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Launch your career in AI: Top jobs, salaries, and skills for 2025

Learn about the most in-demand careers in artificial intelligence (AI), how much they pay, and the skills and education you need to land these roles.

AI careers are booming — here’s why

AI roles are among today’s fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs. Professionals looking to switch or advance their careers are turning to roles like AI engineer, AI data scientist, and AI researcher.

The hottest job in 2025 right now is anything that has to do with AI because that’s the buzzword, says Holly Lee, a former recruiting leader at Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

Here’s what to expect in today’s AI job market.

Salaries for AI careers (May 2024)
Career trackMedian annual salary
AI engineer and AI research scientist$140,910
Cybersecurity analyst$124,910
Data scientist and NLP scientist$112,590
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Start building job-ready AI skills today

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Start, switch, or advance your AI career

For career starters

While there's more than one way to get started, here’s one path to start building technical skills from scratch:

  • Start with AI introductory courses, such as Harvard’s CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science. You'll learn core programming concepts, algorithms, data structures, and web development, which are essential for working in AI and machine learning.
  • Consider a bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, or engineering to build a solid foundation in software development, statistics, and machine learning.
  • Gain hands-on experience through internships, entry-level IT jobs, hackathons, or starter projects on GitHub. These practical experiences can help you apply your knowledge and build a shareable portfolio.
Female cybersecurity engineer typing on a digital tablet in an office server room.

Professional spotlight: Meet Omar Jiménez

Omar Jimenez

Profession:

Associate Data Scientist / Machine Learning Engineer at Xtillion

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering with a minor in applied mathematics, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
  • Master’s degree in computer science and engineering with a specialization in AI and machine learning, Georgia Tech

As an engineering graduate, Omar says he entered the machine learning field through a nontraditional path. Internships and undergraduate coursework sparked his interest in AI, which led him to pursue a master’s degree focused on AI and machine learning.

He now works as a data scientist and machine learning engineer at Xtillion, a consultancy firm focused on data and AI solutions for healthcare, banking, and the public sector.

During his tenure at Xtillion, he has upskilled by earning certifications, such as the Amazon Web Services Machine Learning Certification, to further strengthen his AI qualifications.

These experiences have reinforced his belief in AI's transformative power, not just in business but also in science, medicine, and society at large.

Here’s what Omar has to say about building a career in AI:

"I think it’s clear that AI is ushering in a new industrial revolution. I can’t think of any industry that won’t be affected.

There are many under-discussed areas, like AI for science, where we’re using AI to tackle fundamental challenges such as climate change. For example, DeepMind’s AlphaFold can predict the structure of any protein in the world and has driven massive advances in medicine.

There are countless opportunities to use AI to make a positive impact. It’s a challenging, ever-evolving field, but if you enjoy building smart systems, solving hard problems, and seeing real-world results, it’s definitely worth it."

What skills do you need to work in AI?

Many people who work in AI start with a strong foundation in computer science, advanced mathematics, and statistics. "You have to be good at math; there's no way around that," says Lee. "You'll be dealing with numbers, data patterns, structures, and algorithms."

Other core skills employers look for in candidates applying for AI jobs include programming, system design, and cloud infrastructure.

Entry-level AI jobs include roles like data analyst, junior machine learning engineer, and junior security analyst. These roles typically require a bachelor’s degree in AI, computer science, data science, information technology, or a related field, plus some hands-on experience with programming and data tools.

But beyond these fundamentals, AI jobs increasingly require hands-on experience with specialized tools and techniques.

To get a sense of the skills you might need to strengthen, find the top AI skills listed in U.S. job postings in 2024, according to labor market data from Lightcast's Global AI Skills Outlook report:

  • Autonomous driving
  • Generative AI
  • Machine learning (ML)
  • Natural language processing (NLP)
  • Neural networks
  • Robotics
  • Visual image recognition

Top technical AI jobs and how to qualify

Lee highlights the following five technical roles as critical for the AI era. Learn about each role, with information on responsibilities, salary data, job growth, and common education requirements from the BLS:

AI/ML engineer

AI/ML engineers build and deploy machine learning models that make predictions or automate tasks. They integrate software and hardware systems to optimize model performance at scale.

