New Economy Skills 2025

Median wages for AI, data and digital skills, 2019–2025 FIGURE 8 The forces behind this surge in demand and escalating wages for digital expertise are multifaceted. As the pace of technological innovation quickens, organizations are adopting advanced AI tools and digital solutions at an unprecedented rate. This has sparked a need for specialists who can not only build and maintain these systems but also drive innovation. At the same time, the explosion of cyber threats has placed network and cybersecurity professionals in high demand, as companies prioritize protecting sensitive data and maintaining operational resilience.With supply or highly skilled digital professionals lagging behind the ever-growing demand, particularly in AI and ML, employers are offering increasingly competitive packages to secure talent. Additionally, the growing importance of user experience has prompted more investment in design and UX roles, as businesses recognize the critical link between intuitive digital products and customer satisfaction. These factors illustrate how digital skills have become central to organizational strategy, innovation and competitiveness. Median wages for AI, data and digital skills, 2019–2025 FIGURE 8 Note: 2025 values reflect data from January to July. Source: ADP research. 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025$175,000 $150,000 $125,000 $100,000 $75,000$200,000Seven-month centred moving average. AI/ML Data and programming Design and user experience Networks and cybersecurityGPT-3 public API released ChatGPT released New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth 15