AI is creating some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying opportunities in today's job market, but women are far less likely to be hired for these top roles, according to LinkedIn.
In the U.S., AI job postings have roughly doubled since 2023, and the typical posting lists about $177,000 in compensation, compared with $80,000 for a non-AI role. But women accounted for just 26% of U.S. AI hires in 2025, compared with 50% of hires into non-AI occupations.
LinkedIn's research, which covered its platform data on member employment and job postings between 2023 and 2026, found that women become less represented at multiple stages of the AI talent pipeline, with the biggest gap appearing at the leadership level.
In some of the highest-paying AI roles – including Head of AI (20%), Director of AI (26%), and Member of Technical Staff (18%) – there is a wide gap in women’s representation. At the C-suite level, where AI roles require AI engineering skills or background, only 13% are women.
“As AI becomes a larger driver of job growth, wages, and economic value creation, access to AI careers increasingly shapes who benefits from those opportunities,” LinkedIn said on Aug. 18. “LinkedIn's research suggests that expanding access will be an important challenge for employers, educators, and policymakers in the years ahead.”
Breaking barriers and making C-suites more diverse has been the mission of the New Jersey Women Business Leaders Forum for over a decade. On Sept. 23-24, NJBIA’s 12th Annual WBLF, sponsored by Citizens, takes place at Bally's in Atlantic City, where hundreds of men and women will gather for engaging workshops, dynamic TED-style talks and inspiring keynotes to help attendees advance successful careers and build businesses.
One of the honorees at this year’s conference is Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, an international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in tech by giving girls and young women opportunities to learn coding, build confidence and see themselves as future technology leaders. Saujani will be receiving the NJBIA’s Women in Advocacy Award.
Girls Who Code is focused on preparing girls for an AI-driven economy by developing an AI curriculum that will reach over 200,000 students in the U.S. and launching two new AI programs and a Data Science course.
To learn more about the speakers at the New Jersey Women Business Leaders Forum and register to attend, go here.
