# US software developer job postings rise 15% since early 2025

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-10-11T13:30:01Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/us-software-developer-job-postings-rise-15-since-early-2025

## Summary

U.S. software development job postings have increased by nearly 15% since February 2025, a period that coincides with the launch of Anthropic's Claude Code. This growth contrasts with the broader decline in overall job postings and challenges the narrative that AI will rapidly eliminate developer roles. Data from Indeed Hiring Lab indicates that this rebound is not a return to pre-pandemic levels, as postings remain about 27.5% below their pre-pandemic peak.

The increase is concentrated in senior-level roles and positions that mention AI. Indeed Hiring Lab found that senior roles accounted for 71% of the posting increase between May 2025 and May 2026, while AI-related titles made up 37% of the growth. Eric Kutcher, North America chair at McKinsey, noted that companies are producing more code than ever, driving demand for developers who can oversee AI-generated work rather than just write it manually. GitHub reported that one in three pull requests now involves an AI agent, up from fewer than one in 10 a year earlier.

However, the outlook for entry-level workers remains uncertain. Stanford University's 2026 AI index found that employment for early-career software developers aged 22 to 25 has fallen 20% since the rise of generative AI. Economists suggest that while AI automates routine coding tasks, it creates a need for experienced professionals to evaluate code, manage risks, and integrate tools into broader systems. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that software developer employment will grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, adding roughly 174,700 positions.

## Key points

- US software developer job postings rose nearly 15% since February 2025, bucking the overall job market decline.
- Senior roles accounted for 71% of the increase in software-development postings between May 2025 and May 2026.
- Employment for early-career software developers aged 22 to 25 has fallen 20% since the rise of generative AI.

## Why it matters

The data suggests AI is shifting demand toward senior developers who can oversee and integrate AI tools, rather than replacing all coding jobs. This creates a talent gap for entry-level workers while increasing the value of experienced engineers in managing AI-generated code.

## Sources

1. [AI is automating coding. So why are software developer job postings on the rise?](https://cnbc.com/2026/10/11/ai-software-developer-jobs.html) (CNBC Technology, 2026-10-11)

## Cite

Digest AI, "US software developer job postings rise 15% since early 2025", 11 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/us-software-developer-job-postings-rise-15-since-early-2025

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