As the tech industry goes all in on artificial intelligence, you won’t be surprised to find that some of the most in-demand jobs in the US are focused on AI engineering, consulting, and research.
The spotlight was on big tech companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and Google trying to gain market dominance with the right talent. Still, small firms and startups, as well as non-tech businesses, need high-quality AI experts, too.
The search is also open for talented people who can look beyond the initial adoption of AI and the first wave of integration and product launches.
‘No Other Choice’ disrupts the job market. Here’s why Park Chan-wook did it.
“Organizations are increasingly pairing AI technology roles with human-centered, governance, and operational qualifications,” Christina Mancini, CEO of Black Girls Code, told Mashable. Mancini said that this change shows a shift from organizations that are just testing AI to using it deliberately and responsibly.
That trend is evidenced by the rapidly growing interest in hiring AI consultants and strategists. That role, along with four other technical titles, recently appeared in LinkedIn’s annual roundup of the 25 fastest-growing roles in the country:
1. AI developers
The fastest growing role in the US, according to LinkedIn? An AI engineer.
There are a variety of applications for artificial intelligence, from powering robotic systems to building complex algorithms that drive productive chatbots. An AI engineer can create models that can perform tasks, as well as the necessary manufacturing infrastructure.
Mashable Light Speed
AI developers should expect to benefit from extensive technical knowledge of building AI agents, improving the output of large-scale language models, and neural network training. They should also have excellent math and math skills, LinkedIn notes.
Coursera Ratings annual income for the role is $145,080, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. AI advisors and strategists
The second fastest growing position in the US is focused on organizational use of AI, according to LinkedIn. Professionals and strategists with significant expertise in fields such as computer science and artificial intelligence, as well as business acumen, can excel in these roles. Their job, according to LinkedIn, is to help businesses use AI in ways that make them more efficient and strategic. This can include project management, long-term planning, and developing ethical and responsible processes.
Self-employed consultants can charge by the hour (over $300) or by project, according to LinkedIn. Although salaries vary, LinkedIn estimates that entry-level consultants can earn between $60,000 and $100,000. Those with more experience can make more than $200,000 a year, according to LinkedIn.
3. Data annotations
Building and training a machine learning model often requires data annotators, also known as content analysts. Ranked as the fourth fastest growing job by LinkedIn, this role is in high demand as companies rely on data annotators to explore metadata or raw data with labels or tags. These annotations provide context for articles, social media posts, customer reviews, images, and videos that are used to train AI models, allowing them to communicate more accurately.
While entry-level data annotators can earn $20 an hour, those with AI experience or experience managing specialized content, such as medical data, can earn $100 to $180 an hour. according to LinkedIn.
Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Getty Images
4. Artificial intelligence researchers and machine learning researchers
Along with large investments, independent research roles have expanded as institutions expand in-house teams dedicated to the development of productive AI. Tasked with designing and testing new models, algorithms, and future uses of productive AI, these research positions rank fifth on LinkedIn among the fastest-growing roles in the US.
According to Apple, their AI/ML research team studies the technology, publishes their research, and hosts and attends deep learning conferences. Google currently has more List of 1,700 jobs with roles across its research teams, including research engineers and scientists dedicated to AI in security and privacy, advertising, search, and machine learning development.
According to LinkedIn findings, most of these roles are offered in tech hubs: San Francisco, New York City, and now Boston. The gender divide is clear, too: 74 percent of spots in the industry are held by men, with an average of three years of previous experience. And the average salary is in the six figures, Zip Recruiter puts it $130,000 a year.
5. Data center professionals
By 2025, $61 billion towards the infrastructure of data centers operating around the world, according to a report by S&P Global. Because of the power-intensive needs of productive AI, these data centers are funded by major technology companies and a strong private credit model, according to a report by S&P Global — and they are also officially backed by the federal government.
Hardware experts, incl experts tasked with overseeing the new facilities and their server networks, are needed. These positions require physical and technical skills – they have to install and maintain servers, organize cable plans, and constantly monitor the huge network they are building for people around the world to use. According to a LinkedIn report, most of the workers in these roles were previously in IT or data center jobs and job sites like Glassdoor are recruiting them. median salaries are around $68,000. Most of the roles are based in the Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Columbus, Ohio metro area – corresponding locations growing data center hubs across the US
