US software-development job postings rose almost 15% from late February 2025, even as overall job postings fell 7%.
The gains have been concentrated in experienced and AI-related work. From May 2025 to May 2026, senior roles accounted for 71% of the increase in software-development postings. Job titles that mention AI made up 37% of the increase.
For younger developers, the picture is more difficult. Employment among software developers aged 22 to 25 fell nearly 20% from 2024.
Stanford University’s 2026 AI index found a similar decline across AI-exposed fields, where employment for people aged 22 to 25 has fallen 16% since the rise of generative AI.
The shift comes as AI takes a larger role in the everyday work of writing software. GitHub said that, as of October, one in three pull requests involved an AI agent. A year earlier, fewer than one in 10 pull requests involved an AI agent.
GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft, had already said in 2023 that AI was close to writing half of all code on projects where the technology was available. GitHub leaders have said AI could eventually write as much if not more than 80% of code.
Anthropic launched Claude Code in February 2025, adding another AI coding tool to a field where employers are increasingly advertising for specialist skills.
There is still room for growth in the profession overall. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 10% growth in software development through 2035.
Yet the recovery in hiring remains incomplete. Software-development postings are about 27.5% below their pre-pandemic level, according to Indeed Hiring Lab data.
The result is a labour market moving in two directions at once: demand is increasing for senior developers and AI-related roles, while the route into the profession has narrowed for people at the start of their careers.
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