2025-07-07T09:15:02Z
- The consulting firm has discovered that tech companies are “strategically overpaying” recruits with AI experiences.
- They discovered that companies pay premiums up to $200,000 to data scientists with machine learning skills.
- The report also tracked an increase in bonuses for low-level software engineers and analysts.
The war on bidding for AI talent is intensifying, and the data scientists and software engineers behind the technology benefit from being caught up in the middle.
Many tech companies are “strategically overpaying” recruits in AI experiences, firing up to $200,000 premiums for several roles with machine learning skills.
Compiled from compensation analysis for 153 roles, reports showed that data scientists and analysts with machine learning skills tend to receive a higher premium than software engineers with the same skills. However, the consulting company also tracked an increase in bonuses for low-level software engineers and analysts.
Payments are a big bet, especially among startups. Approximately half of the surveyed companies paying premiums to employees with AI skills had no revenue in the past year, with a majority (71%) not profitable.
Small businesses need to stand out among the Big Tech giants. This is likely to be the driver behind expensive recruitment tactics, a consulting company spokesman told Business Insider.
But J. ThelanderConsulting Report focused on small businesses, but some large tech companies recently created the headline for Sky High Recruitment Incentives.
Meta was in the spotlight last month after Openai CEO Sam Altman said the social media giant had tried to poach his best employee with a $100 million signature bonus.
Business Insider previously reported that Altman said none of his “best people” were tempted by the deal, but Meta's chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth said in an interview with CNBC that Altman “failed to mention that he was countering those offers.”
