LinkedIn study reveals women hold just a quarter of AI-skilled jobs, missing $100K salaries

According to a recent LinkedIn analysis, AI-related vacancies in the United States have surged, but women comprised only 26% of hires for those positions last year, while they make up half of the workforce in non-AI roles. The average salary for AI jobs is roughly $177,000, more than double the $80,000 typical of other jobs, meaning women miss out on about $100,000 annually. The gender gap widens at the top: women hold just 13% of tech-focused C-suite posts at AI companies across 27 nations and only 20% of head-of-AI roles, which pay around $236,000.

Even when employed in AI, women are less likely to occupy the highest-paying titles, such as director of AI ($300,000) or senior technical staff ($245,000). The report attributes the disparity to a “leadership penalty” and notes that women’s more skeptical view of AI does not fully explain the gap. Closing these barriers is deemed essential for equitable participation in the rapidly expanding AI economy.