Workers feared AI would kill jobs. Instead, it could boost their paychecks: 72% of employers say they’ll pay more for AI skills

Amidst rumors that artificial intelligence will result in job losses, a new study suggests the opposite may be true. According to Robert Half, over half of employers plan to increase salaries for recruits with AI expertise in 2027. Additionally, 72% of managers intend to pay more for professionals who can leverage AI in their work.

Dawn Fay, a Robert Half operational president, told Fortune that employers are willing to offer higher pay for those who can identify, integrate, and responsibly apply AI to solve real business challenges.

The demand for AI skills has been on the rise, with AI job postings in the U.S. doubling since 2023, according to a LinkedIn analysis. Moreover, AI jobs come with a substantial $100,000 annual pay premium, with the average AI job posting offering an annual salary of around $177,000, compared to non-AI roles which typically pay roughly $80,000.

Robert Half's data reveals that around 57% of U.S. managers are offering higher-than-planned salaries to new hires. Some cities, like San Francisco and Washington D.C., are particularly attractive for job-seekers due to higher paychecks. The top 10 cities with the highest share of employers offering bigger paychecks include San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Minneapolis, Boston, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Houston.

Beyond AI skills, employers are also willing to pay more for workers with specialized roles in technology, data science, financial analysis, attorneys, marketing automation, and executive assistants. These roles are expected to enjoy pay increases of more than double the projected salary bump of 1.7% across all specialties in general.

While AI and automation may displace 36 million U.S. jobs by 2035, they could also create 41 million new roles, according to McKinsey Global Institute data. AI fluency among U.S. workers is currently at 40%, while only 5% are considered "AI fluent." This gap in AI proficiency may lead to significant pay discrepancies, as AI-fluent workers are over four times more likely to report higher earnings and receive promotions compared to their less AI-savvy counterparts.