Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping our technological future, marking its importance in various sectors. At the heart of this revolution is the prompt engineer, a newly created profession whose goal is to make the most of these generative AIs. But how do you become a prompt engineer?
This profession is one of those that are going to be in demand considerably. We shall discuss below in this article its future in the job market and the essential skills to become a prompt engineer.
What is a prompt engineer?
At the intersection of technology and creativity, prompt engineering is an emerging field of expertise that focuses on formulating and optimising queries (prompts) to guide artificial intelligence (AI) systems toward specific results.
A prompt engineer stands out as the pilot of human-machine interactions, playing a key role in exploiting the capabilities of AI.
Its mission is to explore the possibilities offered by these technologies to push the boundaries of innovation, thus making it possible to solve complex problems or develop revolutionary products/services.
This prompt engineer works on a diverse range of projects, from designing automated response systems to optimising recommendation engines. This career requires both a deep understanding of market-leading artificial intelligence models and the ability to envision innovative applications.
The ultimate goal is to transform the raw capabilities of AI into tangible, personalised solutions.
Is prompt engineering even a “real job”?
It’s true that the role of prompt engineer sparks heated debate over whether it’s a “real job.” This skepticism often stems from the newness of the position and the lack of a traditional path to becoming one. Can you become a prompt engineer, or is it simply a skill?
A closer look reveals a field requiring a unique combination of technical and creative skills, where the ability to interact with AI systems becomes as important as the code itself.
Case studies highlight the significant impact of prompt engineers in the success of AI projects:
- ✓ Improving customer support chatbots: Prompt engineers refined an OpenAI GPT-3 language model into a conversational bot capable of efficiently handling customer queries and providing accurate answers. The chatbot was able to significantly reduce customer response time and improve overall satisfaction, thanks to iterative improvements based on user feedback.
- ✓ Creative Writing Assistant: Another company used the expertise of a prompt engineer to develop a writing assistant, refining a language model based on creative writing samples. This tool helped writers find inspiration, overcome blocks, and explore new directions in their writing.
- ✓ Multilingual Customer Service: For a global e-commerce company, Prompt Engineers used the Sentence Transformers library to fine-tune a multilingual language model. The model was trained on customer queries in different languages to provide appropriate responses in the user’s preferred language. The result: significantly improved customer satisfaction and retention.
These concrete successes attest to the added value of these prompt professionals, but also to the growing demand for their unique skills.
Far from being a passing trend, prompt engineering is establishing itself as a legitimate and essential profession for the future of technological development.
The job market for prompt engineers
The job market for these AI language engineers is booming. Just look at the massive adoption of models like ChatGPT and the rise of generative artificial intelligence.
In this context, companies, whether operating in tech or in more traditional sectors such as real estate, finance, sports or marketing, are actively seeking talent capable of communicating effectively with these chatbots to maximise their potential.
The statistics speak for themselves: the number of job offers mentioning “GPT” increased dramatically by 51% between 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, the number of job offers published on LinkedIn mentioning generative AI increased 36-fold between 2022 and 2023. The use of ChatGPT and AI in general are now expected as basic skills, like the use of the Office suite.
These signs demonstrate the growing demand for this expertise. The role of a prompt engineer goes far beyond simply using AI like everyone else. It involves integrating it into complex systems, and this requires a solid understanding of development environments.
In this dynamic context, where a prompt engineer’s salary can range from $6,700 to $20,800 gross per month in 2025, the attractiveness of the profession is no longer in doubt. However, becoming an AI query tamer requires a solid set of technical skills and imagination.
The training and skills required to become a prompt engineer
The prompt engineer career, despite its growing importance in the era of generative artificial intelligence, does not yet benefit from a traditional training path. There is currently no training to become a prompt engineer. This absence underscores the need to build your own learning path, building on a solid foundation in development.
The importance of a foundation in development and programming
Why is software development knowledge essential for this career? These skills equip future prompt engineers with a deep understanding of programming principles, system architecture, and API interaction. This expertise is essential for effectively manipulating AI models.
This technical foundation allows you to understand query formulation and database interrogation, two important skills for becoming a prompt engineer.
The skills required to become a prompt engineer
The technical skills required to become a prompt engineer include:
- ✓ Programming: Python is often favored for its dominance in the field of AI.
- ✓ Knowledge of the fundamental principles of AI and machine learning systems.
- ✓ Proficiency in relevant libraries and frameworks (such as TensorFlow or PyTorch).
In addition, there are soft skills, including:
- ✓ Creativity, essential for designing innovative and personalised prompts.
- ✓ Strong analytical skills to assess the effectiveness of AI-generated responses and optimise prompts.
How can these skills be acquired through alternative means?
Since there’s no specific training for this profession, self-study is essential! Through online courses, personal projects, and involvement in specialised communities, you’ll be able to acquire and update the skills required to become a professional prompt engineer.
Platforms like Codecademy and edX, as well as resources gathered on GitHub repositories such as Awesome-Prompt-Engineering and Prompt Engineering Guide, offer tutorials, tools, discussions and examples to immerse yourself in this constantly evolving field.
Given the pace with which AI technology is spreading its legs, becoming a prompt engineer is going to be a very a relevant, or even required, skill for freelance developers and programmers. This activity offers unique, unfamiliar, and exciting career opportunities.