Artificial intelligence is now a significant hiring category in the US labor market. Employers are advertising for AI engineers, data scientists, AI architects, researchers, software developers and product specialists as more organizations apply AI across their products, operations and customer services.

The statistics in this article are based on Veritone’s Q1 2026 AI recruitment data, so they should be read as a first-quarter snapshot rather than a full-year view. The figures cover AI-related vacancies, salary movement, job title demand, state-level hiring, leading employers and prominent AI startups.

For recruitment teams, the data points to a competitive but more established hiring market. Vacancy numbers have increased significantly year-on-year, while salary movement has been more measured. Broadbean supports organizations by helping them distribute vacancies across relevant channels, monitor advertising performance and improve visibility over candidate attraction.

Key Q1 2026 AI recruitment statistics

• AI-related vacancies in the US reached 55,374 in Q1 2026.
• AI vacancies increased by 36.0% year-on-year, rising from 35,445 in Q1 2025.
• AI vacancies increased by 17.9% quarter-on-quarter, rising from 45,465 in Q4 2025.
• Median AI salaries reached $162,240 in Q1 2026, up 3.2% year-on-year.
• AI roles paid 22.4% more than non-AI IT roles at the median.
• California recorded the highest number of AI-related vacancies, with 11,646 roles in Q1 2026.

What is AI in recruitment?

AI in recruitment refers to the use of artificial intelligence in hiring activities, including candidate matching, job advertising, screening support, reporting, and workflow automation. It can also refer to recruiting people for specialist AI roles.

This article focuses on the US market for AI jobs in Q1 2026. These include technical positions such as AI/ML engineers, AI/ML architects, data scientists and AI researchers, as well as product and project roles connected to AI development.

The distinction is useful because employers may be using AI tools in their hiring process while also competing for AI specialists. For job adverts, clarity is important. Candidates need to understand the role’s responsibilities, the technical experience required and the tools or systems they will use. A role that uses AI as a broad label without enough detail can attract a less relevant applicant pool.

Why is AI hiring growing so fast?

AI hiring is growing as more organizations move from experimentation to practical use. AI is now being applied across software development, data analysis, customer service, cybersecurity, financial modeling, logistics, marketing and product design. As adoption expands, employers need people who can build, test, manage and improve these systems.

The Q1 2026 data also shows that demand is no longer limited to AI-native businesses. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase, Capital One and Apple all appear among the top companies hiring for AI roles, showing how demand now reaches across technology, retail, financial services, consulting and wider enterprise operations.

The work itself requires several connected skill sets. A company developing AI capability may need engineers to build models, data scientists to interpret complex datasets, architects to design technical systems and product managers to connect the technology with commercial use.

For recruitment teams, this means AI hiring should be treated with more precision than a single broad category allows. The candidate market for an AI/ML engineer can differ from that for a data scientist or AI product manager, with salary expectations, location and candidate availability varying by role.

AI job trends 2026

AI job trends in Q1 2026 point to continued growth in advertised vacancies. US employers posted 55,374 AI-related vacancies during the quarter, compared with 45,465 in Q4 2025 and 35,445 in Q1 2025. This represents a 17.9% quarter-on-quarter increase and a 36.0% year-on-year increase.

The two-year comparison is also significant. In Q1 2024, AI-related vacancies stood at 28,300. By Q1 2026, this had increased by 27,074 roles, representing growth of 48.9%.

Salary growth was more measured. Median AI salaries reached $162,240 in Q1 2026, down slightly from $163,280 in Q4 2025 but above $156,998 in Q1 2025.

Key AI job trends in Q1 2026

• Total AI vacancies: 55,374.
• Quarter-on-quarter vacancy growth: 17.9%.
• Year-on-year vacancy growth: 36.0%.
• Two-year vacancy growth: 48.9%.
• Median AI salary: $162,240.
• Year-on-year median salary growth: 3.2%.

Average AI salaries

The median salary for AI-related roles in the US was $162,240 in Q1 2026. This was $1,040 lower than the Q4 2025 median of $163,280, representing a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 0.6%.

