Artificial intelligence isn’t replacing the software engineer (yet)

For much of 2024 and 2025, one particular workforce narrative dominated the technology press: artificial intelligence would devour software engineers first. The logic tracked. If AI can write code, why keep paying expensive engineers to do the same?

New research from Pave's real-time workforce data from more than 8,700 companies tells a different story. Hiring for software engineers is rising-and the reasons why illuminate something very important about how AI is actually reshaping technical work.

Overall Hiring for Software Engineers is Steady

In short, Pave's data doesn't support the AI displacement narrative. Since Q4 2023, software engineers have accounted for between 19.3% and 22.5% of all new hires joining Pave's dataset each quarter-a signal of stability and resilience, not volatility.

More importantly, absolute hiring volumes paint an even rosier picture: a consistent set of companies contributing to Pave's real-time dataset over the past two years hired 9.0% more software engineers in 2025 than in 2024.

A related metric reinforces the trend. The average age of engineers is rising across all major job family areas, including AI/ML engineering, hardware engineering, and software engineering. This suggests a growing bias toward senior talent beyond software engineering.

Looking Forward

Reports of software engineering's demise are premature. As of early 2026, companies continue to hire software engineers at high volumes-though they increasingly concentrate that demand at the senior end of the experience spectrum.

For individuals weighing software engineering as a career path, the implication is clear: technical skills alone no longer differentiate you enough. The jobs of the future sit at the intersection of engineering ability and broader business judgment, including commercial acumen, communication skills, and problem-solving. An education that develops those skills alongside coding will likely age better than one focused on technical execution alone.

For employers, the investment case is straightforward. Senior engineers who can direct and extend AI capabilities are becoming a real source of competitive advantage. In a market where this talent is already scarce, the cost of hiring the best is rising fast.

This story was produced by Pave and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC

This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM.