138,188
US AI job postings listing the skill generative AI in 2025, up from 65,557 in 2024
What the chart shows
The skill ‘generative AI’ appeared in 138,188 US AI job postings in 2025, up from 65,557 in 2024, an increase of 111%. Large language modelling came second at 38,526, about double its 2024 count.
Some smaller skills grew faster: retrieval-augmented generation rose 4.4 times to 12,609 postings and prompt engineering 3.6 times to 22,227. Context engineering, listed in nine postings in 2024, appeared in 703.
Key numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Generative AI, 2025 | 138,188 |
| Generative AI, 2024 | 65,557 |
| Large language modelling, 2025 | 38,526 |
| Prompt engineering, 2025 | 22,227 |
| Retrieval-augmented generation, 2025 | 12,609 |
| Context engineering, 2025 | 703 |
How to read it
- Counts of US AI job postings listing each skill in Lightcast’s generative AI group; a posting can list several.
- The AI Index text attributes the 111% rise to ‘generative AI skills’; in the data it is the rise for the single skill named generative AI.
Source: Lightcast, 2025, via the AI Index Report 2026 (Stanford HAI), figure 4.4.5: Generative AI skills in AI job postings in the United States, 2024 vs. 2025. Chart and text by AI Adoption.
Numbers checked against the published data on 20 October 2026.
Download the data (CSV) · Cite this chart
Numbers checked against the published data on 20 October 2026.
Download the data (CSV) · Cite this chart
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