a16z data: tech job skills requirements drop to 22 while experience demands rise
a16z · x · 2026-09-05
a16z's Charts of the Week, using Revelio Labs data, shows a subtle shift in US tech hiring since early 2025: required skills per job posting fell from 29 to 22, while preferred years of experience rose from 4.6 to 4.85 (both 5-10% changes). The author suggests AI may be driving this—existing 'skills' matter less on a new frontier where companies value the ability to figure things out. Jobs with the biggest experience premia are data, systems, and Java roles, consistent with AI-driven data-wrangling demand. The article cautions direct AI evidence is still weak, and notes entry-level hires were always a small share of tech hiring.
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