Coding jobs rise despite AI

U.S. software development job postings rose nearly 15% since February 2025, when Anthropic launched Claude Code, even as overall job postings fell 7%.

AI writes half the code

GitHub reported that one in three pull requests now involve an AI agent, up from fewer than one in ten a year ago. Some experts say AI-written code has passed the halfway mark.

GitHub warns of future risks

GitHub stated that if the pace holds, within two years most code pushed to GitHub could be written by an agent, much of it never fully read by a human.

“If that pace holds, within the next two years, most of the code pushed to GitHub could be written by an agent. Much of it may never be fully read by a human.”

McKinsey sees demand persisting

Eric Kutcher, North America chair at McKinsey, said companies producing more code than ever need software developers who work with AI. Growth is strongest where displacement was expected.

“We're seeing much more growth in the places we thought we were gonna see the biggest displacement.”

Recovery follows pandemic hiring peak

The earlier decline in software developer jobs was not solely an AI story. Technology companies pulled back after a pandemic-era surge in hiring peaked in 2022.

Still below pre-pandemic levels

Software development job postings remain about 27.5% below their pre-pandemic level, according to Indeed Hiring Lab data, despite the recent recovery.

Senior roles drive the growth

Between May 2025 and May 2026, senior roles accounted for 71% of the increase in software development postings. Job titles mentioning AI accounted for 37% of the increase.

Developers needed to oversee AI

Sneha Puri, economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, said companies still need developers to oversee AI work, refine products and help clients integrate technology into daily operations.

Young workers face steep decline

Stanford University's 2026 AI index found employment in AI-exposed fields for ages 22 to 25 fell 16% since generative AI rose. Early-career software developers saw a 20% decline.

Skills beyond coding matter

Puri said students should build familiarity with AI tools but not neglect communication, interpersonal skills and leadership, which remain central to the work.

“Being able to use AI in your work and improve your efficiency is a great place to start. But communication, interpersonal skills and leadership are also really important.”

Employers must build pipelines

Puri said employers have a role in preserving routes into the field. Today's entry-level talent becomes tomorrow's senior experts, and without pipelines now, senior talent will be scarce later.

“Today's entry-level talent becomes tomorrow's senior experts. If employers don't build those pipelines now, they're not going to have senior talent they need 10 years down the line.”

Long-term outlook remains positive

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects software developer employment will grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, increasing from 1.72 million to 1.89 million jobs, adding roughly 174,700 positions.