Year-on-year, AI salaries increased. In Q1 2025, the median salary was $156,998. By Q1 2026, this had risen by $5,242, representing growth of 3.2%.

The two-year comparison shows a similar pattern. In Q1 2024, the median AI salary was $156,000. By Q1 2026, the figure had risen by $6,240, representing an increase of 3.8%.

These figures suggest that AI salaries remain high, even though recent growth has been measured. Employers may be facing more competition for AI talent, but the market is not showing the same level of salary acceleration as vacancy growth. For hiring teams, this makes accurate salary benchmarking important.

Average AI salary statistics

• Median AI salary in Q1 2026: $162,240.
• Quarter-on-quarter salary change: down 0.6%.
• Year-on-year salary change: up 3.2%.
• Two-year salary change: up 3.8%.
• AI-related vacancies increased by 48.9% over the same two-year period.

AI salaries for AI IT and AI software developers

AI roles continued to command a salary premium over wider IT roles in Q1 2026. The median salary for all AI roles was $162,240, compared with $132,506 for non-AI IT roles. This represents a difference of $29,734, or approximately 22.4%.

A similar premium appears in software development. AI software developer roles had a median salary of $169,052 in Q1 2026, compared with $145,600 for non-AI software developer roles. This is a difference of $23,452, or approximately 16.1%.

These comparisons show why AI hiring can be especially competitive. Candidates with AI skills may compare opportunities across specialist AI businesses, large technology companies, financial services employers, consultancies and enterprise software teams.

AI salary comparison statistics

• Median salary for all AI roles: $162,240.
• Median salary for non-AI IT roles: $132,506.
• AI roles paid $29,734 more than non-AI IT roles at the median.
• Median salary for AI software developer roles: $169,052.
• Median salary for non-AI software developer roles: $145,600.
• AI software developer roles paid $23,452 more than non-AI software developer roles at the median.

Top AI job titles

AI/ML engineer was the leading AI-related job title in Q1 2026, with 19,297 vacancies. This was a substantial increase from 9,922 vacancies in Q1 2025, representing year-on-year growth of 94.5%.

Data scientist was the second-largest job title by vacancy volume, with 16,316 roles in Q1 2026. Growth was more moderate in this category, with vacancies increasing by 8.9% from Q1 2025.

AI/ML architect recorded the strongest year-on-year percentage growth among the listed roles. Vacancies increased from 770 in Q1 2025 to 2,283 in Q1 2026, a rise of 196.5%. Product/project manager roles connected to AI also increased sharply, rising from 749 to 1,722 vacancies, which represents year-on-year growth of 129.9%.

Big data engineer was the only listed job title to record a year-on-year decline. Vacancies fell from 1,360 in Q1 2025 to 850 in Q1 2026, a decrease of 37.5%.

Top AI job title statistics

• AI/ML engineer: 19,297 vacancies in Q1 2026, up 94.5% year-on-year.
• Data scientist: 16,316 vacancies, up 8.9% year-on-year.
• AI/ML architect: 2,283 vacancies, up 196.5% year-on-year.
• Product/project manager: 1,722 vacancies, up 129.9% year-on-year.
• AI/ML researcher: 906 vacancies, up 19.8% year-on-year.
• Big data engineer: 850 vacancies, down 37.5% year-on-year.

Top 10 states for AI hiring

AI hiring in Q1 2026 was concentrated in states with large technology, finance, government contracting or enterprise business markets. California led by a clear margin, with 11,646 AI-related vacancies. New York followed with 4,758 vacancies, while Texas recorded 4,079.

California’s lead reflects the depth of the state’s technology market, but growth was visible across several other states. New York recorded 81.4% year-on-year growth, while Texas increased by 58.2%. Florida’s vacancy numbers increased by 65.2% year-on-year and 39.6% quarter-on-quarter.