  • Median annual salary (2024): $140,910
  • Projected employment growth (2024–34): +20%
  • Typical educational requirements: Master’s degree in machine learning, data science, engineering, robotics, or computer science.
AI research scientist

AI research scientists work in research and development to invent new ML models, algorithms, and AI systems. They explore ideas that may not yet exist in the market, developing technologies, interfaces, and devices that could take years to commercialize.

  • Median annual salary (2024): $140,910
  • Projected employment growth (2024–34): +20%
  • Typical educational requirements: Master’s or doctoral degree in computer science, ML, AI, or a related field. Roles typically require strong research experience and advanced mathematics.
Cybersecurity analyst

Cybersecurity analysts monitor networks for threats, investigate breaches, and implement safeguards to protect data and systems from cyberattacks, malware, and unauthorized access.

  • Median annual salary (2024): $124,910
  • Projected employment growth (2024–34): +29%
  • Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, information assurance, or a related field. Employers often prefer candidates with industry certifications, such as ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
Data scientist

Data scientists analyze large datasets to identify patterns and generate actionable insights. They help organizations make decisions by identifying trends and modeling outcomes using statistical modeling, coding, and machine learning.

  • Median annual salary (2024): $112,590
  • Projected employment growth (2024–34): +34%
  • Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, statistics, or mathematics. Employers may prefer candidates with a master’s degree in data science, statistics, or a related discipline.
Natural language processing scientist

NLP specialists apply machine learning techniques to build tools that process, analyze, and generate human language. Their work powers AI tools like chatbots, translators, and voice assistants.

  • Median annual salary (2024): $112,590 
  • Projected employment growth (2024–34): +34%
  • Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, linguistics, or a related field. Many employers prefer candidates with a master’s degree in machine learning or data science and NLP-specific experience.

Top-paying states for AI careers

Use this interactive map to discover the top-paying states for AI careers, then explore salaries by specific roles in all 50 states below.

Read the map data
Median Annual Salary by State and Role
StateMachine Learning EngineerInformation Security AnalystData Scientist
Alabama$108,180$111,110$105,410
AlaskaN/A$102,170$77,400
Arizona$128,520$125,320$106,080
ArkansasN/A$93,560$104,320
California$156,290$140,660$136,800
Connecticut$128,180$130,500$109,960
DelawareN/A$134,050N/A
District of Columbia$153,630$127,760$137,120
Florida$117,250$105,990$105,820
Georgia$89,270$124,270$102,630
Hawaii$140,150$125,790$123,880
Idaho$161,130$121,970$109,340
Illinois$135,120$114,300$113,490
Indiana$83,590$78,290$84,050
IowaN/A$112,950$97,980
KansasN/A$99,420$110,320
Kentucky$82,860$98,210$93,490
Louisiana$111,880$88,200$70,530
MaineN/A$93,710$94,350
Maryland$141,540$140,480$124,340
Massachusetts$166,910$127,610$132,250
Michigan$105,960$104,540$99,470
Minnesota$131,770$128,830$117,840
Mississippi$108,560$84,640$69,430
Missouri$109,910$102,440$85,570
MontanaN/A$87,100$106,860
Nebraska$116,600$95,470$96,470
NevadaN/A$106,530$93,310
New Hampshire$117,730$129,690$98,970
New Jersey$146,290$135,390$130,370
New Mexico$178,120$133,780$85,040
New York$197,390$131,100$125,400
North Carolina$124,490$121,070$115,380
North DakotaN/A$112,330$96,230
Ohio$135,640$107,570$98,620
Oklahoma$92,580$86,500$80,380
Oregon$180,010$119,000$106,100
Pennsylvania$128,960$110,230$100,320
Rhode Island$118,870$109,410$114,390
South Carolina$120,970N/A$90,660
South DakotaN/A$103,310$92,000
Tennessee$105,680$100,990$104,700
Texas$101,990$124,970$106,540
Utah$94,830$97,180$116,420
VermontN/A$86,810$120,670
Virginia$153,340$132,460$126,070
Washington$221,990$142,920$158,760
West Virginia$170,750$107,820$95,760
Wisconsin$166,690$99,210$100,020
WyomingN/A$121,290$95,840
Source: BLS 2024

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