The New AI Team: 22 Roles You've Never Heard Of

AI jobs boom faster than you can say "chatbot"

Prompt Engineers earn over $350,000, Model Managers control AI lifecycles, and AI Ethicists evaluate moral questions. 67% of companies create new AI roles – a complete transformation of tech teams is underway.

The AI Job Boom: Surprising Numbers

Just a year ago, "AI Prompt Engineer" sounded like science fiction. Today it's one of the most sought-after positions in the tech sector. Companies compete for talent that didn't even exist until recently.

$350K
Salary for Prompt Engineers
67%
Of companies create new AI roles
59%
Growth in AI jobs in 2024
16,591
New AI positions posted in 2024
"87% of advanced AI companies already have dedicated AI teams. The talent landscape is changing rapidly – those who don't act now miss the AI revolution."

From Data Scientists to Prompt Engineers: Team Evolution

The Data Scientist was once celebrated as the "sexiest job of the 21st century." Today, Data Scientists are still important – but they no longer work alone. Think of a film set: there used to be only director and actors. Today you need CGI specialists, sound designers, and stunt coordinators.

Classic Roles (Evolved)

Data Scientist

The lead actor in AI projects. Analyzes data, builds models, delivers predictions – but needs a whole support team today.

Data Engineer

The silent heroes who keep data findable and clean. Without them, Data Scientists spend half the day cleaning up.

ML Engineer

Connects Data Science with software development – brings models into production systems. Fills the gap between lab and reality.

Software Engineer

Builds the infrastructure around AI – the app, interface, infrastructure. Without them, the model doesn't reach users.

New AI Roles (Emerged Through Generative AI)

Prompt Engineer

Salary: $250K-$350K
Formulates the best questions for models like ChatGPT. Sounds simple but is crucial – good prompting ensures reliable results.

Knowledge Engineer

Salary: $180K-$250K
Structures company knowledge for AI consumption. Creates knowledge graphs and ontologies.

AI Product Manager

Salary: $200K-$300K
Bridges business and technology. Defines AI product strategy and prioritizes features.

AI Ethicist

Salary: $150K-$220K
Evaluates moral implications of AI decisions. Ensures fairness and transparency.

Model Risk Manager

Salary: $180K-$280K
Monitors AI systems for bias, errors, and compliance issues. Critical for regulated industries.

AI Trainer

Salary: $120K-$180K
Teaches AI systems through feedback and examples. Improves model performance iteratively.

Specialized Technical Roles

LLM Operations Engineer

Manages large language model infrastructure. Optimizes performance, cost, and reliability.

Vector Database Specialist

Designs and maintains vector databases for AI applications. Critical for RAG systems.

AI Security Engineer

Protects AI systems from adversarial attacks. Implements security best practices.

Synthetic Data Engineer

Creates artificial training data. Solves privacy and data scarcity problems.

Building Your AI Team: Strategic Approach

Phase 1: Core Team (Months 1-6)

Start with Data Scientists, ML Engineers, and AI Product Manager. Build foundation for AI initiatives.

Phase 2: Specialization (Months 7-12)

Add Prompt Engineers, AI Ethicists, and specialized roles based on use cases.

Phase 3: Scale (Year 2+)

Expand with LLM Ops, Security Engineers, and domain-specific specialists.

FAQ

What are the highest-paying AI roles? +
Prompt Engineers ($250K-$350K), AI Product Managers ($200K-$300K), and Model Risk Managers ($180K-$280K) are among the highest-paid AI positions.
Do I need a PhD for AI roles? +
Not necessarily. While research roles often require PhDs, many practical AI positions value hands-on experience, portfolio projects, and demonstrated skills over formal degrees.
How do I transition into an AI role? +
Start with online courses, build portfolio projects, contribute to open source, and leverage your domain expertise. Many AI roles value cross-functional skills.

Further Information