Artificial intelligence is increasingly and clearly dividing the global labor market into "two distinct paths": workers whose roles AI "augments and enriches" are starting to noticeably outpace in opportunities and income those whose functions the technology "simplifies and commodifies." This is the conclusion reached by the authors of the "2026 AI Jobs Barometer," published by PwC on Monday.
The report covers over "1 billion" job postings across "27 territories" on six continents. It states that so-called "professionalized" positions – where AI takes over routine tasks and leaves "professional judgment and human expertise" in the foreground – show "double the employment growth" compared to "democratized" fields. In the latter, AI allows complex tasks to be performed by people without specialized training.
Furthermore, since "2021," wages in "professionalized" roles have grown "42% faster" compared to the rest. This, according to PwC, is a clear signal that the market is increasingly rewarding roles where AI is a tool in the hands of experts rather than a substitute for basic human functions.
AI leaders hire more and increase productivity
Contrary to widespread fears of replacing humans, companies with the "highest dependence on AI" are actually hiring employees "faster" than their competitors. Staff in such companies has grown by "52%" compared to "2018" levels, while for firms with the "lowest share of AI," the increase is "36%.".
The report also discusses a distinct "super-actor effect" – the top "20% of companies" with a high degree of AI usage have achieved an average growth in "labor productivity of 163%," almost "five times more" than the average indicator even among the most AI-intensive companies. Parallel to this, wage growth in organizations with the "highest share of AI" reached "24%" since 2018, while for firms with the "lowest share," it was only "17%."
AI skills carry an ever-increasing premium
The average "wage premium" for workers with AI skills has increased to about "62%," compared to "57%" in the previous edition of the barometer. Job postings requiring specific AI competencies are growing "almost eight times faster" than the general labor market: the number of offers for AI specialists has increased by "69%" between "2024" and "2025," while the overall growth of job vacancies is "8.6%."
At the entry level, AI is also changing "requirements for junior staff." An analysis of "2.4 million" American entry-level job postings shows that positions related to AI are "seven times more likely" to require traditionally "senior" competencies – such as "leadership" and "strategic thinking." The number of these "elevated" entry-level positions has grown by "35%" since "2019," while other postings at this level have decreased by "10%."
The era of experimentation is ending: business wants scale
"The era of experimentation is over – businesses want to scale the technology and implement it for real," states "Claire Reid," Director of "Technology and Innovation" at "PwC UK." She emphasizes that there is a difference between "building an AI-literate workforce" and "expecting everyone to become an AI expert overnight."
According to Reid, the data shows that companies that use AI to "upgrade human skills" rather than simply to "reduce labor costs" gain the most – both in terms of productivity and in terms of attracting and retaining talent. The PwC report suggests that in the coming years, the line between "enriched" and "devalued" roles will become even clearer, and AI competence will be one of the key factors for income and career development.