NextChapter

Industries where entry-level jobs want AI skills

Technology & Software leads: 20% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all industries.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Technology & Software, Industry: 20%
  • #2 Media & Entertainment, Industry: 10%
  • #3 Construction & Real Estate, Industry: 8%
  • 17 industries ranked across all industries
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 7% across all industries.

  1. 1Technology & Software Industry20%
  2. 2Media & Entertainment Industry10%
  3. 3Construction & Real Estate Industry8%
  4. 4Agriculture & Food Production Industry7%
  5. 5Financial Services & Banking Industry7%
  6. 6Aerospace & Defense Industry6%
  7. 7Healthcare & Hospital Systems Industry5%
  8. 8Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Industry5%
  9. 9Professional Services & Consulting Industry4%
  10. 10Energy & Utilities Industry4%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Technology & Software (20%) is well clear of Energy & Utilities at #10 (4%).
  • Agriculture & Food Production reaches #4 on a sample of 668 entry-level openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Technology & Software is the largest market in the top ten, with 16,800 entry-level openings behind its figure.
  • Industries with fewer than 200 entry-level openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Entry-level roles used to ask for little technical background. When they ask for AI skills, the starting line has moved. This list shows where that has happened most.

How to use it

If you are applying for first roles, learn the tools named in the postings you want and show a small project that uses them.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Technology & Software Industry

    20%

    Entry-level AI openings
    3,325
    Entry-level openings
    16,800
    Median posted pay
    $185k

    Based on 16,800 openings.

    Technology & Software jobs, employers and outlook

  2. 2

    Media & Entertainment Industry

    10%

    Entry-level AI openings
    188
    Entry-level openings
    1,884
    Median posted pay
    $138k

    Based on 1,884 openings.

    Media & Entertainment jobs, employers and outlook

  3. 3

    Construction & Real Estate Industry

    8%

    Entry-level AI openings
    121
    Entry-level openings
    1,452
    Median posted pay
    $115k

    Based on 1,452 openings.

    Construction & Real Estate jobs, employers and outlook

  4. 4

    Agriculture & Food Production Industry

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    49
    Entry-level openings
    668
    Median posted pay
    $118k

    Based on 668 openings.

    Agriculture & Food Production jobs, employers and outlook

  5. 5

    Financial Services & Banking Industry

    7%

    Entry-level AI openings
    668
    Entry-level openings
    9,249
    Median posted pay
    $157k

    Based on 9,249 openings.

    Financial Services & Banking jobs, employers and outlook

  6. 6

    Aerospace & Defense Industry

    6%

    Entry-level AI openings
    282
    Entry-level openings
    5,007
    Median posted pay
    $147k

    Based on 5,007 openings.

    Aerospace & Defense jobs, employers and outlook

  7. 7

    Healthcare & Hospital Systems Industry

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    349
    Entry-level openings
    7,515
    Median posted pay
    $140k

    Based on 7,515 openings.

    Healthcare & Hospital Systems jobs, employers and outlook

  8. 8

    Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Industry

    5%

    Entry-level AI openings
    118
    Entry-level openings
    2,608
    Median posted pay
    $183k

    Based on 2,608 openings.

    Pharmaceuticals & Biotech jobs, employers and outlook

  9. 9

    Professional Services & Consulting Industry

    4%

    Entry-level AI openings
    224
    Entry-level openings
    5,504
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Based on 5,504 openings.

    Professional Services & Consulting jobs, employers and outlook

  10. 10

    Energy & Utilities Industry

    4%

    Entry-level AI openings
    100
    Entry-level openings
    2,802
    Median posted pay
    $140k

    Based on 2,802 openings.

    Energy & Utilities jobs, employers and outlook

  11. 11

    Retail & E-commerce Industry

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    186
    Entry-level openings
    6,294
    Median posted pay
    $126k

    Based on 6,294 openings.

    Retail & E-commerce jobs, employers and outlook

  12. 12

    Telecommunications Industry

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    8
    Entry-level openings
    272
    Median posted pay
    $101k

    Based on 272 openings.

    Telecommunications jobs, employers and outlook

  13. 13

    Transportation & Logistics Industry

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    65
    Entry-level openings
    2,284
    Median posted pay
    $118k

    Based on 2,284 openings.

    Transportation & Logistics jobs, employers and outlook

  14. 14

    Manufacturing & Industrial Industry

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    391
    Entry-level openings
    14,100
    Median posted pay
    $130k

    Based on 14,100 openings.

    Manufacturing & Industrial jobs, employers and outlook

  15. 15

    Nonprofit & Social Impact Industry

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    51
    Entry-level openings
    1,926
    Median posted pay
    $111k

    Based on 1,926 openings.

    Nonprofit & Social Impact jobs, employers and outlook

  16. 16

    Education & EdTech Industry

    3%

    Entry-level AI openings
    115
    Entry-level openings
    4,408
    Median posted pay
    $99k

    Based on 4,408 openings.

    Education & EdTech jobs, employers and outlook

  17. 17

    Government & Public Sector Industry

    2%

    Entry-level AI openings
    66
    Entry-level openings
    3,274
    Median posted pay
    $113k

    Based on 3,274 openings.

    Government & Public Sector jobs, employers and outlook

Full ranking

All 17 industries that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankIndustryScoreSample
1Technology & Software Industry20%16,800
2Media & Entertainment Industry10%1,884
3Construction & Real Estate Industry8%1,452
4Agriculture & Food Production Industry7%668
5Financial Services & Banking Industry7%9,249
6Aerospace & Defense Industry6%5,007
7Healthcare & Hospital Systems Industry5%7,515
8Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Industry5%2,608
9Professional Services & Consulting Industry4%5,504
10Energy & Utilities Industry4%2,802
11Retail & E-commerce Industry3%6,294
12Telecommunications Industry3%272
13Transportation & Logistics Industry3%2,284
14Manufacturing & Industrial Industry3%14,100
15Nonprofit & Social Impact Industry3%1,926
16Education & EdTech Industry3%4,408
17Government & Public Sector Industry2%3,274

How this ranking works

A industry's score is the share of its entry-level and early-career roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool.

The industry is the one our crawler assigns to the employer. Only industries with at least 200 entry-level openings are ranked, and only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted.

Sample bar: industries with fewer than 200 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. 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 industry ranks first: industries where entry-level jobs want ai skills?
Technology & Software leads: 20% of its entry-level openings ask for AI skills, against 7% across all industries.
How many industries are ranked?
17 industries have at least 200 entry-level openings, so the list has 17 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A industry's score is the share of its entry-level and early-career roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool. The industry is the one our crawler assigns to the employer. Only industries with at least 200 entry-level openings are ranked, and only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted.
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, “Industries where entry-level jobs want AI skills,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/industries-where-entry-level-jobs-want-ai

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/industries-where-entry-level-jobs-want-ai">Industries where entry-level jobs want AI skills (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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