Top 10 states for AI hiring in Q1 2026

• California: 11,646 vacancies, up 41.6% year-on-year and 14.5% quarter-on-quarter.
• New York: 4,758 vacancies, up 81.4% year-on-year and 24.9% quarter-on-quarter.
• Texas: 4,079 vacancies, up 58.2% year-on-year and 31.6% quarter-on-quarter.
• Washington: 2,755 vacancies, up 51.6% year-on-year and 22.4% quarter-on-quarter.
• Virginia: 2,634 vacancies, up 17.5% year-on-year and 23.6% quarter-on-quarter.
• Illinois: 1,834 vacancies, up 61.6% year-on-year and 28.3% quarter-on-quarter.
• Massachusetts: 1,707 vacancies, up 32.1% year-on-year and 9.6% quarter-on-quarter.
• Florida: 1,424 vacancies, up 65.2% year-on-year and 39.6% quarter-on-quarter.
• Georgia: 1,410 vacancies, up 59.7% year-on-year and 15.7% quarter-on-quarter.
• New Jersey: 1,373 vacancies, up 20.7% year-on-year and 36.2% quarter-on-quarter.

Top employers for AI-related roles

The top employers for AI-related roles in Q1 2026 included major technology companies, retailers, financial services firms and consulting businesses. Microsoft recorded the highest number of AI-related roles live during the quarter, followed by Amazon and Google.

The presence of Walmart, JPMorgan Chase, Capital One and Booz Allen Hamilton shows that AI hiring is now firmly embedded beyond traditional software and cloud businesses. Large employers are hiring AI talent to support internal systems, customer-facing products, analytics, automation and operational efficiency.

Top employers for AI-related roles in Q1 2026

• Microsoft: 818 AI-related roles.
• Amazon: 711 AI-related roles.
• Google: 702 AI-related roles.
• Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.: 544 AI-related roles.
• Walmart, Inc.: 520 AI-related roles.
• TikTok: 464 AI-related roles.
• Nvidia Corporation: 429 AI-related roles.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.: 307 AI-related roles.
• Capital One Financial Corporation: 299 AI-related roles.
• Apple: 292 AI-related roles.

Top 10 most prominent AI startups in 2026

The Q1 2026 startup data shows strong hiring activity across several prominent AI businesses. Databricks recorded the highest number of job postings on March 31, 2026, followed by OpenAI, Anthropic, Crusoe and CoreWeave.

The 7-day, 30-day and 90-day figures show how job postings compare with recent posting averages. Positive figures indicate postings above the relevant average, while negative figures indicate postings below that average.

Databricks

Databricks recorded 842 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 0.4%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 6.2%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 16.0%.

OpenAI

OpenAI recorded 656 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 0.5%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 4.4%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 21.2%.

Anthropic

Anthropic recorded 439 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: down 1.3%.
• Compared with 30-day average: down 1.4%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 10.6%.

Crusoe

Crusoe recorded 318 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: down 4.0%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 0.2%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 14.7%.

CoreWeave

CoreWeave recorded 305 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 0.2%.
• Compared with 30-day average: down 1.9%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 5.5%.

VAST Data

VAST Data recorded 272 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 3.3%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 16.7%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 29.8%.

Shield AI

Shield AI recorded 259 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 0.9%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 4.0%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 2.6%.

xAI

xAI recorded 228 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 1.7%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 10.6%.
• Compared with 90-day average: down 10.6%.

Glean

Glean recorded 187 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: down 6.4%.
• Compared with 30-day average: down 3.7%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 4.6%.

Scale AI

Scale AI recorded 172 job postings on March 31, 2026.

• Compared with 7-day average: up 1.1%.
• Compared with 30-day average: up 1.4%.
• Compared with 90-day average: up 7.8%.

What the Q1 2026 data means for AI recruitment

The Q1 2026 figures show a US AI hiring market with strong vacancy growth, high salaries and clear competition across states, job titles and employers. AI/ML engineers and data scientists accounted for the largest volumes among listed job titles, while AI/ML architects and AI product or project managers saw especially strong year-on-year growth.

Salary movement was more measured. Median AI salaries were slightly lower quarter-on-quarter, although still higher than in Q1 2025 and Q1 2024. For employers, this makes role requirements, salary positioning, advertising performance and candidate targeting especially important.

For organizations hiring AI talent in 2026, reliable data can support better decisions about where to advertise, which roles are most competitive and how salaries compare. Broadbean helps employers manage this process through job distribution, campaign visibility and recruitment advertising performance.