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Seattle’s booming artificial intelligence (AI) sector may seem like an ideal place for job seekers with AI skills, but a closer look reveals a tough reality: while senior talent is in demand, entry-level workers face an uphill climb. This selective hiring climate is leaving entry-level job seekers on the sidelines as companies emphasize cost-cutting, layoffs, and selective recruitment strategies.
Just from the first half of this year, Amazon, Seattle’s largest tech employer, posted over 2,600 AI-related roles, following more than 1,000 openings in 2023. Microsoft, a close competitor, listed 1,500 AI jobs in the same period.
“At this point, in Seattle, you can throw a rock and hit an AI vendor,” said Nabeel Chowdhury, 24 Seven Talent.
Yet a survey from The Seattle Times by the University of Maryland found that both companies have been slow to fill open AI roles. Amazon averaged 42 days to hire for AI roles, nearly twice the time it takes Microsoft. This often resulted in companies filling AI roles by reallocating current employees rather than onboarding new talent.
“If you’re a junior person trying to get into the industry right now, there’s not enough demand out there—even with AI,” Chowdhury stated.
Selective Hiring Sidelines Junior AI Talents
The focus on senior talent is partly due to strategic decisions in the face of economic uncertainty. Amazon and Microsoft prefer to invest in experienced professionals who can drive complex AI projects, leaving little room for junior talent. Senior AI roles at companies like Amazon and Microsoft command median wages of around $151,500, while positions requiring AI skills at entry or junior levels earn closer to $126,900—roughly the same as non-AI tech roles.
“Bigger companies are in an arms race right now to out-AI each other,” said Jacob Colker, managing director of AI2 Incubator. “That’s what Wall Street’s rewarding, and they’re doing it.”
Seattle’s AI-focused startups, though eager for growth, have yet to post large numbers of job openings, leaving new AI graduates with few entry points. Meanwhile, cities like San Francisco and Washington, D.C., are posting more AI roles as Seattle firms proceed cautiously with hiring.
On the other hand, Meta stood out as a significant player, evidenced by a recent 56% increase in AI roles in Seattle alone while maintaining low attrition rates.“They’re bringing in a lot more AI talent but losing a lot less,” notes Joshua Poore of Harnham, a data-driven recruitment firm. However, Poore also advised not to count on Meta as the slower paces of leading companies like Amazon simply represent how “ahead of the curve” they are already, and Meta is just about catching up.
Facing a Future AI Talent Gap
Adding to the challenges, AI-driven tools are increasingly used in recruitment to filter applications. Though effective for streamlining processes, these systems sometimes overlook qualified candidates—particularly those in junior positions. Similar trends in automated hiring are seen at companies nationwide, as revealed in a report showing that many employers use algorithms to scan résumés and rank applicants, a practice that can inadvertently filter out promising but less-experienced candidates.
With the focus on experienced hires likely to continue, Seattle may soon face a shortage of seasoned AI professionals if current graduates are shut out of early-career roles, Chowdhury warns, suggesting the city’s strategy could ultimately create a future talent gap.
