AI is here to stay. But over the past few years, many employees have worried that the technology will replace them. However, a new PwC report suggests that AI actually makes people more valuable, even when jobs are automated.
PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer analyzed nearly a billion job ads worldwide to understand AI’s impact on jobs, skills, wages, and productivity. It found that the demand for AI skills continues to grow, and the industries that are more AI-exposed have three times higher revenue growth per employee.
Businesses of all sizes can benefit from AI. That includes small businesses — 76% reported actively using AI or exploring the technology, according to a June 2025 National Small Business Association report. AI helps small businesses stay competitive by increasing efficiency and reducing costs, such as by automating tasks, answering customer questions, and creating marketing content.
For small businesses considering expanding AI, here’s what to know about the growing demand for AI skills in the United States.
The growing demand for AI skills
While there were fewer job postings overall in the U.S. in 2024, the number of AI-related jobs increased, indicating a high demand for these skills, the PwC report suggests.
The skills for AI-exposed jobs are evolving 66% faster than for other jobs and 2.5 times faster than last year. As a result, PwC says workers will need to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills for an AI-centric future. For instance, while the degree requirements for AI-exposed jobs in the U.S. dropped 10% from 2019 to 2024, most AI-exposed jobs still require a degree.
Roles featuring AI augmentation, which enhances human capabilities, are growing faster than jobs with AI automation, which may replace human tasks. PwC says this reflects a higher demand for workers whose roles are enhanced by AI tools.
Construction, education, health, social work, and hotels and catering are the industries with the biggest increases in augmentation roles. Financial and insurance and information and communication technology were the sectors with the largest declines in augmentation roles.
The skills for AI-exposed jobs are evolving 66% faster than for other jobs, and 2.5 times faster than last year.
Industries where AI jobs are growing
The PwC report revealed that every industry worldwide is increasing its AI usage, even sectors where exposure to the technology may not be obvious, such as mining and agriculture.
In the U.S., the jobs most exposed to AI include health professionals, executives, business professionals, and information and communications technology professionals. For instance, the growth in demand for AI skills in the information and communications technology sector increased from 5.5% in 2023 to 9.5% in 2024.
However, AI-exposed jobs are growing much more slowly than jobs not exposed to AI, at a rate of 2% compared to 20%, respectively. Jobs less exposed to AI include cleaners, food service workers, trades workers, and health associate professionals.
In the industries most exposed to AI, wages are increasing two times faster, including in highly automated roles. The PwC report also suggested that workers with AI skills have the opportunity to earn a 56% wage premium (up from 25% last year) no matter what industry they’re in.
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