NextChapter

Most requested AI skills in data and analytics jobs

Machine learning engineering is the most requested AI skill in data and analytics jobs: it is named in 17.1% of openings.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Machine learning engineering, Building AI systems: 17.1%
  • #2 LLM application engineering, Building AI systems: 16.1%
  • #3 AI workflow automation, Using AI in your work: 14.5%
  • 24 skills ranked across data and analytics jobs
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Machine learning engineering Building AI systems17.1%
  2. 2LLM application engineering Building AI systems16.1%
  3. 3AI workflow automation Using AI in your work14.5%
  4. 4AI tools in daily work Using AI in your work13.0%
  5. 5Model training and deep learning Building AI systems11.4%
  6. 6MLOps Building AI systems10.6%
  7. 7RAG and vector search Building AI systems7.6%
  8. 8ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) Building AI systems6.9%
  9. 9AI governance and risk Leading AI6.6%
  10. 10AI strategy and use cases Leading AI6.4%

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Machine learning engineering (17.1%) is well clear of AI strategy and use cases at #10 (6.4%).
  • Machine learning engineering is the largest market in the top ten, with 3,542 openings behind its figure.
  • Skills with fewer than 30 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Postings name specific AI skills, from using AI in everyday work to building AI systems. The share of openings that name a skill shows which ones employers ask for most often.

How to use it

Pick the skill near the top that you can show evidence for, and put it on your résumé with a concrete result. Open the skill's page for the jobs that ask for it.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Machine learning engineering Building AI systems

    17.1%

    Openings naming it
    3,542
    Median posted pay with it
    $215k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +16%

    Based on 3,542 openings.

    Machine learning engineering: ranks by month and open jobs

  2. 2

    LLM application engineering Building AI systems

    16.1%

    Openings naming it
    3,322
    Median posted pay with it
    $215k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +16%

    Based on 3,322 openings.

    LLM application engineering: ranks by month and open jobs

  3. 3

    AI workflow automation Using AI in your work

    14.5%

    Openings naming it
    3,000
    Median posted pay with it
    $206k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +11%

    Based on 3,000 openings.

    AI workflow automation: ranks by month and open jobs

  4. 4

    AI tools in daily work Using AI in your work

    13.0%

    Openings naming it
    2,681
    Median posted pay with it
    $190k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +3%

    Based on 2,681 openings.

    AI tools in daily work: ranks by month and open jobs

  5. 5

    Model training and deep learning Building AI systems

    11.4%

    Openings naming it
    2,365
    Median posted pay with it
    $225k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +22%

    Based on 2,365 openings.

    Model training and deep learning: ranks by month and open jobs

  6. 6

    MLOps Building AI systems

    10.6%

    Openings naming it
    2,182
    Median posted pay with it
    $214k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +16%

    Based on 2,182 openings.

    MLOps: ranks by month and open jobs

  7. 7

    RAG and vector search Building AI systems

    7.6%

    Openings naming it
    1,567
    Median posted pay with it
    $203k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +10%

    Based on 1,567 openings.

    RAG and vector search: ranks by month and open jobs

  8. 8

    ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) Building AI systems

    6.9%

    Openings naming it
    1,422
    Median posted pay with it
    $220k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +19%

    Based on 1,422 openings.

    ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow): ranks by month and open jobs

  9. 9

    AI governance and risk Leading AI

    6.6%

    Openings naming it
    1,355
    Median posted pay with it
    $207k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +12%

    Based on 1,355 openings.

    AI governance and risk: ranks by month and open jobs

  10. 10

    AI strategy and use cases Leading AI

    6.4%

    Openings naming it
    1,329
    Median posted pay with it
    $214k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +16%

    Based on 1,329 openings.

    AI strategy and use cases: ranks by month and open jobs

  11. 11

    AI evaluation and guardrails Building AI systems

    5.7%

    Openings naming it
    1,182
    Median posted pay with it
    $222k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +20%

    Based on 1,182 openings.

    AI evaluation and guardrails: ranks by month and open jobs

  12. 12

    Responsible AI Leading AI

    4.9%

    Openings naming it
    1,011
    Median posted pay with it
    $200k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +8%

    Based on 1,011 openings.

    Responsible AI: ranks by month and open jobs

  13. 13

    AI coding assistants Using AI in your work

    4.7%

    Openings naming it
    980
    Median posted pay with it
    $200k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +8%

    Based on 980 openings.

    AI coding assistants: ranks by month and open jobs

  14. 14

    Prompt design Using AI in your work

    4.1%

    Openings naming it
    858
    Median posted pay with it
    $204k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +10%

    Based on 858 openings.

    Prompt design: ranks by month and open jobs

  15. 15

    AI adoption and change management Leading AI

    4.0%

    Openings naming it
    823
    Median posted pay with it
    $202k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +9%

    Based on 823 openings.

