Job families with the biggest AI pay premium
Key facts
- #1 Sales, Job family: +70%
- #2 Data & Analytics, Job family: +60%
- #3 Human Resources, Job family: +55%
- 12 job families ranked across all job groups
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Sales Job family+70%
- 2Data & Analytics Job family+60%
- 3Human Resources Job family+55%
- 4Legal Job family+53%
- 5Operations Job family+41%
- 6Design Job family+35%
- 7Marketing Job family+32%
- 8Executive Leadership Job family+31%
- 9Engineering Job family+27%
- 10Finance Job family+25%
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Sales (+70%) is well clear of Finance at #10 (+25%).
- Executive Leadership reaches #8 on a sample of 51 openings naming AI, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- Engineering is the largest market in the top ten, with 3,232 openings naming AI behind its figure.
- Job families with fewer than 30 openings naming AI are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Employers advertise higher pay for roles that name AI skills in some job families than in others. The premium, adjusted for level, shows where AI skills are rewarded most in posted pay.
How to use it
If you are in a family near the top, adding an AI skill is most likely to show up in the pay you can ask for. The gap shows advertised pay, not that AI skills cause it.
The top 25
- 1
Sales Job family
+70%
- Openings naming AI
- 640
- Median pay with AI
- $203k
- Median pay without
- $120k
Based on 640 openings.
- 2
Data & Analytics Job family
+60%
- Openings naming AI
- 618
- Median pay with AI
- $202k
- Median pay without
- $134k
Based on 618 openings.
- 3
Human Resources Job family
+55%
- Openings naming AI
- 154
- Median pay with AI
- $172k
- Median pay without
- $123k
Based on 154 openings.
- 4
Legal Job family
+53%
- Openings naming AI
- 125
- Median pay with AI
- $222k
- Median pay without
- $143k
Based on 125 openings.
- 5
Operations Job family
+41%
- Openings naming AI
- 302
- Median pay with AI
- $194k
- Median pay without
- $145k
Based on 302 openings.
- 6
Design Job family
+35%
- Openings naming AI
- 122
- Median pay with AI
- $198k
- Median pay without
- $160k
Based on 122 openings.
- 7
Marketing Job family
+32%
- Openings naming AI
- 316
- Median pay with AI
- $194k
- Median pay without
- $154k
Based on 316 openings.
- 8
Executive Leadership Job family
+31%
- Openings naming AI
- 51
- Median pay with AI
- $250k
- Median pay without
- $175k
Based on 51 openings.
- 9
Engineering Job family
+27%
- Openings naming AI
- 3,232
- Median pay with AI
- $195k
- Median pay without
- $158k
Based on 3,232 openings.
- 10
Finance Job family
+25%
- Openings naming AI
- 143
- Median pay with AI
- $180k
- Median pay without
- $127k
Based on 143 openings.
- 11
Customer Success Job family
+16%
- Openings naming AI
- 105
- Median pay with AI
- $150k
- Median pay without
- $127k
Based on 105 openings.
- 12
Product Job family
+12%
- Openings naming AI
- 322
- Median pay with AI
- $215k
- Median pay without
- $191k
Based on 322 openings.
Full ranking
All 12 job families that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | Job family | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sales Job family | +70% | 640 |
| 2 | Data & Analytics Job family | +60% | 618 |
| 3 | Human Resources Job family | +55% | 154 |
| 4 | Legal Job family | +53% | 125 |
| 5 | Operations Job family | +41% | 302 |
| 6 | Design Job family | +35% | 122 |
| 7 | Marketing Job family | +32% | 316 |
| 8 | Executive Leadership Job family | +31% | 51 |
| 9 | Engineering Job family | +27% | 3,232 |
| 10 | Finance Job family | +25% | 143 |
| 11 | Customer Success Job family | +16% | 105 |
| 12 | Product Job family | +12% | 322 |
How this ranking works
A job family's score is the level-adjusted difference between the median advertised pay of roles that name an AI skill and those that do not, among roles that post a salary.
Only job families with at least 30 AI-skill roles that post a salary are ranked. The gap shows what employers advertise, not that AI skills cause the pay.
Sample bar: job families with fewer than 30 openings are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter job data: advertised annual pay of roles that name AI skills and those that do not, adjusted for level. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which job family ranks first: job families with the biggest ai pay premium?
- Sales has the biggest AI pay premium: roles that name AI skills advertise +70% more than similar roles that do not, after adjusting for level.
- How many job families are ranked?
- 12 job families have at least 30 openings naming AI, so the list has 12 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A job family's score is the level-adjusted difference between the median advertised pay of roles that name an AI skill and those that do not, among roles that post a salary. Only job families with at least 30 AI-skill roles that post a salary are ranked. The gap shows what employers advertise, not that AI skills cause the pay.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Job families with the biggest AI pay premium,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/functions-with-the-biggest-ai-pay-premium
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/functions-with-the-biggest-ai-pay-premium">Job families with the biggest AI pay premium (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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