The AI job market in 2026: who gets hired, what they earn, and which roles are fading
Summary
The article surveys the AI job market in September 2026, aggregating data from LinkedIn, the World Economic Forum, Stanford AI Index, PwC, Lightcast, Indeed, Bain, and Levels.fyi. It identifies AI Engineer as the most hired role, Research Scientist as the most prestigious, and highlights rising areas like agentic systems and Forward Deployed Engineering, while noting a fading trend in prompt engineering and increasing postings outside IT.