    AI adoption and change management: ranks by month and open jobs

  16. 16

    Gen-AI assistants (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) Using AI in your work

    3.1%

    Openings naming it
    631
    Median posted pay with it
    $190k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +3%

    Based on 631 openings.

    Gen-AI assistants (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude): ranks by month and open jobs

  17. 17

    Leading AI teams Leading AI

    2.8%

    Openings naming it
    572
    Median posted pay with it
    $249k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +35%

    Based on 572 openings.

    Leading AI teams: ranks by month and open jobs

  18. 18

    GPU and CUDA Building AI systems

    2.4%

    Openings naming it
    500
    Median posted pay with it
    $233k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +26%

    Based on 500 openings.

    GPU and CUDA: ranks by month and open jobs

  19. 19

    Model fine-tuning Building AI systems

    2.3%

    Openings naming it
    469
    Median posted pay with it
    $235k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +27%

    Based on 469 openings.

    Model fine-tuning: ranks by month and open jobs

  20. 20

    AI-enabled analytics Using AI in your work

    1.7%

    Openings naming it
    350
    Median posted pay with it
    $186k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +0%

    Based on 350 openings.

    AI-enabled analytics: ranks by month and open jobs

  21. 21

    Automation platforms (Zapier, n8n, Power Automate) Using AI in your work

    1.5%

    Openings naming it
    315
    Median posted pay with it
    $160k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    −13%

    Based on 315 openings.

    Automation platforms (Zapier, n8n, Power Automate): ranks by month and open jobs

  22. 22

    AI in business apps (Agentforce, Now Assist) Using AI in your work

    0.65%

    Openings naming it
    134
    Median posted pay with it
    $195k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +6%

    Based on 134 openings.

    AI in business apps (Agentforce, Now Assist): ranks by month and open jobs

  23. 23

    Gen-AI content tools Using AI in your work

    0.52%

    Openings naming it
    107
    Median posted pay with it
    $187k
    Pay against all data and analytics openings
    +1%

    Based on 107 openings.

    Gen-AI content tools: ranks by month and open jobs

  24. 24

    AI product management Leading AI

    0.46%

    Openings naming it
    95
    Median posted pay with it
    Not enough pay data
    Share of openings
    0.46%

    Based on 95 openings.

    AI product management: ranks by month and open jobs

Full ranking

All 24 skills that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankSkillScoreSample
1Machine learning engineering Building AI systems17.1%3,542
2LLM application engineering Building AI systems16.1%3,322
3AI workflow automation Using AI in your work14.5%3,000
4AI tools in daily work Using AI in your work13.0%2,681
5Model training and deep learning Building AI systems11.4%2,365
6MLOps Building AI systems10.6%2,182
7RAG and vector search Building AI systems7.6%1,567
8ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) Building AI systems6.9%1,422
9AI governance and risk Leading AI6.6%1,355
10AI strategy and use cases Leading AI6.4%1,329
11AI evaluation and guardrails Building AI systems5.7%1,182
12Responsible AI Leading AI4.9%1,011
13AI coding assistants Using AI in your work4.7%980
14Prompt design Using AI in your work4.1%858
15AI adoption and change management Leading AI4.0%823
16Gen-AI assistants (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) Using AI in your work3.1%631
17Leading AI teams Leading AI2.8%572
18GPU and CUDA Building AI systems2.4%500
19Model fine-tuning Building AI systems2.3%469
20AI-enabled analytics Using AI in your work1.7%350
21Automation platforms (Zapier, n8n, Power Automate) Using AI in your work1.5%315
22AI in business apps (Agentforce, Now Assist) Using AI in your work0.65%134
23Gen-AI content tools Using AI in your work0.52%107
24AI product management Leading AI0.46%95

The jobs behind this ranking

Open data & analytics jobs, who is hiring for them and what they pay.

Job titles link to their salary page where pay is posted, otherwise to the open jobs.

How this ranking works

A AI skill's score is the share of data and analytics open professional roles whose posting names it, read by our AI-skill tagger from the full posting text across 24 AI skills in three groups: using AI in your work, leading AI, and building AI systems.

Only skills named in at least 30 openings are ranked.

Sample bar: skills with fewer than 30 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which skill ranks first: most requested ai skills in data and analytics jobs?
Machine learning engineering is the most requested AI skill in data and analytics jobs: it is named in 17.1% of openings.
How many skills are ranked?
24 skills have at least 30 openings, so the list has 24 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A AI skill's score is the share of data and analytics open professional roles whose posting names it, read by our AI-skill tagger from the full posting text across 24 AI skills in three groups: using AI in your work, leading AI, and building AI systems. Only skills named in at least 30 openings are ranked.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Most requested AI skills in data and analytics jobs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/ai-skills-most-requested-in-data-and-analytics-jobs

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/ai-skills-most-requested-in-data-and-analytics-jobs">Most requested AI skills in data and analytics jobs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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