AI-Related Job Demand Rises as Top IT Salaries Surpass $150,000
Employers continue to face challenges in hiring skilled information technology (IT) and engineering professionals, with Java as the most in-demand skill for 2025, according to new research from Ceipal, a global leader in AI-powered staffing.
Based on an analysis of over 78,000 job postings, Ceipal’s report—The Most In-Demand Job Skills in IT & Engineering—highlights a growing demand for AI-related roles while also revealing shifts in salaries and hiring trends across key technology sectors.
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Among the key findings:
- Java Dominates IT Hiring: Java tops the list of most in-demand skills with 5,618 job postings, followed by cloud computing and DevOps.
- Business Analysts Lead the Pack: Business Analysts have the highest demand in the study, accounting for 12% of the top 20 roles.
- Data Engineers and Project Managers in Demand: Over 2,000 job postings highlight strong demand for these essential roles.
- AI Reshaping IT and Engineering Jobs: Demand for AI-related roles, including data engineers and cloud engineers, has surged since 2022.
- Top Earners in Tech: Data Engineers, IT Technology Analysts, and IT Consultants command salaries exceeding $155,000.
- Remote Jobs Rebound: Texas leads in remote job postings, with California and Michigan following closely behind.
- Where the Money Is: Washington, Texas, and California offer the highest IT salaries, with pay exceeding $150,000.
“The demand for technical talent continues to rise, particularly for roles that involve AI and cloud computing,” said Ceipal Founder and CEO Sameer Penakalapati. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a skills gap, but a shift in the types of skills that employers value most. Java, cloud computing, and DevOps are becoming baseline requirements for many roles, and recruiters must adapt to these trends to stay competitive.”
AI’s increasing role in the workforce has not led to widespread job displacement but rather a transformation of job functions. While AI-specific job titles remain a small fraction of overall postings (125 occurrences in the dataset), many of the most in-demand skills—including cloud computing, DevOps, and SQL—are directly related to AI-driven roles.
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