Lenny's 2026 tech jobs report: AI engineering roles top out near $500K
damnGruz · x · 2026-11-12
Lenny (lennysan) published his fifth semiannual State of the Tech Job Market report, calling it the most surprising yet:
- PMs are winning in the AI era; engineering demand has stalled; design openings at record lows
- Every role now requires AI skills
- Jobs are concentrating in the Bay Area: SF median $225K vs NYC $205K ($15-20K premium); remote roles at record lows
- Tech employment is growing fast, but mostly outside of software
Accompanying Fonzi data (286 startup jobs): AI Engineering and AI Research roles top the salary ceiling at $500K; most startups still hire full-stack/product engineers. The chart shows Full Stack leading with 116 open roles, AI Engineering at 56 ($180K–$250K), AI Research at 14 ($200K–$290K).
Related event: Lenny's 2026 Tech Jobs Report: PMs Rise, Engineering Stalls, FDEs Surge(16 posts)→
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