AI expertise is already driving salaries and reshaping careers in the global market

Salary and demand: the numbers on AI

A PwC study analyzed nearly one billion job postings across six continents and found that professionals with AI skills earned, on average, a 56% salary premium in 2024 compared to colleagues without these skills.

Another analysis by Lightcast, based on over 1.3 billion job postings, showed that ads mentioning AI skills offered salaries 28% higher, equivalent to almost $18,000 extra per year.

The research also revealed that 51% of AI-related jobs were already outside the fields of information technology and computer science in 2025, indicating that artificial intelligence is being adopted in sectors such as marketing, finance, and human resources.

From chatbot to strategic application

The value of AI lies not only in knowing how to use a chatbot, but in being able to integrate the technology into workflows, formulate tasks, validate results, and incorporate them into existing processes.

Marketing professionals can use AI models to analyze data and generate content drafts, while HR teams use the technology to screen resumes and documents. In finance, AI helps organize and analyze complex information.

Skills that are gaining importance

The PwC study found that the skills required in jobs most exposed to AI evolve 66% faster than in those less exposed.

In this context, some skills stand out:

• AI fluency, to understand possibilities and limitations;
• Analysis and interpretation of information;
• Ability to formulate problems;
• Critical thinking to validate results;
• Specific knowledge of the industry;
• Effective communication to turn insights into decisions.

LinkedIn estimates that 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030, driven primarily by artificial intelligence. The platform also listed AI literacy among the fastest-growing skills in 2025.

How to use AI to boost your career

Automating a repetitive task with AI and using the saved time for higher-impact work is a practical example of leveraging the technology. An analyst can use AI to process data and focus on interpretation, while a communications professional can speed up research and spend more time on strategy.

A Microsoft survey, the Work Trend Index 2025, found that 83% of leaders believe AI will enable employees to take on more complex and strategic responsibilities earlier in their careers. However, there is a difference in perception: 79% of leaders think AI will accelerate their careers, compared to 67% of employees.

The key difference, therefore, lies not only in execution speed, but in the ability to solve more complex problems, expand responsibilities, and deliver concrete results.

Steps to incorporate AI into daily work

There is no single skill that guarantees a salary increase or promotion. What is observed is a combination of AI knowledge and mastery of one’s professional field.

A good starting strategy is to map the most frequent tasks in your job and identify those involving research, analysis, text production, information organization, or repetitive activities. Then, test AI tools on low-risk tasks, compare the results with traditional methods, and measure the gains achieved.

The goal is to build concrete evidence of impact, such as time savings, process improvements, or the ability to perform analyses that previously required more resources. Although the average salary premium identified by PwC is not an individual guarantee, the data show that artificial intelligence is already linked to significant changes in pay and market requirements.