Do you want to get promoted at work? New Study Says Learning New AI Skills Is Key to a Salary Raise

AI skills are linked to salary increases and job opportunities
97% of them would pay higher salaries to attract in-demand skills
Four out of five companies invest in upskilling programs

A new study from HiBob claims that AI skills have moved from being a “nice to have” to becoming a core requirement for employers, to the point where workers with the right AI skills are the most likely to get a job promotion.

The report reveals that almost two thirds (63%) of UK businesses now link AI skills to promotion decisions, and almost as many (61%) also consider AI capabilities in their regular performance reviews.

About half of them – 31% of all respondents – also directly tie AI proficiency to compensation decisions, making failing to upskill workers a poor financial decision.

Companies are actively recruiting for AI skills

While resistant workers may think this change is unfair, it reflects similar changes from previous decades, with AI fluency increasingly being treated like digital fluency or spreadsheet fluency.

As for what it means to master AI, workers are no longer expected to simply use artificial intelligence. Employers now want them to be able to apply them responsibly, effectively and consistently.

Two-fifths (41%) said security, governance and ethics are the hardest expertise to recruit for, which makes sense because it’s an ongoing conversation that’s also happening at a much higher level, with tech giants and governments collaborating to minimize the negative impacts of AI.

Three in four employers (77%) now believe that moderate proficiency in AI will become a basic requirement over the next two years, including for non-technical roles.

This shows that technology is expanding beyond the realm of software developers into areas such as human resources, marketing, sales, operations and administration.

What does AI development and implementation look like?

The data indicates that almost all (97%) organizations would pay higher salaries for in-demand AI skills – 43% would pay a 10% premium for expertise in AI security, ethics and governance in particular.

Other areas that could command higher salary include the ability to evaluate and improve AI results, as well as automation and technical integration skills.

Although it is unclear how long employers will pay these bonuses, only 3% currently say they will not pay a bonus, suggesting that at least short-term pay increases are possible, simply due to workers’ desire to upskill.

Fortunately, organizations are willing to support workers who are willing to work, making it a win-win situation for employees. Four in five companies (82%) invest in AI upskilling or reskilling programs, with funded apprenticeship programs (33%) and dedicated time for AI experimentation and practice (33%) emerging as the most frequently used methods.

Almost all respondents (99%) also recognized the importance of peer coaching and knowledge sharing.

However, the report focuses primarily on white-collar workers, recognizing that senior managers do not always receive the support they need to be able to carry out these initiatives.

“The next phase of AI adoption will depend on how companies equip their managers to transform AI from a tool into a consistent way of working,” commented Ken Matos, Director of Insights.

The ROI for businesses investing in AI can also be there, with many seeing slight improvements in quality and accuracy (32%), compliance and risk reduction (29%), time saved (25%), and cost savings (25%).

“The challenge for organizations is to turn this expectation into something practical. That means defining what a strong AI capability looks like, integrating it into roles and performance, and giving managers the confidence to evaluate and develop it,” Matos concluded.

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