AI has torched the market for junior programmers

a day ago

AI has significantly reduced job opportunities for junior programmers, with employment among developers aged 22-25 down 19% since late 2022.
The total number of software developers has grown by 10% from May 2022 to May 2025, but the decline in junior roles is masked in aggregate data due to their small workforce share.
Traditional programming jobs focused on writing code to spec are shrinking, while roles requiring judgment, such as data scientists and systems analysts, are growing.
A surge in new developers is evident, with GitHub adding 36 million accounts and App Store submissions rising 24% in 2025, but many of these individuals do not identify as programmers.
The career pipeline for senior developers is at risk because AI now handles junior-level tasks, breaking the traditional apprenticeship model within employment.
Security concerns are rising as AI-generated code often fails basic tests, and many new apps have critical flaws, highlighting a lack of oversight.
Some companies, like IBM, are redesigning entry-level roles to focus on customer contact and specification, while others, such as Salesforce, have halted hiring.
Job postings for entry-level positions began recovering in May 2025, suggesting a potential market correction, but rebuilding the career ladder remains crucial for the profession's future.

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