The New (and Surprising) Hotbeds for AI Jobs

Providence. Huntsville, AL. Milwaukee.

These places aren’t typically thought of as hotbeds of tech innovation, but the emergence of AI has had some unexpected, even odd effects. Indeed, an analysis of job listings requiring AI skills shows that hiring is moving inland, from the traditional coastal tech centers to some unexpected places. The study, which assessed the AI readiness of more than 350 US metro areas based on talent, innovation, and adoption, underscores how the rapid growth of AI is creating new talent hubs driven by industry transformation. “We are starting to see two kinds of AI spread,” says Bryan Ackermann, head of AI strategy and transformation at Korn Ferry. “One is around the creation of the technology, and the other is the usage of it in enterprise business processes.”

The report comes at a difficult time for many job hunters, and many could beging to alter their strategy for looking for work. It also reflects a job trends globally, where different markets are vying for AI business. Cities from London to Beijing to Berlin, for example, have invested heavily into creating a hub for AI start-ups and related jobs.

According to the study, Silicon Valley still leads the way in AI readiness, of course, with the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas accounting for about 9% of the roughly 287,000 job listings requiring AI skills as of April 2025. Also ranking high on the list are traditional tech talent hubs like New York, Seattle, Boulder, and Austin, which the report includes among 28 metro areas it considers “star hubs” for AI readiness. Just below the star hubs, however, are a group of 14 emerging metro areas the report says are “carving out a significant role in the AI landscape”—among them, Detroit, Providence, and Huntsville, AL. Job postings requiring AI skills in these metro areas have increased a collective 88% since 2018, or by roughly 20,000 positions each (though job postings aren’t evenly distributed across regions).

Maneesh Dube, a senior client partner in the Executive Search practice at Korn Ferry, says the significant presence in these areas of automotive, healthcare, aerospace and defense, financial services, and other businesses is driving demand for AI skills. Unlike the early days of digital transformation, when firms set up shop near traditional tech hubs, today “companies want their senior leadership roles and AI teams where the business is,” says Dube. But even places like Richmond, VA, Kansas City, MO, and Milwaukee have seen significant increases in such job postings relative to their size, with around 1,000 roles in each city requiring AI skills. It’s an indication, says Dube, “that every job will eventually require some level of AI literacy.”

Todd Blaskowitz, a senior client partner on the AI Strategy and Transformation team at Korn Ferry, agrees, noting that the spread of jobs requiring AI skills across the country reflects increased exposure to generative AI, either through strong university systems or business adoption. For leaders, these emerging centers represent “prime recruiting and reskilling grounds without Bay Area wage competition,” he says.

At the other end of the spectrum, the report shows that more than half of US metro areas are lagging in AI readiness, in large part because of a dearth of talent. To be sure, the report says that midsized and small regional hubs like Poughkeepsie, NY and Montgomery, AL are seeing “limited AI hiring.” Overall, job listings requiring AI skills still represent a minuscule portion, only 2.2%, of available roles.

To be sure, Ackermann says the study is a reminder of how early in the transition firms are. “Right now, the creation of core AI technology is still the province of organizations with pretty deep pockets,” he says. “But that is changing.”

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s AI in the Workplace capabilities.

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