AI Engineers didn't exist 5 years ago. Now they're one of the fastest-growing roles in tech. The numbers back it up. Q1 2025 data: 35K job postings explicitly for AI Engineers, with base salaries ranging $170K-$230K. Their job is turning intelligence into production. They keep models running, build retrieval and evaluation systems, and ship APIs that deliver AI to users. It's where research meets reliability. This follows a familiar pattern. Each wave of innovation creates a new kind of builder. Webmasters became App Developers became DevOps Engineers. AI Engineers are the next evolution. Read the full breakdown from the link in first comment. Thank you Vinija Jain and Bassim Eledath for your POVs.
Full blog here: https://www.hackerrank.com/blog/ai-engineers/
It’s impressive to see how AI Engineers are formalizing the bridge between research and production, ensuring that AI doesn’t just work in theory but reliably delivers value in the real world.
Software Development Director
1dThe shift is real. AI Engineers sit right at the intersection of modeling, infra, and product delivery. This blend of reliability + innovation is exactly what today’s AI systems demand.