By Lukman OMIKUNLE
A new international study by Remitly has found that becoming a content creator is now the most desired career among Nigerians, ahead of footballer, doctor and musician
Content Creator Tops List of Nigerians’ Dream Jobs, New Global Study Reveals
A new international study has revealed a dramatic shift in career aspirations among Nigerians, with content creation emerging as the country’s most desired profession, overtaking traditional favourites such as football and medicine.
The research, conducted by global digital financial services company Remitly, analysed Google search trends in more than 140 countries to determine which careers people are most eager to pursue. Researchers measured annual search volumes for the phrase “how to be a [job]” to identify the occupations attracting the greatest interest worldwide.
The latest findings show that Nigerians are searching more about becoming content creators than any other profession, highlighting the growing influence of the digital economy and the creator industry. Footballer ranked second on the list, while virtual assistant claimed third position, ahead of doctor in fourth place.
Rounding out Nigeria’s top 10 dream careers are musician, actor, blogger, social media manager, truck driver and YouTuber, reflecting increasing interest in digital entrepreneurship and online careers alongside more traditional occupations.
According to Remitly, this is the third edition of the global study, following similar research carried out in 2022 and 2024. The findings point to changing career ambitions as social media platforms, remote work opportunities and digital content creation continue to expand across the world.
Globally, acting has overtaken piloting as the world’s most sought-after dream career for the first time since the research began. The profession recorded about 222,000 annual Google searches, making it the most searched-for career worldwide.
Pilots ranked second globally, followed by firefighters, lawyers and YouTubers. Veterinarian, flight attendant, police officer, estate agent and DJ completed the world’s top 10 dream jobs.
The study also found that becoming a YouTuber is the number one dream career in 28 countries, more than any other profession analysed, underlining the growing global appeal of digital content creation as millions seek careers that combine creativity, entrepreneurship and online influence.
Nigeria’s Top 10 Dream Jobs
- Content creator
- Footballer
- Virtual assistant
- Doctor
- Musician
- Actor
- Blogger
- Social media manager
- Truck driver
- YouTuber
Enter Stage Left: Acting Overtakes Pilot as the World’s Dream Job, According to New Report
- A new global study from Remitly has revealed how the world’s dream careers have shifted since 2024, with acting taking the top spot for the first time
- Searches for ‘how to be a pilot’ have decreased 50%, knocking it from the world’s number one dream career into second place
- YouTuber is the top career choice of 28 countries globally – more countries than any other career in the study
- AI jobs make their debut as their own dream-career category in 2026, led by Prompt Engineer and AI Specialist
The international report from Remitly, who provides digital financial services for those who move abroad for work, has revealed how the world’s most coveted dream careers have shifted since 2024. The research, now in its third edition, analysed Google searches for “how to be a…” and “how to become a…” across 145 countries (with corresponding language) and 424 different careers.
For the first time since the study began in 2022, pilot has been knocked off the top spot. Acting now leads the global rankings, with 222,080 annual searches for “how to be an actor” (up 12% from 2024). The role takes the number one dream job spot in countries including Malaysia, the Bahamas, Tonga, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as global appetite for a creative life on stage or screen continues to grow.
Slipping into second place is the long-standing favourite, pilot, with 221,060 searches, though notably, search interest in a career in aviation has fallen 49% since the previous study. Despite the drop, becoming a pilot remains the top dream job in 11 countries, including India, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Latvia and Antigua and Barbuda.
In third place, the noble profession of firefighter has climbed 13 places, with 171,330 annual searches, and now takes the top dream job spot in France and Lithuania. The most dramatic mover of all, however, is lawyer, which has climbed an extraordinary 55 places into fourth, with searches increasing 273% year on year. Whether the boost is being driven by high-profile real-life cases, the popularity of legal dramas on streaming platforms, or the rise of legal-tech careers, global interest in entering the profession is at an all-time high.
Rounding out the top five, YouTuber continues to capture global imaginations with 148,430 searches. While the absolute numbers have dipped slightly since 2024, the role still takes the number one dream-job slot in 28 countries, more countries than any other career in the study, the majority across Latin America and the Caribbean. Entrepreneur ranks second by number of countries claiming it as their top dream job, with pilot third.
A standout shift in this year’s analysis is the emergence of AI as a dream-career category in its own right. Searches for “how to be a Prompt Engineer” (5,590) “how to be an Artificial Intelligence Specialist” (3,430) and “how to be a Machine Learning Engineer” (2,550) all appear in global search data for the first time, capturing how rapidly the AI economy is reshaping what people consider a ‘real’ career path.
The top 20 dream jobs around the world
| Rank | Job Title | Global search volume for ‘how to be a…’ | Position change from 2024 |
| 1 | Actor | 222,080 | +8 |
| 2 | Pilot | 221,060 | -1 |
| 3 | Firefighter | 171,330 | +13 |
| 4 | Lawyer | 168,510 | +55 |
| 5 | YouTuber | 148,430 | +8 |
| 6 | Veterinarian | 146,770 | +22 |
| 7 | Flight attendant | 126,480 | +10 |
| 8 | Police officer | 123,800 | -5 |
| 9 | (Real) Estate agent | 100,410 | +9 |
| 10 | DJ | 97,930 | +14 |
| 11 | Judge | 90,120 | -1 |
| 12 | Physiotherapist/Physical therapist | 85,430 | +55 |
| 13 | EMT | 85,160 | N/A |
| 14 | Prosecutor | 80,230 | -6 |
| 15 | Astronaut | 79,870 | +10 |
| 16 | Doctor | 79,860 | -5 |
| 17 | Nurse | 78,400 | -12 |
| 18 | Diplomat | 75,510 | +3 |
| 19 | Voice actor | 74,370 | +3 |
| 20 | Entrepreneur | 74,090 | +9 |
Ryan Riley, VP of Marketing for EMEA and APAC at Remitly, commented:
“While careers like actor and pilot continue to rank among the world’s most aspirational jobs, it’s notable to see traditionally stable professions such as lawyer and veterinarian climbing the rankings this year. One trend emerging from the data is that people may be placing greater value on financial security. At the same time, dream-driven careers like DJ and YouTuber are also gaining popularity, suggesting many are still prioritising passions.
Perhaps the most striking finding is the growing influence of artificial intelligence on career aspirations. Just three years ago, virtually no one was searching for roles like ‘Prompt Engineer.’ Today, AI-related careers are beginning to appear in the data, reflecting how quickly new technologies are reshaping the way people think about work. As AI continues to evolve, we expect this area of the study to change dramatically from year to year.”
To find out more about the world’s top dream jobs in 2026, visit: Remitly
