Who gets the economic upside of AI?
The AI impact on women's jobs, pay and hiring
AI is creating a new layer of high-growth, high-paying work. Last week, LinkedIn data showed that US AI job postings have roughly doubled since 2023, with typical advertised salaries of approximately US$177,000, compared with US$80,000 for non-AI roles.
But access to those opportunities is far from even. Women accounted for just 26 per cent of US AI hires in 2025, compared with 50 per cent of hires into non-AI occupations. Across 27 countries, women hold only 13 per cent of C-suite AI leadership roles at AI companies.
Beyond "are women using AI?"
Research also suggests that women have been adopting generative AI at lower rates than men. A Harvard Business School study estimated adoption rates of 47.8 per cent for men and 39.3 per cent for women. Among employed people, 29.1 per cent of men and 23.5 per cent of women reported using generative AI for their work.
However, we think it’s time to move beyond the rather simple question ‘are women using AI?’. There’s been plenty written about women needing to adopt AI more quickly, along with criticism of the “girlbossification” of AI. At EVEN Careers, we think a more meaningful question is whether women’s use of AI is actually converting into opportunity, reward and career progression.
Who gets the leadership capital?
When we look at the connection between AI and career progress, we realise this is a bigger issue than a representation problem contained to technical teams or roles. It becomes a question about who will benefit from the pay, influence, mobility opportunities and leadership capital associated with AI.
If women enter emerging opportunities later, receive less development or remain concentrated in roles most exposed to automation and redesign, AI will likely widen existing economic gaps (even if women “girlboss” their way into AI adoption).
So we need to look beyond access to AI and ask:
Who has time to learn and upskill?
Who is encouraged to experiment?
Who receives AI-related stretch opportunities?
Whose existing skills are recognised as relevant?
Who receives credit for using AI well?
And who is seen as credible for the new roles being created?
We want to understand what this looks like in women’s working lives.
EVEN Careers is exploring the AI impact on women's jobs and leadership through Women, Work & AI, a national research initiative into how AI is reshaping women's careers, leadership and wellbeing.