The analysis draws on millions of LinkedIn job postings from early 2023 through mid-2025.

Data annotators (content analysts) support AI development by labeling training data, with skills in SEO copywriting and content production, concentrated in Austin, NYC, and SF.

AI researchers and ML researchers remain prominent, focusing on designing and testing new models and algorithms, with top skills including PyTorch, deep learning, and computer vision, concentrated in tech hubs such as San Francisco, New York, and Boston.

There is a growing shift toward self-employment and independent consulting, with founders and consultants increasingly represented in the growth mix.

The broader takeaway is that the market is moving toward integrated AI capability and strong infrastructure/operations support, underscoring the need for cross-disciplinary skills and narrative-driven career storytelling.

LinkedIn’s 2026 Jobs on the Rise highlights AI-dominated growth in the US, with AI and infrastructure roles leading the way in development, deployment, and data-center analytics.

The same report notes sustained demand for AI development and infrastructure/talent across the IT job market over the past three years.

Top roles emphasize AI technologies (LLMs, PyTorch, RAG, MLOps), data work (data science, content production, SEO), and sector-specific capabilities (healthcare reimbursement, real estate, sales leadership).

Other fast-growing roles include Founders, Sales Executives, Advertising Sales Specialists, Healthcare Reimbursement Specialists, Data Annotators, New Home Sales Specialists, and AI/ML Researchers.

AI engineers are the fastest-growing role, specializing in designing and implementing AI models for prediction and decision-making, with in-demand skills like LangChain, retrieval-augmented generation, and PyTorch, and the strongest concentrations in San Francisco, New York, and Dallas.

Data center technicians and commissioning managers are in demand for building and validating large-scale infrastructure, with hiring strongest in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Columbus, Houston, and Dallas.

AI Engineer leads growth, followed by AI Consultants and AI Strategists/Independent Consultants, signaling broad demand for AI skills across levels.