Massive wage increases in non-tech professions due to AI skills

According to a recent report by PwC, U.S. workers with artificial intelligence (AI) skills are commanding a wage premium of up to 25%, with some professions seeing even higher boosts in pay. The consultancy analyzed job postings from 15 countries to assess the impact of AI on employment and wages.

In the U.S., job ads for database designers and administrators that require AI skills offer wages that are 53% higher than those that don’t require AI skills. Similarly, lawyers with AI skills can see a 49% increase in pay, while sales and marketing managers, financial analysts, and accountants could also see significant wage bumps.

The report also highlighted the impact of AI on job growth, noting that certain occupations like customer service are experiencing slower growth due to AI’s ability to ease labor shortages. However, the data suggest that AI is not leading to job losses but rather more gradual gains in employment.

Interestingly, the report found that demand for certain skills is soaring, such as AI/machine learning inference skills, while demand for skills that can be replaced by AI, like coding in Javascript, is declining. Skills that require more person-to-person contact, such as yoga instruction and child safeguarding, are seeing increased demand.

Overall, the report emphasizes the importance of AI skills in today’s job market, with 71% of leaders preferring candidates with AI skills over those with traditional experience. This trend could give younger applicants an advantage, as 77% of leaders plan to delegate more responsibilities to early-career hires with AI proficiencies.

As AI continues to shape the workforce, the report suggests that the key question is not whether AI will lead to job losses, but how it will enable new opportunities and industries, generating new roles and innovations in the future.