AI Reshapes Tech Hiring, Favoring Senior Engineers Over Early-Career Roles

AI is changing who consulting firms hire, according to Nicolas Kopp, CEO of AI-native accounting startup Rillet.

The software engineering hiring rebound is leaving early-career engineers behind. In the first quarter of this year, nearly 70% of US software development job postings on Indeed were for senior-level roles, an increase from 55% in early 2019. Software development had the highest share of senior-level postings among more than 40 employment sectors analyzed by Indeed.

Sneha Puri, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, stated that AI tools can increasingly handle routine coding tasks previously assigned to junior engineers. This shifts hiring demand toward workers who can direct AI output, catch mistakes, and make judgment calls, skills typically associated with experience. Manoj Aggarwal, a software engineer with over a decade of experience, observed more openings for senior engineering roles than junior ones during a job search last year.

Software development job postings plummeted in 2022 but have reversed over the past year and a half, up approximately 15% in June from early 2025. Postings remain below pre-pandemic levels. Rillet, an AI-native accounting startup, aims to reduce the time humans spend on routine application tasks by using AI to keep company books updated. The company recently raised a $100 million Series C at a $1 billion valuation and $200 million across three rounds in the past year. It serves over 600 public and private customers, with 40% outside tech and AI sectors.