What is a prompt engineer? (And how can you become one?)

With the rise of large-language model (LLM) generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, one of the most in-demand new careers of 2024 is sure to be a prompt engineer. But what is that, exactly?

Let’s break it down. A “prompt” is a command given to elicit a response. An “engineer” is someone who builds things—whether that’s bridges or software. In the generative AI space, then, a prompt engineer is a person who constructs the commands that generative AI tools will respond to. The difference between a software engineer and a prompt engineer is that a prompt engineer builds these commands using not code but natural language—that is, speaking or typing the command in sentences that we would use in everyday conversation.

The type of prompt that a prompt engineer might construct depends on the generative AI tool being used. For example, if that tool is for image generation AI such as Midjourney, the prompt may be something like, “Create a Polaroid-style photo that looks like it’s from the 1980s of Cleopatra typing on an Apple II computer.” If the prompt is for a text-based AI generator, the prompt could be something like, “Give me the HTML code for a ‘Buy Now’ button 500 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall that flashes between red and green when the user clicks on it.”

If the prompt is clear enough, the generative AI tool should give the exact output desired, saving a company a significant amount of time and money. And if the output isn’t what’s desired, a prompt engineer will know how to further converse with the AI to refine the final output until it’s exactly what’s needed.

What kind of companies employ prompt engineers?

Numerous types of companies will begin to employ prompt engineers as businesses gradually begin to adopt generative AI tools into their everyday workflow.

Among the first types of companies to employ prompt engineers will be those in the creative industries. Those companies will increasingly use generative image AI tools, such as Midjourney and others, to create photos and videos for everything from ad campaigns and instructional videos to commercial films. These companies will need people who know how to talk to the AI tools to get them to give the most optimal visual outputs—like, say, a dancing fluffy teddy bear in the exact look and style an advertising agency is seeking for its diaper ad campaign.

But prompt engineering roles won’t be limited to the creative fields. Companies large and small will use prompt engineers to design everything from websites and marketing materials to internal databases. This means that companies as disparate as fast-food chains, pharmacies, and automakers—not to mention government agencies, hospitals, and small- to medium-sized businesses—will employ prompt engineers in nearly all divisions of their business in the future.

It’s also important to note that a prompt engineer doesn’t sit around thinking up prompts for other employees or customers to use. A prompt engineer’s primary work relationship is with the AI tool itself. A prompt engineer could also be called an “AI whisperer”: They know how to talk to an AI tool to make it yield the most desired output.

Different specialties of prompt engineering

The job title is actually a catch-all term for anyone who does any kind of prompt engineering. But the field has specialties, like all fields do. (A cardiologist and a gastroenterologist both describe themselves as physicians, but their knowledge base is very different.)

For example, if an advertising firm wants to hire a prompt engineer to design art for its media campaigns, the firm would be pretty silly to hire a prompt engineer who specializes in, say, music. Why? The prompt engineer who specializes in music probably does not know as much about the history of art and its various styles, artists, and mediums as a prompt engineer with a background in art or design does, and thus would not know how to best state commands in natural language to get the most optimal output from the AI tool. Likewise, if an ad firm is looking for a prompt engineer to help command its AI to generate a score for its ad campaign, it wouldn’t want to hire a prompt engineer who specializes in visual mediums.

Since prompt engineers issue instructions to generative AI tools in natural language, a successful prompt engineer really needs to understand the terms and language used in whatever medium the company wants the output generated.

How to become a prompt engineer

Before you decide to become a prompt engineer, you need to know what kind of prompt engineering you want to specialize in. Sticking to a field you already have extensive knowledge of is a good start. But then what?

As far as I know, no college or university currently offers a degree in prompt engineering. However, plenty of online learning platforms already offer certification courses in prompt engineering related to text-based generative AI tools like ChatGPT or generative art tools such as Midjourney. But whether this will be enough to snag the prompt engineering jobs available today is debatable.

It’s clear from perusing the nearly 1,000 prompt engineering job listings on LinkedIn that a majority of the companies with open prompt engineering positions aren’t just looking to hire artists or gamers or creative writers with basic knowledge of LLM generative AI tools. They prefer candidates to have a bachelor’s in computer science or a related field. Many listings also state that they want applicants to be versed in multiple generative AI tools and understand the tools’ quirks, limitations, and nuances. This makes sense since the more a prompt engineer understands the underlying workings of LLM generative AI platforms, the better they will understand how they need to communicate with them.

Still, prompt engineering is a growing field in the tech sector, where layoffs have otherwise been rampant. So if you do have a degree in computer science or a related field and an interest in prompt engineering, you’ll have more job opportunities available to you in the tech sector than most. And that can be financially beneficial. Most prompt engineering jobs start at a salary above $100,000 a year and some go up to nearly $200,000. Many positions also offer the ability for you to work remotely.

One final thing to keep in mind: Even though a company might ask for prompt engineering applicants to have a specific knowledge base, you’ll do well to also have a wide vocabulary in general. Again, this is because you will interact with the generative AI tool using natural language. The better you are at explaining in detail what you want, the better the AI’s output will be. So get a descriptive vocabulary.

The best way I‘ve found to increase my vocabulary is by being a voracious reader. As you read, you not only absorb new words but new ways to structure sentences, too. So go ahead and grab a copy of that novel you’ve been meaning to pick up for years. It’s no substitute for programming experience, but you’ll be giving your prompt engineering career a boost.