New research from LinkedIn shows the AI job market is growing fast. But the gains are not reaching everyone equally.
The company found that AI job postings in the U.S. have roughly doubled since 2023. Pay for these roles is also far higher than average.
Women, however, are not landing these jobs at the same rate as men. LinkedIn's data shows women made up just 26% of U.S. AI hires in 2025.
That compares with 50% of hires into non-AI occupations. The gap grows wider the higher up the career ladder someone looks.
Across 27 countries, women hold only 13% of C-suite AI leadership roles at AI companies. LinkedIn's research points to gaps that show up at multiple points in a worker's career.
Pay and Growth in AI Jobs
The typical AI job posting lists about $177,000 in compensation. That is more than double the $80,000 listed for the typical non-AI role.
AI Engineer has become the most common AI job title on LinkedIn. It has overtaken Machine Learning Engineer, which held that spot before.
Postings for VP of AI have grown roughly sixfold. Forward Deployed Engineer, a role that helps companies put AI tools into use, is now the third most common AI job listed.
Gender Gap Widens at the Top
Some of the highest-paying AI jobs have the lowest share of women. Head of AI roles are 20% women, Director of AI roles are 26% women, and Member of Technical Staff roles are 18% women.
LinkedIn found that women's overall share of AI jobs is about 10 percentage points lower than their share of non-AI jobs. The gap is even wider inside companies built around AI.
At AI-focused companies, women make up a workforce share that is about 5 percentage points lower than at similar non-AI companies. LinkedIn calls this the AI company penalty.
The gap grows again at the executive level. The gender gap for C-suite roles is about 15 percentage points wider than for roles below the executive level.
Education plays a role too. About 91% of AI workers hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
That share climbs above 95% for some of the best-paid AI jobs, including Head of AI, Director of AI, and Member of Technical Staff. Workers without a four-year degree are largely left out of these roles.
LinkedIn's findings come from two separate studies. One tracks AI job growth, pay, and hiring trends in the U.S. The other looks at women's representation in AI leadership across 27 countries.
The data covers LinkedIn member employment records across 24 countries. Job postings included in the research span from 2023 through 2026.
LinkedIn says the pattern raises questions for employers and policymakers going forward. The company frames access to AI careers as a growing factor in who benefits most from the technology's expansion.
