New specialist AI roles are on the rise and workers who possess AI skills are dominating the highest-paying UK IT jobs, according to research.

New analysis by Thomson Reuters, a global content and technology company, has revealed that 97% of IT jobs in the UK that pay over £100,000 now require AI skills as a core requirement of the role.

The company analysed over 5,300 live tech jobs advertised in April 2024 and found that over 73% (593 out of 817) of the top 15% highest-paid vacancies required AI skills.

This requirement for AI skills was either explicitly included in the job title itself – for example, director of artificial intelligence and products, generative AI solutions architect and machine learning engineer – or within the role’s primary requirements.Having AI skills also means that workers can command higher salaries. Research from Oxford University and the University of Copenhagen carried out last year found that workers with AI skills are ‘particularly valuable’ and can add...