Since the launch of ChatGPT, there has been debate on whether AI is going to kill off some tech jobs – like in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein when scientist Victor Frankenstein loses control over his creature. While it is still too early to tell whether this apocalyptic future will arrive, right now, one thing we’re certain of is that there are more jobs for humans working in AI than a year ago.
We analysed the tens of millions of jobs available on Adzuna between January 2022 and March 2023 to find out the advertised vacancy and salary trends for AI job postings.
If you want to know the big trend ahead, the highest-paying AI jobs, and the most employer-beloved AI tools, read on to find out the details.
Trending jobs: OpenAI & Generative AI
If 2022 was the year of the Metaverse, 2023 is the year of AI. In the job market, employers are particularly looking for talent with “OpenAI” and “Generative AI” knowledge or expertise.
To give this some context, OpenAI is an AI laboratory funded by Microsoft and the creator behind ChatGPT and DALL-E, and Generative AI is a set of artificial intelligence algorithms that creates content in the form of text, images, audio, and videos.
Since November 2022, we spotted a gradual rise in “OpenAI” jobs. This March, we saw 52 “OpenAI” job openings, doubling from 26 jobs in March 2022. Not only are there more roles surrounding AI now, but employers are also willing to pay more to attract the most talented candidates. The average advertised salaries of “OpenAI” jobs surged +30% year-on-year, from £45,865 in March ‘22 to £59,613 in March ‘23.
Similarly, the demand for “Generative AI” roles is growing quickly. March 2023 saw 63 such roles advertised, increasing steeply from just 6 jobs three months before in December 2022. It’s lucrative as well, with the average “Generative AI” role advertising a pay packet of £82,159.
Despite the hype surrounding AI technology, not all AI-specific jobs are exempted from the gloomy tech layoffs. There was a gradual year-on-year decline in the number of job ads mentioning AI, down -55% from 24,333 openings in March ‘22 to 10,977 in March ‘23. Comparably, the wider tech industry experienced a -37% decline in jobs over the same period.
The cheerful bit is that the pay rates on offer for AI jobs remain steady. Year-on-year, AI jobs’ advertised salaries climbed +0.4% from £64,687 in March ‘22 to £64,968 in March ‘23.
Master these AI tools to get ahead in your career
Has your manager scheduled team meetings to discuss how to optimise workflow with AI? It’s the same in the job market. Some employers are starting to list experience with AI tools as a desirable skill in job ads. Even though you might not be working in a technical field, you might want to get familiar with some AI tools.
On top of the ChatGPT and DALL-E2, graphic design tool Midjourney, video making tool Lumen5, and content writing tool Jasper.ai are getting employers’ attention.
Highest-paying AI roles
Machine learning engineers, data scientists, and robotics engineers are among the top-earning AI roles. Find out what they do below:
Machine Learning Engineer
Current openings: 405
Average salary: £106,250
Machine learning engineers specialise in developing automated AI systems and algorithms. Many employers look for at least a Master’s degree in computer science, statistics, electrical engineering or relevant disciplines, and a solid understanding in coding, programming languages, and data modelling.
Data Scientist
Current vacancies: 6,619
Average salary: £70,191
Data scientists analyse large sets of raw data, organise these data and identify patterns through writing algorithms and designing applications, and translating technical data to simple language. Most data scientists have at least a master’s degree in data science, statistics, or similar mathematical-based subjects. They are proficient in various programming languages and coding skills. To succeed in this role, technical skills and communication skills are equally important.
Robotics Engineer
Current openings: 4,605
Average salary: £45,192
Robotics engineers are responsible for designing, building and maintaining robotics systems and applications. They could be working in an office, a laboratory or at a manufacturing plant. A bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science is essential. Successful robotics engineers require problem solving skills, creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal skills, as they often work with other engineers or project teams.
If you’re interested in AI, now might just be the perfect time to jump on the bandwagon and explore the exciting job opportunities available! Who knows, you could build the next AI robot to wow the world!
Read more: 20 jobs you can do without a degree and how much they pay