Cue robots: AI roles are America’s fastest-growing jobs

A robot and a young woman face each other. — Imaginima/istockphoto

If you feel vaguely behind in your career, you’re not alone, and it’s not what you imagine. According to a recent report from LinkedIn, Employment is on the risemore than half (56%) of professionals say they plan to look for a new job this year, even though 76% admit they aren’t ready.

The report tracks America’s fastest-growing jobs over the past three years, and the picture is as clear as it is depressing. If your professional role involves building, managing, explaining, and cleaning up AI, you’re in demand. If not, you better start paying attention.

AI rules the job market

You don’t need a degree in statistics to see the advantages of AI in LinkedIn listings. AI engineer. AI consultant. Ai this. AI that. Roles related to artificial intelligence have been some of the fastest growing job openings in the United States over the past few years.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, there were more than 35,000 job openings in the U.S. specifically for AI-related skills, an increase of approximately 25% year over year.

25 fastest growing jobs in the US

A woman wearing glasses and a braided ponytail is working at a computer with code displayed on a monitor in a modern office with graphs and data displayed on a large screen in the background. — seventy four/istockphoto

According to LinkedIn, the 25 fastest growing roles for 2026 are:

AI engineer: Experts trained to build and maintain AI models to perform tasks that typically require human decision-making, such as problem solving and prediction.
AI consultants and strategists: We help businesses plan and deploy AI tools to streamline tasks and improve performance.
New home sales specialist: Guide buyers through the process of buying a new home.
Data annotator: Use guidelines to label and review data to ensure it is accurate enough to train AI and machine learning systems, often on a project-by-project basis.
AI/ML researchers: Design and test machine learning models and algorithms to improve the performance of your AI systems.
Medical Reimbursement Specialist: Process billing and insurance claims to ensure healthcare providers are paid correctly.
Strategic advisor and independent consultant: Guide your organization, solve complex problems, and drive results.
advertising sales specialist Sell advertising space across digital platforms, media networks, and social channels.
Founder: Launch and operate a new business. This is often done in the technology and consulting fields.
sales representative: You will lead the organization’s sales efforts, including overseeing teams that drive sales growth, setting revenue goals, and maintaining and developing customer relationships.
Commissioning manager: Oversee testing and setup of complex construction and engineering projects involving data centers.
venture partnerWe work with investment firms to source deals and advise startups.
field marketer: Promote your products through events, demos, and direct support.
Fundraising staff: Raise money for nonprofits, universities, and other organizations.
background investigator Verify personal, professional, and legal information for compliance and security purposes.
business development executive: Focus on growth, partnerships and new revenue opportunities.
data center technician: Install and maintain the physical infrastructure that keeps servers and networks running.
travel advisor: Help customers plan and book their trips and handle logistics and details.
psychiatric nurse:Provide mental health care including diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing support.
quantitative researchers and analystsUse data and mathematical models to support investment and risk decisions.
financial advisor and planner: Helping individuals and organizations manage their money, investments, and long-term financial planning.
construction project leader Coordinate teams, schedules, and resources on large construction projects.
legal researcher: Research laws, regulations, and litigation history to support your legal team.
Public relations specialist: Manage communications with the public, media, and key stakeholders.
Welfare advisor: Helps organizations design and manage employee benefits programs.

What will the job market look like in 2025?

Challenger, Gray & Christmas says AI will lead to nearly 55,000 job cuts in the US, with highly publicized layoffs in 2025. The overall number of layoffs reached about 1.17 million, the highest level since 2020, when the pandemic led to 2.2 million layoffs.

While layoffs were a recurring theme last year, companies continued to invest in areas related to automation, healthcare operations, infrastructure and revenue growth. Instead of freezing hiring entirely, many employers focused on roles that could work alongside or help manage the impact of AI.

The conclusion is clear. In today’s job market, AI is here to stay.