In 2025, getting a degree is not your sole ticket to a successful six-figure career. There are several other ways you can grow your income and career potential without studying at college for four years.
On Upwork, for example, freelancers with AI skills are commanding pay of as much as $200 – $250 per hour.
ADP reported that 90% of employers who’ve switched to skills-based hiring instead of hiring based on degree credentials “report fewer hiring mistakes, and 94% find that skills-based hires outperform those hired based on degrees, certifications or years of experience.”
In fact, employers even state that holding microcredentials (short courses and certifications that boost your skills quickly) can boost your salary by up to 15%, and they’re 96% more inclined to hire you with a career certification.
And what’s more, 48% of CEOs are boosting their freelance hires this year, according to Upwork, so you have a greater opportunity to make more money, independently, and without a degree.
5 ChatGPT Prompts To Help You Earn $100,000+ (No Degree Needed)
These ChatGPT prompts are designed to help you develop and stack your skills so you can make six-figures (either through your salary or as a freelancer), even if you don’t have a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
ChatGPT Prompt #1
Act as my business strategist and career coach. It is [today’s date], and I want to boost my salary from [where it is now] to $100,000 [or other six-figure goal or industry benchmark] by [target date]. Based on my resume [attach your resume], name three high-income skills in strong demand right now, that I can stack and leverage as a freelancer and/or in my current job [only include your current job if relevant, i.e. if you are still employed].
ChatGPT Prompt #2
You’re my tutor in [name of skill specialism/subject]
. Create a syllabus and learning plan for me to master [high-income skill] in 90 days. I will be studying for X hours for X days a week. The learning plan should include what I need to study each day, practice projects I can work on each week to implement what I’ve learned, and LinkedIn/Facebook groups and professional networking communities for me to learn from others in the same field.
ChatGPT Prompt #3
Recommend a list of 10 certifications where I can learn [name of high-income skill]
for free, and 10 certifications where I can master it, which don’t cost more than [price].
ChatGPT Prompt #4
Now that I’ve learned and am comfortable with [name of high-income skill], create an exhaustive list of ways I can monetize it and scale to $100,000+ a year.
ChatGPT Prompt #5
According to salaries listed on Payscale/Glassdoor/Salary.com, what jobs can I get with [name of high-income skill], and what are some unique ways to leverage my network and frame my experience [attach your resume and ensure you include all relevant details] to position me for these roles?
How To Scale Your Skill Into $100,000+
To be in the top 3% of earners in your field, skill-stack. That means learn complementary skills, and combine them to provide services for specific niches, with unique angles. Additionally, you should:
- Create automated workflows and systems to boost your professional productivity and efficiency
- Be consistent
- Package your services into scalable products and high-ticket offers like retainers
- Work primarily with B2B clients as a freelancer
- Establish strong online visibility to build credibility and trust
So today, here’s your action plan: pick a ChatGPT prompt from this article, implement the recommendations here and from ChatGPT (where it makes sense to do so), and start learning and building.
Found this article helpful? Check out how to use ChatGPT as your business partner to create passive income, in my recent Forbes piece: Turn These 3 ChatGPT Prompts Into Passive Income Within Hours.