UK workers with artificial intelligence (AI) skills are likely to earn 11% more on average, even in sectors where AI is automating some existing jobs.
According to PwC’s 2025 Global AI Employment Barometer, employees in sectors exposed to AI, where the technology can be implemented for some tasks, are more productive and better paid. The study was based on an analysis of nearly 1 billion job ads and found that wages are rising twice as fast in industries most exposed to AI.
From a skills perspective, PwC reported that AI is changing the skills required of job seekers. According to PwC, to succeed in the workplace, candidates will likely need experience using AI tools and the ability to demonstrate critical thinking and collaboration.
Philippa O’Connor, chief people officer at PwC UK, said that while degrees remain important for many jobs, the relaxation of degree requirements suggests that employers are considering broader measures to assess skills and potential.
PwC found that in occupations with the most exposure to AI, the skills sought by employers are changing 59% faster than in occupations with the least exposure to AI. “AI is reshaping the job market, lowering barriers to entry in some sectors and raising the bar for the skills needed in others,” O’Connor added.
People with the right AI skills will be rewarded with higher salaries. In fact, PwC found that wages grew twice as fast in industries exposed to AI. This includes jobs classified as “automatable”. This means that it includes some tasks that can be easily automated. Occupations requiring AI skills will have the highest premiums, with UK workers in these roles paying an average premium of 11% in 2024.
AI is reshaping the job market, lowering barriers to entry in some fields and raising the bar for required skills in others.
Philippa O’Connor PwC UK
According to PwC analysis, sectors exposed to AI see three times more revenue per employee. We also reported that as large-scale language models (LLMs) such as generative AI (GenAI) became mainstream, revenue growth per employee in industries exposed to AI skyrocketed.
In industries most exposed to AI, such as software, revenue growth per employee nearly quadrupled, rising from 7% from 2018 to 2022 to 27% from 2018 to 2024. In contrast, revenue growth per employee in industries least exposed to AI, such as mining and hospitality, fell slightly from 10% from 2018 to 2022 to 9% from 2018 to 2022. 2024.
However, since 2018, the number of job openings in occupations with high exposure to AI has increased at a slower pace than in occupations with less exposure to AI, and this gap has widened.
Umang Poh, chief technology officer at PwC UK, said: “There are still many unknowns about AI’s potential. AI can provide stardust to those who are ready to adapt, but it risks leaving others behind.”
Paw believes a concerted effort is needed to expand access to technology and training so that the benefits of AI are widely shared.
“In the age of intelligence, the convergence of technologies such as AI and real-time data analysis, as well as the expansion of companies’ products and services, will create new industries and new job opportunities,” Poe added.
