--- title: "AI Skills | Metaintro" canonical: "https://beta.metaintro.com/blog/ai-talent-chase" language: "en" author: "laceykaelani" published: "2025-03-04T11:30:00.000Z" modified: "2025-03-04T10:34:38.489Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [AI](/blog/tag/ai) # AI Skills: The New Standard for Careers and Salaries Discover why AI skills are the new gold standard in the job market as companies pivot to skills-based hiring. [![Lacey Kaelani](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/2934b90b-ca20-4439-bc56-71b4f5733545_1766029465094.png)Lacey Kaelani @laceykaelani](/blog/author/laceykaelani) [March 4, 2025](/blog/archive/2025/03)3 min read ![AI Skills: The New Standard for Careers and Salaries](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/ai-8.png) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase&title=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase&title=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries)[mailto:?subject=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase](mailto:?subject=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase) ## AI Talent Chase: Skills Are The New Degree In a world where your resume risks being outdated by breakfast, the AI landscape is shaping up to be the hottest job market since cryptocurrency rides. According to a new study by the [Oxford Internet Institute](https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/fabian-stephany/), the demand for AI-specific skills has skyrocketed by 21% from 2018 to 2024, while the need for a formal degree in AI job postings has fallen from 36% to 31%. Cue the slow clap for skills-based hiring, as tech companies and the complete AI industrial complex pivot from degrees to muscle memory in the quest for talent. ## Show Me The Money: AI Skills Rack Up Salary Premiums It seems skills are the new black thanks to **fab** Dr. Fabian Stephany—Departmental Research Lecturer at the [Oxford Internet Institute](https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/)—who's shedding light on the fact that AI expertise goes three times further in your paycheck than a degree-focused career. Forget your six-figure student debt; science, engineering, and technology roles requiring AI expertise now offer average salaries three times higher than those demanding textbook knowledge alone. AI skills are accruing a generous 23% wage premium. Compare that to a master's degree pulling in a meek 13% extra, and a PhD dangling a 33% carrot, and it's clear; practical know-how is the current reigning king. While you're considering dropping out of your online AI course to actually build your own Ripley robot, the data suggests it's all about those savvy skill sets. --- Ad## ✨ A Word From Our Sponsors 👇 🎨 Looking to save time on creative tasks? Subscribe to Creative Automation and learn how automation can boost your productivity! [Signup here.](https://met.sh/uJYXj) --- ## Rethinking Education: Degrees To Micro-Credentials But what happens to the hallowed halls of Ivy League degrees? According to Stephany, it's time for education providers to revamp the mold. Short courses—a.k.a. micro-certificates—tailored by industry intel might just rescue both the talent pool and employers from the growing AI skills gap. "An emphasis on skills unlocks doors to varied social backgrounds and seeds diverse perspectives within the workforce," says Dr. Stephany—highlighting benefits that go beyond talent match-making, straight into vital societal shifts. AI's terrain is evolving, but instead of waving certificates, businesses are scouting practical brains. In fields buckling under talent shortages, selecting candidates based on real-world abilities holds potential to exponentially broaden the talent pool, according to the same study. With AI projected to transform industries globally, the stars might just be aligning for a keyword-rich Google search that kickstarts your new AI career path, minus the gown and cap ceremony. For more insights, be sure to subscribe to Metaintro [here](https://met.sh/pA7oV). ### Share this article [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase&title=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase&title=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries)[mailto:?subject=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase](mailto:?subject=AI%20Skills%3A%20The%20New%20Standard%20for%20Careers%20and%20Salaries&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbeta.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fai-talent-chase) ![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:800/q:30/plain/images/bridges/bridge-expand.1df895c6bd76d96f.png) For job seekers ## Ready to find a role that actually fits? 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