- Experience working with ‘recommendation systems’ is the most lucrative AI skill in the US, with a median salary of $195,000 across 185 job listings on Glassdoor.
- Experience using ‘Natural Language Understanding (NLU)’ and ‘CUDA’ were the second and third most valuable AI skills, with salaries for jobs listing these skills averaging $188,600 and $187,500 respectively.
- ‘Machine learning’ is the most sought-after AI skill in the US, appearing in 16,760 job adverts.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption increases, becoming a bigger part of daily lives, it’s also reshaping the job market. Roles that once seemed niche or highly technical are now in high demand, new job roles are even created to fill emerging skills gaps.
To uncover which AI skills are commanding the highest salaries (and which ones are in the greatest demand), Bookipi analyzed over 39,000 AI-related job listings in the US. Here’s what we found.
What are the top-paying AI jobs?
The top-paying AI skills are recommendation systems, natural language understanding (NLU), and CUDA, each commanding median salaries above $187,000 in the US.
If you’re looking to maximize your earning potential in AI, here are the top 3 skills most likely to get you there:
- Recommendation Systems – Median salary: $195,000
Found in fewer listings, but incredibly valuable, this skill is widely used in e-commerce, media, and personalization engines. - Natural Language Understanding (NLU) – $188,600
Vital for chatbots, voice assistants, and smart automation. - CUDA (NVIDIA’s GPU Computing Platform) – $187,500
In demand for AI roles that rely on high-performance computing.
Other high-paying skills include:
- Model Evaluation – $183,263
- MXNet – $183,000
- Apache Flink – $182,745
- Speech Recognition – $179,100
- Distributed Systems – $176,450
- Deep Learning – $175,000
- Reinforcement Learning – $172,838
The salary figures from our study reflect median pay across hundreds of job listings, making it clear that specialized AI skills can lead to high-paying opportunities. Roles that mention Recommendation Systems or Natural Language Understanding (NLU), for instance, offer significantly higher salaries, often because they require deep technical knowledge and support high-impact features like product personalisation and voice assistants.
But it’s not just about salary—volume matters too. For example:
- Deep learning appears in 2,707 job listings, and
- Distributed systems in 1,262 listings,
Even though their median salaries fall slightly below those of the top-tier roles. This shows broad demand across the market, especially in companies scaling AI across products and departments. The tl;dr is that while niche expertise can be highly lucrative, foundational and scalable skills offer stability and access to a wider range of roles. This gives job seekers and upskilling professionals more flexibility depending on their career goals—whether that’s high specialisation or broader adaptability.
What are the top 10 AI skills by median salary?
The top 10 highest-paying AI skills by median salary are recommendation systems, natural language understanding (NLU), CUDA, model evaluation, MXNet, Apache Flink, speech recognition, distributed systems, deep learning, and reinforcement learning, with median salaries ranging from about $173,000 to $195,000.
| Rank | Skill | Job listings mentioning this skill | Median salary |
| 1. | Recommendation systems | 185 | $195,000 |
| 2. | Natural Language Understanding (NLU) | 144 | $188,600 |
| 3. | CUDA | 352 | $187,500 |
| 4. | Model evaluation | 107 | $183,263 |
| 5. | MXNet | 105 | $183,000 |
| 6. | Apache Flink | 161 | $182,745 |
| 7. | Speech recognition | 117 | $179,100 |
| 8. | Distributed systems | 1,262 | $176,450 |
| 9. | Deep learning | 2,707 | $175,000 |
| 10. | Reinforcement learning | 461 | $172,838 |
What are the most in-demand AI skills right now?
Machine learning, Python, and data science are the most sought-after AI skills, each appearing in thousands of job listings and reflecting their widespread use across industries.
- Machine Learning – Appears in 16,760 listings | $145,000
- Python – 11,657 listings | $136,487
- Data Science – 8,369 listings | $139,579
- C++ – 7,741 listings | $126,513
- Excel – 6,593 listings | $92,500
- SQL, Java, DevOps, Data Analytics, and CI/CD also ranked highly.
