How AI is impacting Australia’s jobs and workers

• Workers see rising wages: Globally, AI-skilled workers experience average 56% wage premium in 2024, double the 25% in the previous year. 
• Bucking expectations, data shows job availability in Australia grew 10% in the roles more exposed to AI, albeit below the growth rate in less exposed occupations.  
• Industries most exposed to AI saw three-times higher growth in revenue per employee (27%) compared to those least exposed (9%). 

Now in its second year, the Global AI Jobs Barometer looked at close to a billion job adverts from 24 countries and 80 sectors to understand how the demand for workers is shifting in relation to AI adoption. 

The global study found that AI is making workers more valuable, not less. Industries most able to use AI have seen productivity growth nearly quadruple since 2022 and are seeing three times higher growth in revenue generated per employee. Jobs numbers and wages are also growing in virtually every AI-exposed occupation, with AI-skilled workers commanding a 56% wage premium, on average. 

In Australia, the jobs market has seen growing demand for AI skills over the last decade-plus, with industries such as Financial and Insurance Activities and Information and Communication leading the way. In 2012, only 2,000 job postings in the country called for AI skills. By 2024, that number had grown to 23,000. 

In 2021, Australia saw a rapid and significant surge in the demand for AI skills in the overall jobs market, nearly doubling from 12,000 postings requiring such skills in 2020 to reach 23,000 a year later (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Australia's demand for jobs requiring AI skills shows signs of levelling out, with limited growth since 2021.

Total number and share of job postings required AI related skills, Australia, 2012-2024

Since 2020, the proportion of job postings that require AI skills has remained mostly steady. There are multiple theories for why this could be the case. For example, it could be a sign that AI skills are normalising as part of people’s day-to-day work, or it could indicate that Australian businesses are increasingly turning to overseas labour markets for AI talent.

In line with global findings from PwC’s 2025 AI Jobs Barometer, Financial and Insurance Activities continue to lead in terms of industry demand for AI skills. In 2024, 11.8% of job postings in Financial and Insurance Activities demanded AI skills. While this is down from a spike of 15.7% in 2021, it is still notably higher than all other industries (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Since 2022, Australia has seen a shift away from job postings in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Activities.

Share of all job postings by sector, Australia, 2012-2024

Between 2019 and 2024, augmentable jobs—those where humans work alongside AI—grew 47% across all industries, while automatable jobs saw an average 45% growth. It appears that both AI-driven augmentation and automation are contributing to job expansion in Australia (Figure 3).

Figure 3: In Australia, both AI augmentation and automation are driving similar job growth, with strong gains in hospitality, agriculture, and recreation.

Growth rate in postings by sector for augmented and automated jobs, Australia, 2019-2024

Industries such as Agriculture, Hotels and Catering, and Recreation and Culture saw the highest job postings growth over this timeframe, with AI integration possibly driving workforce demand in these sectors. 

As AI skills become more democratised across the Australian workforce, it seems AI is also creating new opportunities for non-traditional talent. 

Degree requirements are falling at similar rates for both augmented and automated roles, with jobs exposed to AI augmentation seeing degree requirements dropping from 71% of postings in 2019 to 67% in 2024. Jobs exposed to automation saw a similar rate of decline, from 80% to 74% (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Degree requirements in Australia are falling for both augmented and automated roles.

Degree requirements for jobs with high and low AI exposure, Australia 2019-2024

However, the fact that most augmented and automated jobs still list degree requirements underscores the continued importance of formal education in the job market. The decline in degree requirements may simply indicate that employers are becoming more open to different types of candidates as they seek out the skills they need.

In our CEO survey, 56% of Australia’s CEOs believe AI will be integrated into core business strategy in the next three years. And with 42% of CEOs saying they’ve already seen a boost to employee productivity through using GenAI, organisations in Australia need to move quickly to take advantage of AI.

If you’re looking to take the next step, here are our five tips for Australian business leaders: