Want a Higher Paying IT Job? AI Fluency, Expertise Are in Demand
Computerworld, Wednesday, October 21st, 2026
Employers are hiring more selectively but paying premiums for AI skills; more than half of active IT job listings now require AI skills.
Employers are hiring more precisely and would rather leave a role open than make the wrong hire, says ManpowerGroup's Ger Doyle, while Robert Half's 2027 salary guide found that 72% of employers are raising pay for relevant AI skills.
CompTIA counted 625,633 active IT listings in September, the most in over three years, and about 349,821 of them required AI skills.
Experis found AI literacy was the most in-demand technical skill, cited by 34% of US employers, followed by AI modeling and app development at 33%.
McKinsey's Michael Chui describes employers in a tug-of-war as workflows and job requirements change.