The demand for these skills reflects real-world use cases in companies of all sizes. These skills enable practical solutions — from smart customer service chatbots to recommendation engines that boost sales. Companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Shopify use them at scale, but small businesses are increasingly doing the same through tools that integrate these capabilities in more accessible ways.
Top 10 most sought-after AI skills
| Rank | Skill | Job listings mentioning this skill | Median salary |
| 1. | Machine learning | 16,760 | $145,000 |
| 2. | Python | 11,657 | $136,487 |
| 3. | Data science | 8,369 | $139,579 |
| 4. | C++ | 7,741 | $126,513 |
| 5. | Microsoft Excel | 6,593 | $92,500 |
| 6. | SQL | 6,439 | $125,000 |
| 7. | Java | 4,732 | $143,424 |
| 8. | DevOps | 3,530 | $137,500 |
| 9. | Data analytics | 3,297 | $130,625 |
| 10. | CI/CD | 3,075 | $139,000 |
Tim Lee, CEO and founder of Bookipi, commented on the findings,
“Interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown exponentially in the past decade, driven by employers integrating it into daily operations, the rise of innovative startups, and job seekers eager to break into the industry and enhance their skills.
This study provides insight into the highest-paying AI skills and the most sought-after skills that increase one’s chances of securing a position in the industry. It also offers valuable guidance on the most effective paths to upskilling for individuals looking to advance their careers in the AI industry.
The data also serves as a cautionary tale for sectors such as mining and information technology, where survival rates are notably lower. Entrepreneurs in these fields must be prepared to navigate greater risks and uncertainties.
The findings emphasize the importance of thorough market research and strategic planning before launching a business. Understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within each industry is crucial for increasing the likelihood of long-term success.”
Sources: Glassdoor.com
“This study provides valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasizing industries with impressive business survival rates to guide those seeking long-term success.
“According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 45% of new businesses fail within the first five years, highlighting the challenges start-ups face in today’s economic climate. It’s important to note that the timeline of this study, from 2020 to 2023, encompasses the Covid-19 pandemic—a period that significantly disrupted global markets and business operations. Despite these unprecedented challenges, it’s encouraging to see resilience across many sectors, including retail and hospitality.
“The data also serves as a cautionary tale for sectors such as mining and information technology, where survival rates are notably lower. Entrepreneurs in these fields must be prepared to navigate greater risks and uncertainties.
“The findings emphasize the importance of thorough market research and strategic planning before launching a business. Understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within each industry is crucial for increasing the likelihood of long-term success.”
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Frequently asked questions
How many job listings mention AI skills?
Machine learning appears in 16,760 listings, Python in 11,657, and data science in 8,369, making them the most frequently requested AI skills by employers.
Which AI skills offer both high salaries and high demand?
Deep learning and distributed systems are notable for being both highly paid and appearing in a large number of job listings, offering a balance of earning potential and job opportunities.
Why are recommendation systems and NLU among the highest-paying AI skills?
These skills command higher salaries because they require deep technical expertise and are crucial for high-impact applications like product personalization and voice assistants.
How does experience level affect AI salaries?
AI professionals with more years of experience can expect significantly higher salaries, with those over 14 years earning close to $197,000 annually.
How much of a salary premium can AI skills provide?
Employers are willing to pay a salary premium of 30% or more for workers with AI skills, and in some cases, salary boosts can reach up to 47%.
Source
Methodology
Glassdoor data was gathered on 2024-11-06 for 39,139 unique job descriptions in the US that mentioned the following keywords up until and including this date:
“AI”, “Machine Learning Engineer”, “Data Scientist”, “AI Research Scientist”, “Robotics Engineer”, “AI Product Manager”, “Computer Vision Engineer”, “NLP Engineer”, “Deep Learning Engineer”, “AI Software Developer”, “AI Solutions Architect”.
The appearances of skills across job descriptions were then counted. This was done for unique jobs with an annual salary from the employer or an estimated salary by Glassdoor. For each specific skill, the median salary was calculated using all job listings that mentioned that skill.
The data was then ranked based on the median salary and the frequency with which these skills appeared. Only skills that were referenced in a minimum of 100 job listings were considered for the final ranking. A sample list of skills is provided below.
Please contact us if you require a complete list of the skills used in this study.
