PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer: Demand for AI skilled workers doubles, human skills on top

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Demand for AI skilled workers doubles, human skills set top talent apart: PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer

The number of job advertisements seeking workers with AI skills has more than doubled in twelve months in Australia, and, as competition for top-tier talent intensifies, recruiters are placing greater value on candidates with a combination of technical and human skills.

That’s according to PwC Australia’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer, which found postings increased across all sectors from 20,000 in 2024 to 41,000 in 2025, following four years of limited growth.

AI-skilled workers now command an average wage premium of 62 per cent, up from 57 per cent last year.

The industries offering the highest wage premiums include Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Manufacturing, and Financial Services.

PwC Australia partner and workforce practice lead Emma Hardy said the analysis points to a shift in the types of capabilities employers want most. 

“The advantage in today’s tight labour market isn’t having the technical expertise alone. Professionals who can apply trusted human skills are the ones who are becoming highly sought after in our rapidly changing workforce,” she said.

“Organisations see this combination of capabilities as essential to building their AI foundations, turning AI from a tool into a growth engine. And they’re attempting to attract those candidates with incentives such as higher wage premiums.”

Human skills the new competitive edge

In the most AI-exposed occupations, workers have developed an average of 187 new skills since 2019.

These skills are often highly-specialised and occupation-specific, and linked to domain expertise, professional judgement, certification or regulated practice.

But new tasks are 2.5 times more likely to require human intensive skills such as empathy, creativity, and leadership, along with higher levels of  face-to-face interaction.

PwC Australia’s Managing Director of workforce and change advisory, Peter Wheeler, said these capabilities can’t be replaced by machines, making them among the most valuable.

“The workforce of tomorrow will be less ‘doing’ and more ‘thinking’. As AI adoption increases, critical thought, judgement and curiosity will be highly regarded,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to reimagine traditional ways of learning to prepare the next generation for an AI-powered workforce, embedding responsible AI principles and practices into work.”

PwC Australia chief economist Amy Lomas said a collaborative response from the business sector, education system and governments was needed.

“Organisations can provide safe AI tools and are investing heavily in upskilling. The next phase is building AI fluency into our vocational and education system, with a combination of the technical and human skills that are increasingly being sought by employers,” she said.

A two-track workforce as AI reshape roles

The research found that AI is creating a two-track labour market between ‘professionalised’ and ‘democratised’ jobs.

• Professionalised roles, such as radiologists or recruiters, where AI automates routine tasks and requires more human expertise.
• Democratised roles, such as medical secretaries or branch managers, where AI makes it easier for non-experts to perform specialised tasks.

Since 2021, ‘professionalised’ roles have seen twice the growth in available job ads globally and 42 per cent faster salary increases than those categorised as ‘democratised’.

“Higher rates of pay for professionalised roles reflect the premium businesses place on trust, as much as skills,” said Hardy.

“The ability to manage risk and use AI responsibly is now part of the job description and it’s rewarded. Recruiters value candidates who can exercise judgement, take clear accountability and oversee high-stakes decisions over the AI lifecycle.”

Ads for AI specialists (workers with advanced skills like machine learning) grew eight times faster in 2025 globally than hiring in all jobs.

Postings for AI user roles increased in Australia by 19,300 and AI developers by 1,300, indicating strong momentum on deploying and integrating AI into existing workforces.

Junior jobs needing senior skills

AI appears to be increasing demand for skills typically viewed as ‘senior’ skills from junior workers, as new technologies absorb some of the routine and repetitive tasks traditionally performed at the entry level.

The barometer found that junior workers in the U.S. are now seven times more likely to need skills typically expected of senior staff such as leadership, stakeholder management, and emotional intelligence. 

Hardy said the shift also reflects a broader redefining of work in Australia.

“Pathways are seemingly changing for younger workers. They’re being asked to take on more complex tasks and greater responsibilities at the start of their careers. This makes them more valuable, but if we want them to succeed and use AI responsibly, we must invest in their skills development,” she said.

‘Superstar’ companies rewarded for reinvention

Leading organisations are using AI to reinvent and grow rather than reduce costs, with productivity gains translating into hiring and paying more.

Employers most exposed to AI are growing faster, with headcounts soaring 52 per cent and wages lifting 24 per cent.

According to the analysis, the top performing ‘superstar’ companies achieved average labour productivity growth rates of up to 163 per cent relative to 2018.

Lomas said the winners chase real growth opportunities, over AI-driven cost cutting.

“The gains come from redesigning work, overhauling operations and entering new markets. Those new revenue streams allow firms to reinvest in hiring more staff and upskilling. These companies are chasing new growth opportunities and a competitive edge,” she said.

You can read the full report here.

ENDS