Women are significantly underrepresented in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence job market, despite a surge in high-paying opportunities and role availability, according to new research from LinkedIn. In the United States, women accounted for only 26% of AI-related hires in 2025, compared to a 50% share of hires in non-AI occupations.
The AI sector has seen substantial growth, with job postings in the U.S. roughly doubling since 2023. These emerging roles often command significantly higher compensation than traditional positions. The typical AI job posting lists compensation at approximately $177,000, while the typical non-AI role lists approximately $80,000.
Gender disparity becomes even more pronounced at the executive level. Across 27 countries, women hold only 13% of C-suite AI leadership roles at AI-focused companies. The research indicates that the gender gap is approximately 15 percentage points wider for C-suite positions than for roles below the executive level. Representation also remains low in several high-paying technical roles, with women holding 20% of Head of AI positions, 26% of Director of AI roles, and 18% of Member of Technical Staff positions.
The data suggests women face disadvantages at multiple stages of the talent pipeline. The share of women in AI roles is roughly 10 percentage points lower than their share in non-AI roles. Additionally, women’s representation in the workforce is about 5 percentage points lower at AI-focused companies than at comparable non-AI companies.
Beyond gender, the AI workforce is heavily concentrated among individuals with higher education. While 91% of AI workers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, that figure rises to above 95% for the most highly compensated occupations, such as Head of AI and Director of AI.
As companies continue to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, the demand for specific expertise is shifting. AI Engineer has overtaken Machine Learning Engineer as the most common AI role, and postings for VP of AI have increased approximately sixfold. The role of Forward Deployed Engineer has also emerged as the third most common AI occupation in job postings.
