Reported by Katherine Bindley

(Summary shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-jobs-entry-level-salary-ab2a11c0?mod=mhp)

The job market remains difficult for most young workers, with unemployment for recent college graduates at 4.8% in June—higher than the overall 4% rate. However, for those with skills in artificial intelligence, the outlook is strikingly different. Entry-level professionals with AI and machine-learning expertise are seeing rapid promotions, major salary growth, and in some cases, seven-figure compensation packages. A new report by Burtch Works found that base salaries for early-career AI workers rose 12% between 2024 and 2025, the fastest growth among any experience group, as companies increasingly reward impact and technical ability over tenure.

Tech firms are aggressively hiring AI-native talent, even preferring younger workers who grew up with the technology over more senior staff reluctant to adapt. Databricks, for example, plans to triple its campus hires this year, with research scientists earning base salaries of $190,000 to $260,000 and total compensation potentially exceeding $1 million. The company’s CEO highlighted how under-25 employees are driving innovation and commanding outsized pay. This trend underscores the significant salary gap between traditional software engineering and AI engineering roles, which now represent some of the most lucrative paths for early-career professionals.

The demand is not just for highly credentialed Ph.D. researchers but also for fast-learning engineers who can leverage AI tools effectively. At firms like Roblox and Scale AI, entry-level engineers with minimal corporate experience are starting at salaries above $200,000, while top candidates can secure multimillion-dollar offers. Startups are also aggressively competing for young talent: Scale AI counts 15% of its workforce under 25, and CTGT, backed by Google, has an average employee age of just 21. In some cases, junior employees are already sitting on equity worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The wave of opportunity is reshaping early career paths in technology, with students leaving Ph.D. programs early and even teenagers with published AI research being recruited by startups. Recent graduates like Lily Ma from Carnegie Mellon, who landed at Scale AI after weighing multiple offers, illustrate how AI credentials can rapidly translate into job security and financial success. Meanwhile, founders like CTGT’s 23-year-old Cyril Gorlla are not only leading companies but also fending off competitors trying to poach their youngest employees. The rapid rise of “AI-native” professionals signals a generational shift in tech hiring, where age and experience matter far less than fluency in artificial intelligence.