As rounds of layoffs, especially in the tech sector, continue to weaken employee morale amid mass firings driven by AI, a new report from Lightcast reveals that job postings for non-tech roles requiring AI skills are increasing in value.
Lightcast’s new Beyond the Buzz report, based on an analysis of over 1.3 billion job postings, shows that these roles offer salaries 28 per cent higher, an average of nearly $18,000 more per year.
“Companies that continue treating AI as a niche technical skill will find themselves competing for talent with organizations that have embedded AI literacy across their entire workforce,” Cole Napper, VP of research and insights at Lightcast, said in a press release.
Interestingly, the research highlights a growing divide in tech and non-tech hiring. Even though job postings for AI skills in tech roles remain strong, the proportion of AI jobs within IT and computer science has declined, dropping from 61 per cent in 2019 to just 49 per cent in 2024. This suggests that traditional tech roles are continuing to decline as companies increasingly incorporate AI into everyday work.
In fact, job postings mentioning generative AI skills outside of IT and computer science have surged an astonishing 800 per cent since 2022, driven by the rise of tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and others. Sectors such as marketing, human resources, education, science and research, and finance have seen the fastest AI adoption, with each rapidly integrating AI tools into their workflows. This helps explain why many companies are cutting roles in content creation, operations, customer service, and HR, areas where generative AI and agentic tools are becoming increasingly capable.
Tech companies have been cutting jobs or freezing hiring due to AI and automation. CEOs are acknowledging that AI’s impact is real this time, as layoffs continue to affect tech workers globally, especially in the US, though companies in India continue to hire. However, some companies haven’t explicitly cited AI as the reason for downsizing. Microsoft, for example, has cut over 15,000 roles while simultaneously increasing its investment in AI.
In the midst of job losses and layoffs, one thing is becoming clear: AI skills can help employees stay relevant – and they can be learned. On the other hand, AI engineers continue to see their pay packages surge.
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