DesignRush Lists the Top 5 AI Jobs in the U.S. (2025)

Key Findings: 

• 1.25M boomers hold the most AI jobs in the U.S. in 2025
• Software developers are the #1 AI job in the U.S. — 2.07M total, 742K are millennials
• 32.2% of AI systems managers in the U.S. are Gen X

AI is in every headline. But the question few are asking is: who’s actually building it? 

To find out, DesignRush analyzed U.S. labor force data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — focusing on the five most AI-adjacent job roles in 2025.  

The numbers reveal who's writing the code, managing systems, building hardware, and scaling support. 

If you're hiring, scaling, or building AI products, this data is the perfect cheat sheet. 

The Top 5 AI Jobs in America by Generation (2025)

This analysis breaks down each role by total employment and generational share: Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers. 

1. Software Developers

Total Employed: 2,077,000 

• Gen Z: 6.3% 

• Millennials: 35.7%

• Gen X: 27.3% 

• Boomers: 30.7% 

This is the biggest AI job in the U.S. — and millennials own it.  

More than 2 million developers are working in AI-related roles today, and over one-third (35.7%) are millennials. That’s roughly 742,000 developers in their late 20s to early 30s, actively building machine learning models, infrastructure, and AI-driven apps — the core engine of today’s AI ecosystem. 

Gen X and boomers still represent over 58% of the developer workforce. 

Meanwhile, Gen Z holds just 6.3% of AI dev roles, but their presence is growing fast, especially in junior dev, QA, and AI automation oversight. 

According to DesignRush, 92% of U.S. developers now use AI coding assistants, and in some startups, as much as 95% of new product code is AI-generated.

That’s a shift in not just who builds AI, but how it gets built. 

2. Computer & Information Systems Managers

Total Employed: 732,000 

• Gen Z: 0.5% 

• Millennials: 12.6% 

• Gen X: 32.2% 

• Boomers: 54.8% 

These are the decision-makers behind AI — running infrastructure, security, and IT strategy. And it’s mostly a senior crowd: 87% are Gen X or boomers. 

Millennials hold just 12.6% of these positions, and Gen Z is nearly absent. 

That might be part of the problem.  

According to McKinsey, while most employees feel ready for AI, just 1% of companies consider themselves AI-mature. This suggests that leadership isn’t moving fast enough to keep up with the pace of change. 

3. Computer Support Specialists

Total Employed: 633,000 

• Gen Z: 7.6% 

• Millennials: 25.3% 

• Gen X: 27.6% 

• Boomers: 39.5% 

633,000 people hold support roles in 2025, making it the third-largest AI-related job in the U.S. 

But right now, boomers still hold nearly 40% of these jobs. Gen X (27.6%) and millennials (25.3%) are adapting, learning new tools, and shifting workflows. 

With a share of just 7.6%, Gen Z is just getting started, mostly in QA, helpdesk, and chatbot training. 

We tested the top 5 customer support AI tools to see which ones make support faster, smarter, and easier to scale. 

4. Computer Systems Analysts

Total Employed: 547,000 

• Gen Z: 8.5% 

• Millennials: 28.9% 

• Gen X: 24.9% 

• Boomers: 37.7% 

547,000 Americans work in this role, placing it fourth in our ranking of AI-related jobs. 

It’s also where Gen Z is showing up the most. They now make up 8.5% of systems analysts — more than in any other AI job we analyzed. 

Younger workers are entering through analysis, product ops, and SaaS tools, not just coding. That shift shows how AI teams are growing beyond pure engineering. 

And as Gen Z joins, they’re bringing new expectations. 77% want flexible, balanced workplaces, something AI teams will need to support as they scale. 

5. Mechanical Engineers

Total Employed: 389,000 

• Gen Z: 6.2% 

• Millennials: 32.9% 

• Gen X: 21.6% 

• Boomers: 39.3% 

With 389,000 jobs in 2025, this role rounds out our top 5 — and it’s all about building the physical side of AI: robots, sensors, IoT development, and smart devices. 

Boomers lead with 39.3%, but millennials are gaining fast at 32.9%.

Gen Z holds just 6.2%, often entering through robotics and automation-focused programs. 

Top 5 AI Jobs in the U.S. (Table)

Explore the full dataset here.

How to Hire AI Teams Now (Backed by Data)

In light of the eye-opening data, Gianluca Ferruggia, General Manager at DesignRush, offers his thoughts on hiring AI teams in 2025 and beyond:

If you’re hiring for AI, use this data for smart business.

It shows you exactly where the talent is, where it's headed, and how to build teams that can actually deliver.

Here’s how I think about it:

• Millennials are your builders. They're in the trenches, writing the code, shipping the product.
• Gen X runs the backbone. They're leading ops, IT, and keeping systems stable.
• Boomers hold the experience. They're driving support and leadership in key areas.
• Gen Z is your future. They're just entering — fast learners, highly digital, and already influencing how teams want to work.

If I’m building an AI team today, I’m using this mix. I want the energy of Gen Z, the muscle of Millennials, and the structure that Gen X and Boomers bring.

AI tools are evolving fast, but the people behind them matter more. This data shows you exactly who they are, so you can hire smarter, build faster, and stay ahead.

Methodology

DesignRush analyzed occupational data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CPS is one of the most comprehensive and authoritative datasets on employment in the U.S., capturing demographic and workforce trends across industries.

Scope of Analysis:

We focused on 16 AI-adjacent occupations, including software development, systems management, data roles, and hardware-related engineering.

Each role was analyzed across seven age groups:
16–19, 20–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, and 65+.

Generational categories were approximated as follows:

• Gen Z: 16–24
• Millennials: 25–34
• Gen X: 35–54
• Boomers: 55+

Key Metrics Extracted: 

• Total number employed in each occupation (2025 estimate). 

• Age distribution of workers in each role. 

• Share of generational participation per occupation, calculated using raw counts per age group.