connected to government reserves or banks and thus governed by different rules than the standard currency that’s used every day. Decentralised finance results from cryptocurrency, and this industry's employees learn how these decentralised currencies behave.

6. E-commerce

E-commerce refers to online transactions for goods and services. People with experience in drop shipping, online marketing, or any other online business would have a solid background in working with NFTs. 

7. Enterprise software

Enterprise NFTs provide security and record-keeping during a business's supply chain and manufacturing processes. NFTs can also track materials, services, assets, and more. 

8. Fashion

People use NFTs to purchase fashion items worn in various virtual worlds and to customise avatars. Fashion brands use this phenomenon to promote products and collect sales from their customer base for virtual clothing lines. 

9. Gaming

Game developers create games that allow buying and selling in-game items stored on the blockchain. Gaming is among the prominent industries that easily integrate blockchain technologies and NFTs into new releases.

10. Social media

The Metaverse and Discord integrated NFTs into their platforms by allowing NFT avatars and profile pictures. Instagram has joined the NFT profile pic movement as well.

Degrees for NFT jobs

Several degrees can help you enter the career path in the NFT field. Choosing the proper one typically depends on whether you want to work in the technical or non-technical side of the industry—be it advertising new NFTs, developing blockchain technology, or designing new tokens. Some degrees may be a better option, depending on which best suits you. 

Some popular subjects include:

• Computer science

• Computer engineering

• Business management

• Digital marketing

• Finance

• Graphic design

What jobs can you do as an NFT expert?

Being an expert in the complex infrastructure of NFTs will allow for some flexibility in career choices. NFT experts need knowledge on blockchain development, smart contracts, and general coding concepts. The following offers more details about a few career choices you may have as an NFT expert.

Back-end developer or engineer

Average annual base salary (UK): £50,248 [2]

Back-end developers are responsible for managing, storing, and securing data associated with applications and software. In the NFT space, you’ll likely work with smart contracts and the ownership of digital assets as a back-end developer. 

Blockchain consultant 

Average annual base salary (UK): £40,867 [3]

Blockchain consultants advise companies on strategies and procedures for implementing successful blockchain technologies in their systems. In this role, you might also determine which company operations can benefit from blockchain integration and provide risk management. 

Blockchain developer 

Average annual base salary (UK): £58,001 [4]

Blockchain developers construct assets and software meant for registration onto blockchain architectures. In this job, you will handle the planning, development, deployment, and maintenance of front-end and back-end features, as well as the design and aesthetics of the software. 

Community manager 

Average annual base salary (UK): £33,657 [5]

Many cryptos and NFT projects have communities that interact, network, and create ideas for social platforms. Often, these communities will have moderators, administrators, and managers. In this role, you will guide these platforms to be on topic, police users who are not following policies, and ensure that discussions are productive. 

Ethereum developer

Average annual base salary (UK): £36,703 [6]

Ethereum developers are blockchain programmers who specialise in creating and deploying projects and assets specifically onto the Ethereum blockchain. You need to be well-versed in creating features for Ethereum projects and know how the Ethereum framework functions. 

Game designer

Average annual base salary (UK): £31,860 [7]

Game designers with experience and knowledge of game design can transfer their skills into creating NFTs as in-game items. NFTs are taking the gaming world by introducing in-game items on the blockchain, giving gamers proof of ownership of these items they can trade or sell on the marketplace.

Project manager

Average annual base salary (UK): £45,437 [8]

NFT project managers act as liaisons between the development teams and the customers. They adjust to customers' needs and create timelines, budgets, expenses, etc. As a project manager, you will oversee all operations involved with the production and deployment of a project and guide your team throughout the NFT development lifecycle.  

Smart contract developer

Average annual base salary (UK): £36,703 [9]

Smart contract developers create specialised contracts that handle various tasks, including the security and record-keeping of blockchain frameworks, define and perform legally-binding agreements, and facilitate exchanges and other transactions. As a smart contract developer, you must know how to program smart contracts and develop familiarity with blockchain programming standards before items can be registered. 

How to develop your career in the NFT space

Building the knowledge and skills necessary for your desired career is essential to your NFT career path. The following offers a few ways to develop your career in the NFT space and advance your expertise.

1. Stay updated on recent business news and trends.

NFT professionals need to research and absorb news and updates from industry professionals. Online industries typically change rapidly and often, and taking note of what works and doesn't work can be an advantageous position. 

2. Network with professionals.

Finding networks of individuals in the NFT industry can be a valuable asset for your career. Trade shows, conferences, and online platforms can be excellent opportunities to connect with NFT professionals to expand your network. Becoming a part of like-minded individuals in the industry, whether online or through friendships or networking events, can be valuable for an industry professional in this field. 

3. Share insightful information, tools, and guidance with others in the field.

Working in the NFT field will likely mean conversing and collaborating on current projects you’re working on, learning about trends, and learning about any tools of the trade you may have picked up. Having a dialogue with peers in your industry is a great way to learn and grow professionally. It can also offer you valuable practical insight into your company or brand. 

4. Consider earning a certification. 

Pursuing a certification programme is a great way to gain foundational industry knowledge and provide experience for pursuing a job in the field. Learning more about the industry also shows employers that you’re dedicated to the industry. Certification courses cover several blockchain architectures, how blockchain works, development and programming standards, and hands-on case studies you can apply to the industry. 

In-demand skills for NFT jobs

In a fast-changing online community, technical and workplace skills can provide you with success in your endeavours. Check out a few sought-after skills for NFT industry professionals:

• Community management: Many NFT circles and organisations host their communities on Discord or other platforms to collaborate and communicate on projects. Navigating the NFT community and communicating effectively with your team or organisation is a meaningful skill for working on NFT projects.

• Cryptography:  Experience with or an understanding of cryptographic concepts such as hashing, public and private keys, and digital signatures is essential in understanding the blockchain framework where NFTs are. 

• Game development: Game development experience will allow you to give insight into important NFT projects that are centred around storing your in-game items digitally. 

• Marketing: Successfully marketing and advertising an NFT project helps it gain attention and set itself apart. If your project works with a particular brand or artist, representing them profitably to the public is a highly in-demand skill.

• Smart contract development: Smart contracts are responsible for the functionality of exchanging ownership of NFTs. These contracts have to meet standards before you can enter them into a blockchain. The token ERC-721 is an example of a programming standard for smart contract projects.

• Solidity engineering: Solidity is a coding language used to create smart contracts to deploy your NFT projects. Knowing this language will help you understand smart contract architecture. It will show you how to secure objects you create onto the blockchain and log ownership, amongst other details, along with projects that meet the security protocols for blockchain deployment. 

• Web development: General web development skills are handy for maintaining marketplace websites, doing advertising, and creating communities for NFT enthusiasts to discuss and network. 

• Web3 design: Web3 combines blockchain technology with digital certificates and smart contracts to provide a more private internet experience. 

Build skills to help you get NFT jobs on Coursera

You have multiple career paths to explore when working within the NFT space. A wealth of opportunities continue cropping up as the metaverse and the NFT field grow. Build your knowledge and relevant skills on Coursera. For example, you might consider courses like What is the Metaverse? offered by Meta or Decentralised Finance (DeFi) Primitives offered by Duke University, both on Coursera.