AI job postings statistics 2026: how many job ads mention AI?
Last updated · By the Scowter team
Short answer
Indeed Hiring Lab's AI tracker found AI terms in 7.3% of US job postings on 30 September 2026, up from 3.7% a year earlier. In Q1 2026, 8.3% of US job titles had AI in some postings (Indeed). PwC's 2026 AI Jobs Barometer (June 2026) found a 62% average wage premium for AI skills, up from 57%.
Key statistics
The share of job ads that mention AI roughly doubled in a year in the US. The figures below come from Indeed Hiring Lab, PwC, Huntr and Scowter's own count.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| US job postings with AI terms | 7.3% (3.7% a year earlier) | Indeed Hiring Lab AI Tracker, 30 Sept 2026 |
| US job postings with AI terms, two and three years earlier | 2.4% (Sept 2024), 1.8% (Sept 2023) | Indeed Hiring Lab AI Tracker |
| US job titles touched by AI | 822 titles, 8.3% of titles | Indeed Hiring Lab, Q1 2026 (published 8 July 2026) |
| Share of AI-touched US titles outside tech | 63% | Indeed Hiring Lab, Q1 2026 |
| Average wage premium for AI skills | 62% (57% a year earlier) | PwC 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, 15 June 2026 |
| Growth in jobs needing specific AI skills since 2019 | 69% vs 9% for all jobs | PwC 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer |
| Job titles containing "AI" / "Python" | 411 / 248 | Scowter data, 9 Oct to 8 Nov 2026, 127,814 job posts from 150+ job sites |
How many job ads mention AI
Indeed Hiring Lab's AI tracker measures the share of postings that use AI keywords such as machine learning, data science and artificial intelligence, on a seven-day average. In the US, the share was 7.3% on 30 September 2026. It was 3.7% on 30 September 2025, 2.4% in 2024 and 1.8% in 2023.
Other countries in the same tracker on 30 September 2026: Canada 19.0%, Ireland 15.0%, the UK 9.9%, Australia 7.1%, Germany 5.7%, Italy 4.8%, France 4.5% and the Netherlands 3.6%.
Some secondary sites quote slightly different US figures for September 2026. The value above comes straight from Indeed's published data file.
AI is spreading beyond tech jobs
A separate Indeed Hiring Lab study by Pawel Adrjan, published 8 July 2026, counted job titles where AI terms appear in the title itself. In the US, 822 titles were AI-touched in Q1 2026, or 8.3% of all titles. In Q1 2022 the figure was 264, or 2.6%. 63% of the AI-touched US titles in Q1 2026 were outside tech.
In Scowter's count of 127,814 job posts from 150+ job sites (9 October to 8 November 2026), the word "AI" appeared in 411 job titles and "Python" in 248. Most AI demand shows up inside the job description, not the title.
Pay and hiring for AI skills
PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, released 15 June 2026, analysed more than 1 billion job ads in 27 countries. It found an average 62% wage premium for workers with AI skills, up from 57% the year before. Jobs needing specific AI skills grew 69% since 2019, against 9% for the whole jobs market.
Huntr's Q3 2026 data found the median top of the posted pay range was $185,000 for jobs naming an AI skill and $140,000 for other jobs. But interview rates were lower for the AI-skill jobs: 4.3% against 5.5%. 13.7% of entry-level jobs saved by Huntr users in 2026 named an AI skill, up from 7.1% in 2025.
What this means for your job search
- List the AI tools you really use at work, and what you did with them.
- Use the exact AI and data terms from the job post, when they match your skills.
- Look for AI-touched roles in your own field. Most are not tech jobs.
- Expect more competition for AI-skill roles. Huntr found lower interview rates for them.
- Do not claim AI skills you do not have. Greenhouse found 32% of job seekers had done so in July 2025, and recruiters check.
How Scowter helps
Scowter's free AI job search covers 150+ job boards, so you can find AI roles across fields. The free AI CV optimizer reads a job link or description and tailors your CV to the AI and data skills that role asks for.