Hong Kong employers willing to pay up to 28% more for AI-skilled staff

But 3 in 4 employers say it's difficult finding AI talent: survey

BY Dexter Tilo 22 May 2024

Employers in Hong Kong are willing to pay up to 28% more to employees with skills in artificial intelligence, according to a new report, which unveiled organisations' challenges in searching for AI talent.

Findings from the latest Amazon Web Service report revealed that employers want to pay AI-skilled employees up to 19% to 28% more, with employees in the following departments to see major pay bumps:

Information technology (28%)
Research and development (27%)
Sales and marketing (25%)

The findings come amid hiring challenges for AI talent, according to the survey, with 73% of employers prioritising recruitment of AI talent reporting difficulties in finding them.

Barriers cited by employers in finding AI-ready talent include:

Lack of knowledge of how to implement an AI workforce training programme (76%)

Lack of financial resources to provide employees with AI training (70%)
Lack of time for employees to pursue training outside of work responsibilities (69%)

Demand for AI talent

The strong demand for AI talent comes amid perceived benefits due to the tech and the ongoing widespread adoption of related tools in workplaces, the report found.

Four in 10 employers in Hong Kong believe that AI can improve productivity by 40%, with the top productivity benefit being the enhancement of workflow and outcomes.

Nearly half of employees (47%) in the report also believe AI can make tasks more efficient.

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Source: Amazon Web Service

The demand also comes as 84% of employers surveyed admitted that they already use AI-powered tools in 2023, which is expected to grow to 94% by 2028.

Skills development

Amid strong demand, 80% of employees in Hong Kong said they are interested in developing their AI skills to further their careers.

Interest for AI skill development is strongest for Millennials (73%), followed by Gen Z (71%) and Gen X employees (73%).

But employers are not just putting a priority on technical skills, as they indicated that soft skills are also important in an AI-powered future. The most important soft skills for employers include critical thinking and problem solving (56%), followed by creative thinking or design (52%).