AI Agent Engineer is the best career path for UK professionals moving into AI, according to a new study by Click Intelligence that ranks 20 AI-related roles on pay, pay growth, vacancies and search demand.
The October 2026 research combined median annual salary, year-on-year salary change, vacancies posted in the previous 12 months and live listings into an AI Job Opportunity Score. AI Agent Engineer scored 98, with a median salary of £95,000, 16.92% pay growth over the year, 2,395 live listings and 597,480 annual searches.
AI Engineer came second with a score of 93 and the highest median salary in the top five at £100,000, up 6.06% year on year. There are 1,192 live listings and a further 1,708 vacancies were posted in the previous year. AI Solutions Architect ranked third on 85, with 4,304 vacancies posted in the past year, more than double most other roles, and a median salary of £85,000.
Generative AI Specialist placed fourth on 78, with 2,531 live listings, the most of any role in the study, and a median salary of £82,500, down 2.94% year on year. AI Architect was fifth on 74 at £95,000, with 367 live listings. AI Platform Engineer, Head of AI, AI Red Teamer, AI Consultant and AI Transformation Specialist completed the top ten. The last of those saw median pay fall 27.27%.
James Owen, Co-founder and Director at Click Intelligence, said the demand reaches beyond technology firms. "AI hiring in the UK is moving fast. Around 180K job postings required specialist AI skills in 2025, up 61% from the year before."
Click Intelligence has published the full findings, covering all 20 roles, as a spreadsheet.
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