Work in a new profession, earn $100,000+ a year, and rest assured that artificial intelligence won’t replace you
You might think this is just another article about “success for success’ sake” and endless positivity. But I live in Silicon Valley, and my main focus right now is searching for new ideas and opportunities. Everywhere you turn, people keep repeating that robots and AI will replace us.
But the leaders and builders of AI — the real participants in this emerging industry — panic far less than the commentators online. Yes, the AI market is growing at lightning speed, but I see how actively they are hiring specialists and how many people are actually optimistic about what’s happening.
Key Keywords (English):
- future jobs 2025
- professions safe from AI
- prompt engineer salary 2025
- AI productivity paradox
- hybrid AI careers
- manual trades value 2025
- creative jobs AI resistant
Why Many CEOs Are Panicking
Of course, there are exceptions. For example, Professor Geoffrey Hinton openly voices his concerns. Dario Amodei, the founder of Anthropic, is also shocked by the pace of change. But as someone who doesn’t build these technologies, but rather lives inside this world, raises kids here, and works here, I prefer to look at everything with optimism.
If you want to see the positive side of the current revolution, to watch companies fight for talented developers and literally poach them from each other, then read this post to the end. As always, I rely on data and research.
Analytics: Which Professions Are Growing
I studied reports from McKinsey, MIT, Stanford, and the World Economic Forum. I also looked at the future through the lens of GitHub founders, Hugging Face leaders, and Reid Hoffman, to bring you the key insights.
What do we see?
- On one hand, there are forecasts that AI will replace us all.
- On the other hand, companies like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are actively hiring. And not only programmers — among the new positions are doctors, lawyers, and education specialists who help train artificial intelligence.
Marc Andreessen noted in a podcast (Andreessen Horowitz) that companies are so dependent on data that they hire thousands of specialists to manually answer questions and train models.
The Numbers
- The World Economic Forum surveyed 1,000 of the world’s largest employers (representing 14 million employees across 55 countries and 22 industries).
Conclusion: by 2030, 170 million new jobs will appear. Yes, 92 million will disappear, but the net growth will be 78 million positions. - MIT adds: only 5% of professions can be fully automated in the next 10 years. The remaining 95% still require humans — their strategic thinking, creativity, and interpersonal skills.
AI and Productivity
I’ve personally automated many processes in my blogging work using AI, and from experience I see how much it boosts productivity. Yet the human factor remains key: we are the ones who set the strategy and decide where to direct these tools.
The Productivity Paradox and the Impact of AI on Workflows
Do you know what’s most interesting? This paradox. On the one hand, we now produce 5–6 times more content. Our revenue has increased significantly because we can be present on multiple platforms at once where we sell ads.
And what do I notice? Entrepreneurial nature works like this: you see output 10 times greater and think, “Really? Then I’ll hire more people, and we’ll achieve 100 times more.” It’s not like I stop at, “Great, content spreads 10 times faster, let’s just stay here.” No, I immediately think, “That means we need to hire this person, that person, and that one, to accelerate even further.”
Insight from PricewaterhouseCoopers
Recently, PricewaterhouseCoopers released the AI Jobs Barometer, where they analyzed one billion job postings worldwide. Here’s what they found:
- In industries most affected by AI, salaries are growing twice as fast as in industries where AI is barely applied.
- People with AI-related skills earn 56% more than those without them.
Just a year ago, the gap was only 25%. This shows how sharply the demand for specialists skilled in using AI has grown.
But there is an important caveat: so far, artificial intelligence is not capable of fully performing any profession. It is transforming how we work, but it is not replacing us entirely. And if we are honest — the quality of its work often still falls short of the human level, especially in areas where strategy, deep understanding, and creative thinking matter most.
Marketers Will Be More, Not Less
That is why today, specialists who are not afraid of AI but know how to use it wisely are especially valued.
