Italy's AI skill surge accelerates promotions and lifts tech salaries

In 2025 Italy recorded the lowest remote‑work rate among major EU economies at 2.7% of workers, while corporate AI adoption stood at 16.4%, below the EU average of 20%. Despite limited remote work, AI adoption is rising, and AI‑related competencies are becoming a key professional currency.

Randstad’s "Age of Augmentation" study shows job ads requiring AI skills in Italy grew 1,254% to 1.76% of all postings. Demand is strongest in marketing (3.2% of ads), human resources (1.7%) and engineering (1.4%). Workers with AI certifications earn up to 25% higher salaries and achieve promotions up to 2.5 times faster, with notable speed gains for customer‑service staff, software developers, content writers and financial analysts.

Hays’ Tech Talent Explorer 2026 rates Italy’s AI exposure at 46 / 100, with AI Engineer, RPA Engineer and Test Analyst roles reaching a higher exposure score of 56. Average tech salaries in Italy are €41,590, 38% lower than the UK and 37% lower than Germany. The best‑paid role is Change Manager at €72,270, followed by AI Engineer (€51,910) and Solutions Architect (€47,915). A shortage of specialists in DevOps, Cloud Engineering and RPA intensifies competition for talent.