Women are falling behind in the AI boom as they secure only a quarter of new hires

Women are securing new jobs in artificial intelligence at far lower rates than men as the fast-growing sector offers a substantial pay premium. LinkedIn research found that women made up about a quarter of new hires in AI roles over the past year, compared with 50% in jobs outside AI.

Their share drops to 13% in executive positions. At the same time, AI job postings have doubled since 2023, and roles involving AI pay more than twice as much on average as jobs without AI responsibilities.

Pay gaps follow job concentration

Women already working in AI are disproportionately concentrated in lower-paid roles, including data annotation, said Sarah Steinberg, LinkedIn’s head of global public policy partnerships. Across AI occupations, men have $45,000 higher median pay, partly because they are more likely to hold different types of positions.

Women are also more likely to work in roles highly exposed to AI disruption, such as customer service. That leaves them with less access to new high-paying jobs while increasing their exposure to potential displacement.

The pace creates barriers to staying

Women in the field describe long hours, limited mentorship and difficulty returning after career breaks. Jayeeta Putatunda, an AI engineering lead at investment firm Turing, said that after taking four months of maternity leave, she returned to find entirely different frameworks and model levels.

She said some teams treat 12-hour workdays as a normal way to keep up with developments. Putatunda attributed her successful return to supportive colleagues and an equitable split of childcare with her husband.

Hiring still relies on old networks

Although AI is a young industry that could theoretically offer a more level starting point, companies often recruit through the same networks, referrals and filters they have long used, said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, president of AnitaB.org.

Women hold about one-third of technology jobs in the United States but leave the industry at much higher rates than men. Researchers and advocates cite non-inclusive cultures and limited advancement opportunities among the reasons.

Diversity programs face cutbacks

Companies have scaled back diversity, equity and inclusion programs in recent years amid a political climate hostile to such initiatives. Felicia Newhouse, founder of AI Powered Women, said that environment has made it harder to win corporate support for programs focused on women in technology.

She warned that a persistent participation gap in AI could become a gap in access to economic and professional power.