There may finally be some good news for Gen Zers and recent grads struggling to break into the workforce. Despite a tough job market, a growing number of young professionals are landing high-paying roles by mastering artificial intelligence (AI) — the very tech disrupting traditional entry-level jobs.
Industry leaders and hiring data point to a clear opportunity: learn AI, and more importantly, learn how to apply it in the workplace. That’s the message from entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who recently emphasized on TBPN’s tech podcast that implementation skills are the real career rocket fuel.
“Learn all you can about AI, but more importantly, learn how to implement it in companies,” said Cuban. “Walk into a company, show them the benefits — that’s where the jobs are.”
And the payoff is real. According to new payroll data reported by The Wall Street Journal, early-career professionals in AI-related roles (with 0–3 years of experience) saw a 12% pay bump this year — the biggest increase across all job categories. Many are being promoted to management roles twice as fast as peers in other fields.
No Experience? No Problem — If You Know AI
Companies are hiring AI-literate young people for everything from developing machine learning models to customizing AI platforms and training other employees to use them. The focus isn’t just on coding or research — it’s about real-world problem-solving with AI tools.
Ali Ghodsi, CEO of AI powerhouse Databricks, told the Journal his company is hiring junior AI scientists — some with just two years of experience — at salaries ranging from $190,000 to $260,000.
“They’re going to come in, and they’re going to be all AI-native,” said Ghodsi. “We definitely have quite junior people making a big impact… Under 25, you can be making a million.”
AI Skills vs. Everyone Else
This demand stands in stark contrast to the broader job market for young grads. In June, the unemployment rate among recent college graduates was 4.8%, compared to 4% nationally. For computer science grads without AI training, it’s been even worse, with jobless rates between 6.1% and 7.5% over the past year.
A new study from Stanford’s Digital Economy Lab adds more context. It found early-career workers (ages 22–25) in jobs most affected by AI — like software development and customer service — are 13% more likely to be unemployed than those in less AI-exposed roles like healthcare.
“Our key finding is substantial job losses among younger workers in AI-exposed fields,” said the report, titled Canaries in the Coal Mine?
Meanwhile, experienced workers in those same jobs are largely unaffected, showing that adaptability — not just field of study — is what matters.
The Takeaway: Learn AI, Get Hired
That’s why Cuban and other leaders urge Gen Z job seekers to invest their time learning how to use and deploy AI. Whether it’s customizing GPT models, integrating AI into company workflows, or just helping co-workers adapt — those who know how to make AI work are getting hired and getting paid.
“There are millions of companies with small teams that don’t have AI budgets or experts,” Cuban said. “That’s where kids get hired.”
So while AI may be replacing some traditional entry-level jobs, it’s also creating new pathways — and potentially six-figure paychecks — for those willing to learn how to make it work.