Coders Under 25 Go on the Endangered Species List
Techstrong.ai, Friday, July 24th, 2026
AI coding tools are eliminating entry-level jobs, threatening the apprenticeship system that trains senior engineers.
Employment among US software developers aged 22 to 25 has declined over 20% since November 2022, while employment among older developers grew. AI agents now handle the routine coding tasks traditionally assigned to junior developers.
This threatens the profession's future because experienced engineers develop judgment through years of foundational work that machines now perform.
Companies face an experience paradox: they demand judgment from developers while eliminating the opportunities to acquire it. The industry risks consuming its talent pipeline without replenishing it.