An analysis of tech job postings by job board Dice found that 14% of all listings in February referenced skills related to artificial intelligence or machine learning, up from 9% in the previous year.

The total number of open AI and machine learning jobs rose to 60,784 at the beginning of this year, an increase of 8.5% from 56,018 at the start of 2023. The surge in demand took place despite a 26% decline in overall tech job postings during the same period.

“This is an exciting time to be in tech; in terms of AI’s magnitude, it’s on par with the dawn of the internet and the release of the first smartphones,” Dice CEO Art Zeile said in a press release. “Artificial intelligence is not a new phenomenon, but the demand for AI skills today is escalating across almost every sector.”

Zelle continued, “Generative AI is being integrated into almost every workflow, and CEOs are focused now on AI-driven efficiency. That just amplifies the need to hire and train those skilled tech professionals.”

Salaries for AI- and machine learning-related roles also show the impact generative AI have made in a short period of time, as they have continued to grow during a time when the average tech salary has flattened. In its 2024 Tech Salary Report, Dice data showed the average salary for someone skilled in machine learning is $122,060, almost 10% higher than the average tech salary of $111,193.

Dice pulled data on March 20 and analyzed tech job postings in the US using Lightcast’s skills category taxonomy specific to AI/machine learning and “Natural Language Processing.”

-Sanestina Hunter