AI Jobs in Demand: Real Salaries, New Career Paths & How to Get Hired in the Age of AI
$50K – $270K+
Everybody is talking about the jobs AI could take away. In this episode, we talk about the jobs it’s creating. AI executive and career coach Meg Columbia-Walsh, who founded CBS HealthWatch, the first health site on the web, and ran an AI personalization company starting in 2016, breaks down the four big categories of AI work, the specific job titles companies are hiring for right now, and what every job seeker needs to learn to stay competitive.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why AI will create jobs
- The four categories of AI work: personalization, generative AI, predictive analytics and conversational AI
- Which AI jobs are in demand right now, from AI engineer to prompt designer
- Why data analysts and coders still matter when AI can analyze and code
- Why cybersecurity is one of the smartest fields to study right now
- Where to take AI courses, many of them free
- The one interview question Meg uses to screen every candidate under 25
How much can you make?
AI pay depends on how technical the role is. Back-end engineering and architecture jobs pay the most, “middle ground” roles like AI product management sit close behind, and front-end and entry-level roles such as data analysis and conversation design are the most accessible ways in. Here are the jobs Meg names in the episode, with current U.S. pay ranges:
AI engineer: $118K–$185K (median $146K) Builds software products and workflows powered by AI models. Source: Glassdoor, AI Engineer salaries
Machine learning engineer: $133K–$208K (median $165K) Designs, builds and scales self-learning algorithms. Source: Glassdoor, Machine Learning Engineer salaries
AI solutions architect: $169K–$273K (median $214K) Bridges the technical team and the business, overseeing AI integration across an organization. Source: Glassdoor, AI Solution Architect salaries
Data scientist: $67K–$199K (median $120,230) Collects, cleans and analyzes the massive datasets used to train AI models; often PhD level. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2025 wages, lowest 10% to highest 10%)
Data analyst / AI data analyst: $72K–$122K (median $94K) Interprets AI-generated insights for a specific product, client or consumer. The most common entry-level way into AI. Source: Glassdoor, Data Analyst salaries
AI product manager: $167K–$246K (median $200K) Connects business goals with AI capabilities to guide product launches. Source: Glassdoor, AI Product Manager salaries
AI project manager: $105K–$169K (median $133K) Runs AI rollouts and personalization projects for brands and agencies. Source: Glassdoor, AI Project Manager salaries (Glassdoor estimate)
AI security specialist: $153K–$239K (median $190K) Protects AI training data and networks from cyberattacks, data poisoning and theft. Source: Glassdoor, AI Security Engineer salaries (small sample)
Cybersecurity analyst: $75K–$200K (median $129,180) Projected to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Information Security Analysts (May 2025 wages, lowest 10% to highest 10%)
Cybersecurity auditor: $92K–$165K (median $122K) Audits systems and controls as companies adopt faster-moving AI. Source: Glassdoor, Cybersecurity Auditor salaries (small sample)
Prompt designer / prompt engineer: $106K–$171K (median $134K) Writes and refines the prompts that get accurate, useful answers out of AI models. Source: Glassdoor, Prompt Engineer salaries
Conversational AI designer: $50K–$80K (median $63K) Designs chatbot and voice-assistant conversations for customer service. Source: Glassdoor, Conversation Designer salaries
Glassdoor figures are U.S. typical total pay (base plus bonus and other pay), accessed October 2026. BLS figures are annual wages from the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Pay varies widely by city, company size and experience.
You may also like:
LinkedIn for Job Seekers with Meg Columbia-Walsh →
Systems Engineer, NASA Artemis →
FAQ
What jobs is AI creating?
AI is creating jobs such as AI engineer, machine learning engineer, AI solutions architect, AI product manager, AI security specialist, prompt engineer and conversational AI designer. It is also increasing demand for data analysts, data scientists and cybersecurity professionals, because companies now have more data, and more security risk, than ever before.
What is the highest-paying AI job?
Among the roles discussed in this episode, AI solutions architects earn the most, with a typical U.S. total pay range of about $169,000 to $273,000 according to Glassdoor. AI product managers ($167,000 to $246,000) and AI security specialists ($153,000 to $239,000) follow close behind.
What is an entry-level AI job?
Data analyst is one of the most accessible entry points, paying roughly $72,000 to $122,000 according to Glassdoor. Conversational AI design, junior AI project management and roles at AI-focused marketing and personalization agencies are other ways in. Meg also recommends recent graduates take an internship at an AI-focused company, even alongside a second paying job, to build experience.
Will AI take away more jobs than it creates?
Meg’s view is that, like the web, mobile and social media before it, AI will create different but more jobs. Some workers who are unable or unwilling to learn the new tools may be replaced, as has happened with every major technology shift, but the work is shifting rather than disappearing. Humans are still needed to interpret data, check AI output and secure AI systems.
Can’t AI just do data analysis on its own?
AI can scan far more data, far faster, than a person can. But interpreting that data for a specific product or client requires knowledge of the client, the consumer and the market. That judgment is still a human job, which is why demand for data analysts is growing as AI produces more data.
Is AI replacing coders and software engineers?
AI is speeding up coding, but the code it produces is still checked by humans to make sure it’s correct. Engineers are shifting toward reviewing AI output, building AI-powered applications and, over time, moving into analyst roles as companies generate more data.
Is cybersecurity a good career in the age of AI?
Yes. Meg calls cybersecurity one of the areas she would focus on if she were in school today. As AI moves faster, companies need more cybersecurity experts and auditors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 21% job growth for information security analysts from 2025 to 2035, with a median wage of $129,180.
Where can I take an AI course?
Most major universities now offer online AI courses and certificates, many of them free. For executives, programs like MIT’s executive education in AI offer more advanced paid options. Meg’s advice: take at least one basic course so you understand what generative AI and machine learning are and can talk about them confidently in an interview.
What AI question should I be ready for in a job interview?
“What is generative AI?” Meg asks it of every candidate under 25, whether the job is a marketing assistant or a research assistant in a library. If a candidate can’t answer it, she won’t hire them, because it shows they haven’t learned about the environment they’re entering.
Coming up next: Meg returns with AI 101, where we take the jargon out and explain what AI actually is, how it works and what you really need to know.
This show first aired on October 2026