Building expertise in an industry makes you eligible for higher-paying roles, and it appears much the same for AI skills, which could have employers offering premium pay. As the demand for AI grows, there appears to be room for some roles to grow alongside the technology.
It’s hard to go a day without hearing mention of artificial intelligence and how it is altering the course of life as we know it. The noise and uproar surrounding the technology have made it difficult to decipher just how it is altering the workplace, and there’s new information regarding AI to peruse through every day. What is certain is that employers believe in the potential of AI, and most are keen to make investments in the right places to ensure they get it right.
While a large majority of these investments have been made in AI tools and infrastructure, there is also evidence of parallel investments being made in employees with the AI skills necessary to keep up with the tech. Some reports show that having AI skills could help candidates land higher-paying jobs, but on the ground, job postings don’t always reflect this preference. Employers are tackling the AI talent shortage by swooping in to snatch up workers with the capabilities to stabilize their AI investments, but while many are willing to offer better career prospects and pay in exchange for their expertise, this doesn’t always translate to action.
Reports suggest that employers are willing to pay a premium for workers with AI skills, but the job market doesn’t always reflect this trend. (Image: Freepik)
Fact Check: Are Employers Willing to Pay a 10% Premium for AI Skills?
The result of the KPMG Q4 AI Pulse survey, which was published in January this year, showed that “talent premiums are real,” as 76% of leaders are open to offering 10% higher compensation for candidates who possess strong AI skills. PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer reported similar findings, suggesting that workers who possessed AI skills could see a 56% wage premium in their employment.
Industries are expanding on their AI use by leaps and bounds, and for the most part, this has been reflected by a narrowing of roles available to workers. Entry-level jobs are disappearing as employers grow more proficient at automating simple tasks with AI agents or allowing other employees to fill in the gaps using AI. The technology has been seen to boost productivity and quicken the pace of task completion, even if it does come with the risk of increased workloads and burnout.
The KPMG survey on the demand for AI skills also revealed that the desire for AI expertise wasn’t restricted to middle-tier employees. About 40% of leaders revealed that their board members also have substantial AI expertise to develop their own roles and expand them to their full potential. This is an essential consideration for organizations that want to expand on AI usage, as surveys have shown that employees fare better with the technology when they have leaders and managers to guide them in the adoption process.
Why Does the Presence of AI Skills Mean Higher-Paying Jobs?
There is high demand for AI skills because, as much as organizations are keen to automate processes and solely rely on the technology, the technology still requires human skills and insights to function effectively.
Of course, it isn’t surprising to see jobs in AI development and training grow as companies that offer AI infrastructure require some degree of talent to formulate the next iteration of the tech. However, the demand for AI skills is expanding in other industries and departments as well, because businesses remain uncertain about how to navigate the tech in a way that benefits their operations.
In addition to this, employers also find it harder to entrust sensitive material to AI. These challenges are being circumvented with employers relying on more trusted AI providers and restricting AI’s access where possible. Cybersecurity remains a top barrier for more comprehensive AI adoption, requiring employees with AI skills to oversee operations.
Is There Actual Evidence of AI Skills Allowing Employees to Receive a Pay Premium?
There is a demand for AI skills, and employees are looking for candidates who can furnish such capabilities. But is there a link between AI skills and employers paying a premium to secure them? Not as much as we’d like. Payscale found that 60% of its surveyed organizations have updated job listings to showcase their preference for employees who come with their AI skills locked and loaded, but 55% of them are not offering premiums, bonuses, or other additional benefits to compensate for AI expertise.
As CBS News reports, 14% of companies are actively paying higher for AI skills, while 10% offer bonuses and 9% turn to other long-term benefits to compensate workers. The data shows that employers do prioritize candidates with AI skills, and having such qualifications could help you secure a job with greater ease. However, merely developing AI skills with expectations that employers will pay a premium for them may be shortsighted unless you work within the highly competitive and fast-paced AI industry.
Workforce Trends on AI Adoption See New Roles Grow in Importance
KPMG’s 2026 report on AI skill demand also revealed that AI prompt engineer, AI performance analyst, and AI trainer or data curator were the most anticipated new roles as a result of the emerging technology. This growth of tech jobs is a natural result of the rising popularity of AI, even as other tech skills like coding are losing their footing in the industry.
In non-technical fields, AI prompt engineering is a central skill that many employers appear to be looking for, however, employees who know how to go beyond generative AI and link the capabilities of the technology with their own industry are in high demand. Even as we develop a vocabulary to describe and compartmentalize these skills, many employers are in search of individuals who can think critically in collaboration with the technology or analyze data consolidated by these tools.
Bringing up the ethics of AI may be unpopular among many businesses, but there are think tanks and organizations committed to paying closer attention to the use and impact of AI tools as well. Skills in AI ethics and awareness of aspects like data security can prove to work in your favor.
Ultimately, there is a growing need for employees to upskill in favor of AI as the technology is set to impact the workspace in more ways than one. This will take some work, as there are limited insights into what the most “in-demand” AI skills are for 2026 beyond prompt engineering, but exploring the potential avenues for gaining AI literacy will come in handy in the long run.
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