When Andrew Grant kicked off his freshman year at Georgia Tech five years ago, generative AI was still in its infancy. Back then, his decision to pursue a mechanical engineering degree at a highly selective school was a safe bet for a well-paid career with job security.
Today, the narrative is far more complex. Grant is already thinking differently about what comes next. “I see AI as a massive reset in the job market, much like computers transformed nearly every industry,” said the 22-year-old Louisiana native. “Rather than fear that shift, I see an opportunity to become an expert in AI engineering as the field continues to evolve.”
Grant is coming of age professionally in a vastly different era. Graduates are facing a sluggish job market with fewer entry-level roles, while artificial intelligence is transforming how companies hire, develop, and operate technology. It comes amid growing public concern that “AI is taking our jobs”—even within skilled professions. So, is a STEM degree still a solid option as AI reshapes the employment landscape?
What the Labor Market Actually Shows
The data shows a mixed picture. Job prospects have been particularly choppy for CS grads. Between 2008 and 2024, the number of computer science degrees grew by almost 500%, per The Washington Post. However, supply and demand are increasingly skewed. According to 2024 Federal Reserve Bank of New York data, the unemployment rate for CS graduates is 7%, and the underemployment rate is 19%. October’s federal jobs report underscores the broader slowdown, with the U.S. adding just 29,000 jobs in September while unemployment edged up to 4.2%.
Naomi, a 22-year-old computer science graduate in Georgia who asked that her last name not be published, has felt that slowdown firsthand. Since graduating this spring, she has applied for roughly 200 jobs but received just seven interviews. She now works part-time for $18 an hour without benefits while looking for a job in IT. “Some days felt hopeless,” she said.
Beyond the Headline Numbers
Those headline numbers also mask disparities. Black and Hispanic college graduates continue to face uneven labor-market outcomes. Immigrants are also contending with new federal policy changes, making it harder for some to navigate the job market post-college.
But this doesn’t tell the whole story. The latest federal projections show STEM employment is expected to grow 7.4% between 2025 and 2035—more than twice the 3.5% rate projected across all occupations. STEM jobs also had a median annual wage of $106,360 in 2025, double the income for non-STEM occupations.
“I see AI as a massive reset in the job market, much like computers transformed nearly every industry. Rather than fear that shift, I see an opportunity to become an expert in AI engineering as the field continues to evolve.”
Still, these projections don’t entirely shield scientific roles from disruption. “One might think that STEM degrees would be safe, especially for biomedical sciences, as AI can’t do the experiments for you,” said Nicholas Jackson, an immunology Ph.D. student and working scientist based in Birmingham, Alabama. “However, that doesn’t make the job market safe due to the sheer number of applicants using AI to apply for jobs against a market that is shrinking because of consistent funding cuts.”
STEM is not one job market. Computer science degrees grew almost 500% between 2008 and 2024 (The Washington Post). Computer science graduates face 7% unemployment and 19% underemployment (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2024 data), against 5.6% and 42% for recent graduates overall (2026:Q2). Over 2025–2035, STEM employment is projected to grow 7.4% versus 3.5% for all occupations, and the 2025 median STEM wage was $106,360 against $49,050 for non-STEM occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
How AI is Changing the Equation
The reality is that AI isn’t simply eliminating STEM roles – it’s changing them. As AI becomes more adept at coding and automation, novice CS grads face stiffer competition. The key may be combining robust or specialized knowledge with “hybrid” skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.
Software hiring peaked before ChatGPT existed. Indeed’s index of US software development job postings peaked at 233.8 in February 2022 (1 February 2020 = 100) and had already fallen 39% by the launch of ChatGPT on 30 November 2022. It reached a low of about 62.6 in March 2025 before recovering to 77.3 by September 2026. Source: Indeed Hiring Lab via FRED.
“A lot of students are worried that AI is making it harder to find a job after graduation,” said Anu Bourgeois, a computer science professor at Georgia State University and co-director of RISE in Computing, which supports underrepresented students in computing. “They know they have to do more than just code well — they need to be comfortable working with AI, communicate clearly, and be able to show how they’ve used those skills in past projects.”
Students with Georgia State University’s RISE in Computing program participate in its Dress 4 Success initiative. The program, co-directed by computer science professor Anu Bourgeois, helps prepare underrepresented students for careers in computing. Photo courtesy of RISE in Computing/Georgia State University.
Adekunle Ayodele, founder of Fostr and DataBox Technologies and a former senior program lead at Meta, echoes this sentiment. “I still believe a STEM degree provides a strong foundation, but the degree by itself no longer sets candidates apart,” he said. “AI is raising the bar: the people who will thrive are those who combine deep technical knowledge with judgment, adaptability, communication, and the ability to use AI as a tool rather than compete with it.”
The landscape is shifting. Enrollment in computer and information sciences at four-year institutions fell 8.4% this spring, while universities grapple with how to teach foundational skills and prepare students for an AI-native workplace. And as traditional pathways into Big Tech narrow, some young STEM graduates are looking elsewhere—joining startups and smaller companies or building their own ventures.
Where the Opportunities Are Shifting
“For the first time in history, you can build an entire team from a computer and turn an idea into a real company with fewer resources than ever before,” said Grant, who put his mechanical engineering degree on hold to focus full-time on his VC-backed startup, TAPN. “In an uncertain job market, with new opportunities emerging every day, betting on yourself and building something of your own can be one of the most powerful career moves you make.”
If AI can write code and automate basic business tasks, what skills will set graduates apart? STEM grads need to stay on top of the skills and roles that are ‘safer’ in today’s highly competitive job market. So, as the hype over coding cools, fields such as cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, data science, and mathematics may well offer better outcomes.
In reality, the AI revolution is evolving rapidly, and we’re all still figuring out where it’s heading. STEM remains valuable, but the old equation—get the degree, land a secure, high-paying job—is becoming less reliable.
This work was supported by URL Media and produced in collaboration with Nicholas Jackson, who contributed two partnership videos as extensions of this story. Watch his two partnership videos here and here. Follow his work on Tiktok and Instagram.
