July 31, 2025
Those that include AI-skills on their job applications can potentially get thousands more in their offer.
The growth and inclusion of AI in the workforce are having various impacts, depending on the job field in which one is employed.
While the tech industry has seen the worst of AI, primarily in layoffs, others have benefited from its rise. Employees with skills in innovative software can command higher salaries due to their lucrative skill set. According to a labor market analytics report, detailed in Fortune, more jobs are now requiring AI skills, with corresponding pay to match.
The “Beyond The Buzz” report, released by firm Lightcast, revealed that jobs in marketing, education, and even human resources are encouraging applicants with these skills to apply. Now, as AI takes over jobs at tech companies, those outside this industry are instead asking for employees to navigate the new technology.
“Companies that continue treating artificial intelligence as a niche technical skill will find themselves competing for talent with organizations that have embedded AI literacy across their entire workforce,” said Cole Napper, VP of Research and Insights at Lightcast. “Educators who wait and see what impact AI will have will find that they’ve lost students and funding to other providers who include AI skills across programs—not in place of other skills, but alongside them.”
The report also found that AI skills can increase salaries by an average of $18,000. However, if one has even more skills to boast, such as programming, machine learning, and deep learning, they can earn up to 43% more in a role than those without these skills. Some of the most popular fields for asking for these services include sales, marketing, and customer support.
Having experience with AI is becoming a growing trend in the job market, as its preferred usage has increased in job postings. While those in non-tech fields can take advantage of this profitable change, those in tech are being forced to pivot as the technology makes some of these roles obsolete.
The once-lucrative IT field has faced tremendous cutbacks as more companies invest in artificial intelligence. Top tech firms like Microsoft have continued to undergo layoffs, showing that AI’s inclusion is not beneficial for workers everywhere. Those in IT and computer science also have fewer opportunities to apply for, as Lightcast confirmed that these jobs have reduced to 49% in 2024, a drop from 61% just five years ago.
Despite the rocky job market, employers still value certain skills that humans excel at, such as problem-solving and critical thinking. As AI continues to grow in influence within the workforce, employers believe that implementing it alongside these distinctly human traits can enhance productivity and efficiency.
“While generative AI excels at tasks like writing and coding, uniquely human abilities—such as communication, management, innovation, and complex problem-solving—are becoming even more valuable in the AI era,” detailed the report.
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