The market for AI and digital talent is no longer just competitive, it’s structurally constrained. The findings from WTW’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence and Digital Talent Survey Report reveal a global view of total rewards, jobs and skills demand, as well as talent supply and demand insights across today’s most critical digital roles.
By pairing employer-reported compensation data with AI-powered talent intelligence drawn from public labor market signals, the report captures not only where pay stands today, but where AI and digital talent markets are heading.
The report shows that the global race for AI and digital talent is accelerating, but it’s not playing out evenly across markets or roles. This means that employers can no longer rely on outdated assumptions or a one-size-fits-all pay strategy.
AI pay varies sharply by location
Pay for AI and machine learning roles continues to diverge significantly across markets. For example, even though the US is the highest paying market for these roles, other economies like Germany, the UK and Canada also rank among the most competitive.
In addition, while absolute pay remains highest in markets where pay for highly skilled talent has been traditionally high, growth is increasingly shifting elsewhere, with locations such as India, China, Brazil, and Mexico being able to attract and retain AI and machine learning talent as well.
Where the fastest pay growth is happening
While top pay levels sit in the US and Europe, momentum is strongest in Latin America and parts of Asia. For example, among AI applications roles, average increases are up in both base salary and total compensation across a variety of markets. And among machine learning roles, markets like Mexico and Brazil are seeing breakout growth, while others are seeing declines. The results show that incentives and long-term rewards are playing a bigger role in fast-growing markets — and employers who overlook this are at risk of losing talent.
AI still pays more than other digital disciplines
Across all regions, AI applications and machine learning roles continue to command higher pay than other high-demand digital roles (e.g., cyber security, cloud engineering).
This premium reflects a scarcity of advanced AI capabilities as well as AI’s growing strategic importance across industries.
Pay alone isn’t enough
Nearly half of organizations offer differentiated reward programs for digital talent, reflecting intensifying competition. Common levers include:
- Enhanced base pay
- Flexible work arrangements
- Learning and development opportunities
- Cash retention bonuses
- Enhanced long-term incentive awards
The report also delivers insights on where organizations can identify and hire AI talent, the most in-demand roles in AI and digital talent, and a growing focus on reskilling and upskilling, with organizations developing transferable skills that support transitions into AI-related roles.
Drawing on compensation data from more than 6,000 organizations across 30 markets and representing 2.7 million employees — combined with AI driven talent intelligence from public labor market data — the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Talent Survey Report helps organizations:
- Benchmark AI and digital talent pay globally and locally
- Track where pay momentum is building fastest
- Understand how incentives and long-term rewards are reshaping total compensation
- Design competitive reward strategies for scarce, fast-evolving skills
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Artificial Intelligence and Digital Talent Survey Report
Understand where pay for AI and digital talent stands today — as well as where these talent markets are headed.
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