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AI is raising the bar for entry-level jobs, according to a new PwC analysis of global job ads.Employers in AI-exposed fields are increasingly looking for entry-level workers to have the skills that they previously expected from senior workers, including emotional intelligence, judgment, and leadership.The findings come from PwC's 2026 AI jobs barometer, released on June 15th, which analyzed over 1 billion job advertisements globally.Analysis of 2.4 million entry-level roles in the US found that AI-exposed roles are seven times more likely to list "traditionally senior" skills than they were in 2019.The skills now expected of less experienced staff include motivational leadership, team building, people and stakeholder management, process management, mentorship, and data-driven decision-making.PwC defined a skill as "traditionally senior" if it appeared more than 50 times in experienced, non-entry-level, high AI exposure job postings in 2019, but fewer than five times in entry-level, high AI exposure postings in 2019."The good news is that many junior workers will be spared years of drudgery on basic, repetitive tasks. The tough news is that those same workers need to quickly step up to demonstrate skills like leadership and strategic thinking," PwC said in the report.
