US tech salaries rise 2.1% year over year, Kelly's Motion Recruitment finds
US tech salaries rose 2.1% year over year, while senior cybersecurity architect salaries increased 22%. The guide also says AI skills appeared in 75% of US tech job postings and projects net tech employment will rise by 200,000 to 9.8 million.
1. Salary growth varies
Kelly Services' Motion Recruitment published its 2027 Tech Salary Guide on Nov. 12, 2026, reporting that US tech salaries rose 2.1% year over year. Senior cybersecurity architect salaries increased 22%, while network security engineers averaged gains of 14%.
2. AI and employment
The guide projects net tech employment will rise by 200,000 to 9.8 million, despite technology companies cutting more than 122,000 jobs through mid-2026. AI skills were required in 75% of US tech job postings, and 47% of organizations reported being understaffed in AI. The guide says 55% of employers regret AI-related layoffs, while 7% of business leaders report established returns on AI investments.
