Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained immense popularity in recent years. With the emergence of advanced chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, companies are integrating AI into various applications, from chatbots to photography and gaming. This rise in AI adoption is creating a job boom, with estimates predicting 97 million new AI-related positions by 2025. Companies prioritize individuals with specific skills during the hiring process in this competitive market.
We have researched various online forums and studies, including one by content operations software StoryChief.io, to compile a list of 12 top-paying skills for AI jobs.
Rust
Rust is known for its speed and reliability. These traits make it ideal for AI applications where performance is crucial. Unlike other languages, Rust ensures programs run smoothly without common issues like memory leaks, which can slow down a program over time. This is especially important in AI when dealing with large datasets and complex calculations. Rust’s popularity has grown rapidly, with its users almost tripling over the past two years.
Average Salary Bump: $29,480
Golang (Go)
Golang, also known as Go, is a programming language created by Google. It’s known for being straightforward, powerful, and efficient, making AI helpful in building scalable systems. Go can handle many tasks simultaneously, which is crucial when processing large amounts of data or running machine learning models. Although it may not have as many AI-specific libraries as Python, its speed and efficiency in handling data make it an excellent choice for developing AI models.
Average Salary Bump: $21,080
Deep Learning
Deep learning is an essential aspect of AI, where computers learn to recognize patterns in large amounts of data. It’s used in voice assistants, image recognition, and self-driving cars. People build deep learning models using neural networks designed to mimic the human brain’s functions. These models excel at understanding and processing complex data, making deep learning essential for developing advanced AI applications.
Average Salary Bump: $15,660
Python
One of the most popular languages for AI, Python is easy to learn and has a vast library of tools. These tools make building and training machine learning models, analyzing data, and deploying AI applications easy. Python’s simplicity allows developers to write code quickly, a big reason why it’s often the first choice for AI research and development. As of August 2024, Python is also considered the most popular programming language globally.
Average Salary Bump: $13,100
PyTorch
PyTorch is an open-source framework created by Meta for building deep learning models. It’s popular among researchers and developers because it’s flexible and easy to use. PyTorch allows experimentation with different model designs and excels in handling complex neural networks, making it a top choice for tasks like image recognition and natural language processing. Its user-friendly interface also makes debugging and optimizing models easier.
Average Salary Bump: $7,223
Scala
Scala is a programming language that merges functional and object-oriented programming, making it powerful for AI applications. This combination makes Scala applications easier to evolve while ensuring that maintaining them remains economical. Scala is often used with Apache Spark, an extensive data processing framework, to handle large datasets in AI projects. Its ability to process data quickly and efficiently makes it suitable for AI models that require high performance.
Average Salary Bump: $7,134
JavaScript
People have traditionally used JavaScript for web development. Still, it’s also becoming important in AI, especially for web-based AI applications. With libraries like TensorFlow.js, developers can run machine learning models directly in the browser. This makes it possible to create interactive AI-powered websites and tools that work in real-time. The most famous programming language for professional developers over the past ten years, JavaScript is used by more than 60% of developers in 2024.
Average Salary Bump: $5,952
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Natural Language Processing, also known as NLP, is a field of AI that teaches computers to understand and generate human language. Developers use it to create chatbots, voice assistants, and translation services. NLP allows machines to interpret text and speech, enabling more natural interactions with humans. As AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini continue to rise in popularity, NLP remains an important aspect of AI.
Average Salary Bump: $3,452
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Structured Query Language, or SQL, is a tool for managing and querying database data. In AI, SQL is essential for handling and analyzing large datasets, which form the foundation of any AI model. SQL allows AI developers to retrieve and manipulate data quickly, making preparing data for machine learning easier. Although the negative salary bump means that salaries for SQL specialists are lower than average, SQL remains a necessary skill in AI.
Average Salary Bump: – $2,426
Java
Java is a commonly used programming language known for its stability and ability to handle big projects. Despite Python being the most popular programming language for Machine Learning, Java is more suitable for creating large-scale systems due to its good performance and scalability. People also use it to develop AI applications that need to run reliably across different platforms. Java’s list of libraries, like Deeplearning4j, which supports building complex AI models, makes it a valuable language, although it has lower-than-average salaries.
Average Salary Bump: – $2,767
Computer Vision
Computer vision is an AI field in which machines understand and process visual information, such as images and videos. Developers use it in facial recognition, self-driving cars, and X-ray analysis applications. Computer vision utilizes techniques like object detection and image classification, allowing AI systems to ‘see’ the world visually. Experts predict that the global market for computer vision will multiply until 2030, reaching a projected value of around $47 billion.
Average Salary Bump: – $5,882
R
R, a programming language, is primarily used for statistical analysis and data visualization. In AI, R is valuable for analyzing and interpreting data, which is essential for building machine learning models. R’s powerful statistical analysis tools and ability to produce high-quality graphs and visualizations make it popular among data scientists. Although R might offer lower-than-average salaries, it remains an important tool for AI projects that require detailed data analysis and reporting.
Average Salary Bump: – $6,004