The big number: $165,000

For years computer programming offered a path to a lucrative job. Tech companies in the early 2010s were promising computer science graduates salaries that started at $100,000 and, with extra perks, added up to $165,000.

But artificial intelligence is changing that, Natasha Singer of The New York Times reported. AI can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code, making the need for entry-level coders almost obsolete.

The spread of AI, combined with layoffs at big tech companies like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, has dampened demand for computer programmers. Job applicants are spending months searching for employment, often getting almost instantaneous rejections from companies that rely on AI hiring tools. Even government jobs for coders are harder to come by as the Trump administration has been reducing the federal workforce.


As a result, computer science and computer engineering graduates are facing relatively high unemployment rates -- 6% or higher, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That is far above the overall unemployment rate of 4.2%.

Many students are now moving away from computer science and instead looking to learn about AI. President Donald Trump recently unveiled a national AI action plan that includes channeling more students into AI jobs. Microsoft also said recently that it was spending $4 billion to help train students in AI.

"It's demoralizing to lose out on opportunities because of AI," Jamie Spoeri, a computer science major who graduated this year from Georgetown University, told Singer. "But I think, if we can adapt and rise to the challenge, it can also open up new opportunities."