LinkedIn's Rising Jobs Report Shows the Promise-and Limits-of AI

"Even the most AI-centric roles on the list underscore how dependent the technology remains on human judgement. AI engineers-the fastest-growing job on the list-aren't simply building autonomous systems. They're making constant, human-led decisions about how those systems learn and function. AI consultants and strategists-the second fastest-growing role-rely less on coding than on interpretation, planning, and organizational insight, skills rooted in human context rather than machine logic."

"The significance of human skills is further highlighted with data annotators, the fourth fastest-growing role on the list. These workers label and review the data that trains AI systems in the first place. LinkedIn notes that many annotators come from editorial, content, and research backgrounds, fields built on judgment, nuance, and quality control. Without that human layer, AI models can't perform as effectively."

"Outside of tech, the trend is even clearer. New home sales specialists, healthcare reimbursement specialists, advertising sales specialists, and fundraising officers all rank among the fastest-growing roles. These jobs rely on emotional intelligence, credibility, taste, and care, qualities clients and patients still expect from a person, not a machine. The report also points to a rise in founders and independent consultants, signaling a broader shift toward self-employment."

LinkedIn's Jobs on the Rise 2026 report identified the 25 fastest-growing U.S. roles and shows many top jobs emphasize human judgment over pure technical skill. AI engineers make human-led decisions about system training and function, while AI consultants focus on interpretation, planning, and organizational insight rather than just coding. Data annotators label and review training data, often coming from editorial, content, and research backgrounds that prioritize nuance and quality control. Several nontechnical roles—sales specialists, healthcare reimbursement specialists, and fundraisers—grow due to emotional intelligence and credibility. A rise in founders and independent consultants signals greater self-employment driven by individual experience and judgement.

Read at Inc