Take marketing, for example. Many times, predictions claimed that marketers would disappear because AI would “run ads on its own.” But in reality, the opposite is happening: demand for marketers and managers in this field is growing.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- From 2023 to 2033, employment of advertising, promotion, and marketing managers will grow by 8% — above the market average.
- Yet 68% of marketers say that finding a job has become harder than it was five years ago.
Why? Because businesses no longer need just “hands-on specialists” who randomly launch dozens of campaigns. Today they require leaders who can think strategically, manage AI-driven systems, and see the real market picture behind the data.
Category 1. Professions Outside the Risk Zone
According to the Future of Jobs Report 2025, the least vulnerable professions to automation remain those where interpersonal skills, physical presence, and care for people are critical.
Why is that?
- People are not ready to delegate raising a child or caring for their health to robots.
- It’s not only about knowledge and data — empathy, sensitivity, and ethical judgment matter.
- Education, support, and motivation all require human contact.
Examples of professions outside the risk zone:
- Healthcare workers – doctors, nurses
- Decisions about life and health cannot be reduced to algorithms alone.
- People need human care and empathy.
- Caregivers and social workers
- Caring for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
- Trust and physical presence are critical factors.
- Teachers and educators
- Education is not only about knowledge, but also about upbringing, adaptation, and worldview.
- A teacher can motivate, support, and provide feedback — something AI is not yet capable of.
- Psychologists and psychotherapists
- AI may help with basic consultations, but serious issues require human involvement.
- Just as Uber expanded the taxi market, AI has expanded access to psychological help — but it has not replaced professionals.
- Engineers and technicians in renewable energy
- These roles demand physical presence and creative engineering thinking.
Key takeaway:
AI does not replace these professions, it complements them. It makes services more accessible and efficient, but the human factor remains irreplaceable.
Additional examples (Professions 5–8):
The list of professions outside the risk zone also includes:
- Engineers and renewable energy technicians — requiring creative problem-solving and hands-on work.
- Big data and AI specialists, software and app developers — despite popular tools like Replit, professionals are still needed to maintain and refine products.
- Cybersecurity experts — as data protection becomes increasingly critical, humans continue to find non-standard solutions against hacks.
- Creative professions — designers, brand architects, creators.
“Mental Upgrade” is your guide to transformation: from fear to strength, from chaos to clarity, from survival to dream. Enter your email below to receive your free chapter.
Category 2. Creative Professions
According to McKinsey and European research, demand for creative roles is growing faster than average. Today, the profession of a “creator” has become both mainstream and highly in demand.
Salaries of creative professionals in Europe and the U.S.:
- Creative Director — $140,000–220,000 per year
- UX/UI Designer — $110,000–170,000
- Content Strategist — $95,000–150,000
In local markets (SuperJob and VK Media Solutions data):
- UX/UI designers, 3D animators, and game designers remain among the most in-demand.
- Median salary — about 230,000 rubles per month.
💡 Main distinction: AI helps scale ideas, but it does not replace the source of creativity itself. Artificial intelligence can adapt your thoughts into different formats (a post, an email, a script), but the core ideas are born in the human mind.
Category 3. Hybrid Professions
This is the new wave of careers where people work in partnership with AI. Such specialists are already earning six-figure salaries in the U.S.:
- Prompt Engineers — $130,000–200,000
- AI Ethics Specialists — $150,000–220,000
- AI UX Designers — $140,000–190,000
- Data Trainers (AI data training) — $110,000–160,000
- AI Implementation Specialists — $160,000–240,000
These careers require a blend of technical expertise and human qualities — empathy, critical thinking, and sound judgment.
Category 4. Manual and Skilled Trades
Many experts point out that jobs not requiring higher education are becoming surprisingly prestigious and lucrative.
👨🔧 Real-life example:
In the U.S., a plumber’s visit for a minor repair can cost $700. After an earthquake, fixing a broken pipe under a house cost one family nearly $20,000, including heavy equipment.
