Want to Earn $18K More? Learn an AI Skill
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As artificial intelligence expands into more industries, many job seekers are finding it increasingly necessary to include AI skills on their resumes. There is often an additional benefit to AI literacy: a higher salary.
A new report by labor market intelligence firm Lightcast shows that job postings requiring AI skills offer 28% higher salaries, or nearly $18,000 more per year. However, more than half of these job postings are for positions outside the tech industry.
AI is spreading fast — and paying well
Lightcast’s “Beyond the Buzz” report examined over 1.3 billion job postings to understand the shifting value of AI-related skills across sectors. In addition to discovering the rise in salaries offered in jobs requiring AI skills, it highlights specific in-demand skills rather than vague AI literacy.
According to Stanford HAI’s AI Index Report, over 66,000 postings in 2024 specified generative AI as a skill, up from 16,000 the previous year. Large language modeling rose from 5,000 to 20,000, and prompt engineering from 1,400 to nearly 6,300 postings.
“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.
The report also found that demand for AI skills in non-tech sectors has increased by as much as 800%. By contrast, the IT sector has suffered layoffs due to automation. Microsoft, for example, laid off 9,000 employees in July while launching a $4 billion initiative to train 20 million people in AI skills.
AI jobs are no longer confined to tech
In 2019, 61% of AI-related job postings were in tech. By 2024, that number had fallen to 49%, with the majority now emerging from non-technical fields, like marketing, education, and HR.
The fastest year-over-year growth is happening outside traditional tech roles. HR postings requiring AI skills are up by 66%, marketing by 50%, and finance by 40%. Science and education are also seeing steady increases as AI tools reshape how work gets done.
The Lightcast report features a framework called the AI Skills Disruption Matrix, which maps workplace skills based on their market value, rate of growth, and vulnerability to automation. The tool is intended to help employers align workforce development with strategic AI investments.
Companies want both AI skills and human judgment
Lightcast found that the most valuable AI-enhanced roles require more than AI fluency. Communication, leadership, problem-solving, and customer service rank among the ten most-requested AI skills in job postings, along with machine learning and prompt engineering.
Lightcast’s report offers a clear takeaway: The most sought-after workers are communicators, collaborators, and decision-makers who can master AI as a tool. For those willing to adapt, even a single AI skill can unlock better pay, stronger roles, and a future-proof career path.
From policy frameworks to corporate commitments, explore how Google and the White House are sketching the blueprint for America’s AI future in our latest coverage.
