AI Talent in High Demand: Average Salary for New AI Positions in 2023 Exceeds 46,000 Yuan
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Analysis of the AI Industry
1. Average Salary for New AI Positions in 2023 Exceeds 46,000 Yuan
Recently, the 2023 Pan-AI Talent Insight report (hereinafter referred to as the Insight), released by the Maimai High-Talent Think Tank, revealed that from January to August 2023, the average monthly salary for new AI positions exceeded 46,000 yuan, with a talent supply-demand ratio of only 0.39. This means there are five job openings competing for every two qualified professionals.
In February 2023, the popularity of ChatGPT sparked widespread searches and discussions among professionals on Maimai. The search index for AI-related terms reached 459.31, a year-on-year increase of over 5.4 times, while the content publication index hit 57.91, nearly nine times higher than the previous year.
ChatGPT has ignited the global development of large-scale AI models. These models combine big data, massive computing power, and advanced algorithms to achieve a deep understanding of the world. Big data provides extensive knowledge, massive computing power enables rapid and efficient learning, and advanced algorithms optimize parameters to extract useful information. The synergy of these three dimensions grants large models powerful comprehension capabilities, allowing them to better understand and generate human language, handle complex tasks like text comprehension and image recognition, and significantly enhance AI performance.
The Insight report analyzed AI positions based on industry labels. "AI talent" was defined as those with job titles or resumes containing keywords like AI, algorithms, data, deep learning, and natural language processing. "AIGC (AI-generated content) talent" referred to positions or resumes with keywords such as AIGC, part-of-speech tagging, sentiment analysis, grammar rules, and semantic analysis.
2. AI Talent in High Demand
Due to the scarcity of AI talent, competition for skilled professionals has intensified. The Insight data shows that in 2022, the AI talent supply-demand ratio was 0.63. From January to August 2023, this ratio dropped to 0.39, meaning five job openings compete for every two candidates. Among the top 10 most in-demand positions, autonomous driving system engineers ranked first with a supply-demand ratio of 0.38. The rise of large models in 2023 also led to a surge in demand for ChatGPT researchers, placing them among the top 10 most sought-after roles.
From January to August 2023, the number of new AI job postings matched the total for all of 2022.
In terms of specific roles, algorithm engineers—the core of AI development—remain in high demand, accounting for 46.45% of new job postings. Natural language processing roles followed at 11.04%, while algorithm researchers ranked fifth at 5.36%.
AI is a critical infrastructure for the digital economy, capable of integrating with various industries. An increasing number of sectors are undergoing intelligent upgrades at different levels. The new era of AI extends beyond traditional internet and tech industries, promising transformative advancements in productivity and connectivity across society.
With AI applications expanding into autonomous driving and robotics, roles like image recognition/computer vision (6.68%) and autonomous driving system engineers (5.27%) are also highly sought after.
Driven by supply-demand dynamics, the average salary for new AI positions has risen significantly. In 2022, the average salary was 43,817 yuan, increasing by 6.16% to 46,518 yuan in the first eight months of 2023.
From January to August 2023, the top three highest-paying new positions were ChatGPT researchers, algorithm researchers, and AI engineers. ChatGPT researchers topped the list with an average monthly salary of 66,244 yuan. All top 10 highest-paying roles offered average monthly salaries exceeding 50,000 yuan, including specialized fields like deep learning, machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
In 2023, the popularity of ChatGPT sparked an AI entrepreneurship boom. Starting in March, the number of new AIGC job postings saw a significant increase, especially driven by the large model innovation wave. Major companies and unicorns entered the market, competing for talent, causing AIGC job postings to nearly triple by April. By the second half of the year, the number of new AIGC job postings stabilized.
From January to August 2023, the average salary for new AIGC job postings showed an upward trend. By March 2023, the average monthly salary for new AIGC job postings had exceeded 50,000 yuan, reaching 52,472 yuan, an 11.6% increase from 47,015 yuan in January. Starting in June, the average monthly salary for new AIGC job postings stabilized at around 60,000 yuan.
Currently, AI applications have penetrated various industries, with internet companies, financial institutions, and the healthcare sector actively exploring how to leverage AI technology to provide better services. For example, Google's AI algorithm AlphaGo defeated Lee Sedol in a Go match, sparking global discussion. AI technology is also being applied in medical imaging diagnosis, autonomous driving, smart speakers, and other fields.
The development of AI is an ongoing process. In the next five years, AI will be applied to even more fields. The integration of AI will become a future trend. For instance, the fusion of AI with cloud computing and big data will bring stronger computing power and data processing capabilities. The integration of AI with IoT and robotics will create broader application scenarios.
The AI industry report analyzes the development status of China's AI and its sub-sectors, upstream and downstream industries, market supply and demand, new products and technologies, and focuses on the characteristics and challenges of China's AI industry, as well as corporate development strategies.