💡 That’s why Professor Hinton’s words — “It’s better to be a plumber” — sound less like a joke in 2025 and more like strategic advice.
Average U.S. salaries:
- Electricians — from $78,000/year
- Plumbers — from $72,000/year
- HVAC installers — around $70,000/year
- Heavy equipment operators — $80,000+/year
These professions remain largely safe from automation. Industrial robots are widespread in Amazon warehouses, but household robots capable of replacing skilled tradespeople simply don’t exist.
Why Robots Aren’t a Threat (Yet)
A robot can endlessly move boxes in a factory, but it can’t adapt to unique repair tasks in a particular home. Every situation demands flexibility, resourcefulness, and experience.
Even Microsoft’s research notes that physical and human-contact-based jobs will be the last to be automated:
- Massage therapists
- Roofers
- Dishwashers
- Cleaners
And even if a massage robot cost the same as a human therapist, most people would still prefer real human interaction and empathy.
Future-Proof Skills Everyone Needs
MIT’s The Epoch of AI study highlights five uniquely human competencies that remain irreplaceable:
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligence — doctors, teachers, social workers.
- Presence and Networking — journalists, nurses, managers.
- Ethics and Judgment under Uncertainty — leaders, executives, lawyers.
- Creativity and Imagination — designers, writers, creators.
- Leadership and Strategic Vision — entrepreneurs, executives.
Key Insight
We already live in a hybrid world where AI supports us but does not replace us. The winners will be those who:
- maintain their physical health and discipline;
- master new technologies, including AI;
- cultivate creativity and social intelligence.
Manual Work + Future Skills
- The labor market is shifting rapidly. Skilled trades once seen as “simple” are becoming highly valued precisely because they’re hardest to automate. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC specialists, and similar tradespeople are now the true backbone of the economy.
- Yet the future demands more. To stay in demand, we must strengthen the skills machines cannot match: empathy, creativity, judgment in uncertainty, and strategic thinking.
The world is moving toward a hybrid model: AI + Human. Those who learn to combine technology with their unique human strengths will become the leaders of tomorrow.
💡 If you’re interested in upgrading your mindset and preparing for the future, I recommend my book “Mental Upgrade.” In it, I share my personal transformation, as well as strategies and practices to rewire your brain, think bigger, and prepare for the changes that are already knocking at the door.
“Mental Upgrade” is your guide to transformation: from fear to strength, from chaos to clarity, from survival to dream. Enter your email below to receive your free chapter.
External References for Further Reading
1. AI Talent Market & Salaries
- AI talent wars leading to superstar pay and recruitment battles — Explores skyrocketing compensation and sign-on bonuses for AI experts among top firms like Meta and OpenAI. Financial Times
- AI-skilled 20-somethings earning high salaries — Highlights how young AI professionals are commanding six-figure incomes due to surging demand. Wall Street Journal
- Prompt Engineer salary overview (2025) — Details salary trends for prompt engineers, including figures up to $200,000 and beyond. refontelearning.comSalary.com
2. The AI Productivity Paradox
- Why AI isn’t yet producing macro-level productivity gains — MIT/NBER study explaining the “AI-productivity paradox” due to lagging adoption and intangible organizational costs. NBER+1
- Real-world AI productivity impact in workplaces — Demonstrates how AI tools boost individual output but don’t always translate to higher company performance. faros.aiThe New Yorker
3. Prompt Engineering as a New Career Path
- The rise of prompt engineering jobs — Discusses responsibilities, salaries, and career outlook, highlighting its emergence as a lucrative field. PromptLayer
- Guide on prompt engineer earnings and influencing factors — Offers insights into what shapes salaries and growth potential. Mobilunity
4. AI Tools & Developer Productivity
- GitHub Copilot speeds up coding by 55% — A controlled experiment measuring developer performance gains with AI assistance. arXiv
- AI support improves customer support productivity by 15% — Research demonstrating generative AI’s positive effects in support roles.
