Will Students Ditch Grad Schemes for Onlyfans as AI Kills Off Entry-Level Jobs?

Two in five female students say they’d rather have 10,000 OnlyFans subscribers than a guaranteed graduate job – reflecting how young people are hedging their bets in an AI-threatened job market.

The traditional career path of “get a degree, join a firm, work your way up” is rapidly unravelling, new research shows.

A survey of 1,000 UK students by Onlyfans search engine OnlyGuider, found that 42% of women and 34% of men would rather have 10,000 OnlyFans subscribers than a guaranteed graduate job – a stark sign that online clout and entrepreneurial hustles are now competing with traditional careers.

The findings come as job platforms warn that entry-level and graduate roles are shrinking fast. Reed recently revealed the number of graduate job ads has collapsed from around 180,000 a few years ago to just 55,000 today. Separate analysis by Adzuna found junior vacancies have fallen nearly a third since late 2022, coinciding with the rise of AI.

Sam Pierce, CEO of OnlyGuider, said: “What older generations might sneer at as scandal, students are increasingly viewing as strategy. They know AI is wiping out entry-level jobs. So a few thousand paying subscribers, or a side hustle on TikTok or Depop, can feel like a safer bet than fighting hundreds of applicants for a grad scheme that might not even exist next year.”

Side Hustle Nation

The data highlights a new student mindset:

• 66% of women and 47% of men said they’d consider starting an OnlyFans if money was tight.
  
• Nearly four in ten women said they’d rather sell saucy pics for £500 a month than stack shelves or work in a bar.
  
• Both genders admitted they’d keep such hustles secret: around 4 in 10 would tell no one, and fewer than one in five would tell parents.
  

Rather than dreaming of a lifelong career in law, finance or media, students are increasingly building multiple income streams – mixing degrees with online ventures, freelancing, and content creation.

Pierce added: “The graduate job market is in freefall – some firms are hiring a third fewer juniors because AI is doing the grunt work. Students aren’t blind to that. They’re hedging their bets by diversifying: get the degree, but also get the hustle.”

Generational Reset

Experts say this could represent a generational reset in how young people view success:

• For many, 10,000 followers feels like job security.
  
• Side hustles are becoming as normal as part-time jobs once were.
  
• OnlyFans, TikTok shops, Twitch, and Depop are part of the new student economy.
  

The findings underscore that Freshers’ Week 2025 is not just about clubs and cheap drinks – it’s about students openly discussing which hustles can replace the entry-level jobs AI is erasing.

Methodology

The survey was conducted by OnlyGuider using Pollfish in September 2025. A total of 1,000 UK university students aged 18+ took part, split evenly between female (n=500) and male (n=500) respondents. Participants were screened to confirm they are either enrolling as freshers this year or currently enrolled at a UK university. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Qualifying questions included:

1. Are you currently at, or about to start – full-time study at a UK university? (Yes/No)
   
2. Are you aged 18 or over? (Yes/No)
   

What is your gender? (Male/Female/Other/Prefer not to say — analysis based on male/female splits)