At the very top are risk analytics/assessment skills, which command a 24% premium—meaning employees with these skills say they’re earning cash bonuses equivalent to 24% of their base salary. Since the last Foote Partners pay index was published, the value of bonuses for these skills has climbed significantly (up 26.3% in the past six months).
Smart contracts skills rank next, with cash bonuses worth 23% of base salaries (up 21.1% in the past six months), followed by security architecture and models with cash bonuses worth 21% of base salaries (up 10.5%). Threat detection/modeling/management skills earn 20% premiums, according to Foote Partners.
Other high-value security skills include cyber threat intelligence (19% premium), security testing (19% premium), and security auditing (19% premium). Cryptography and e-discovery both command 17% premiums.
“Employers are paying a premium for skills that involve judgment, risk ownership, and architectural thinking,” Foote explains. “The market has shifted dramatically away from execution-level work that can be automated.”
AI operations reshape the landscape
Foote Partners now tracks 144 certified and noncertified AI-related skills, up from 57 just eighteen months ago. Twenty-four AI certifications are outperforming their 100 noncertified counterparts: Certification premiums rose nearly 6% in the past year, while noncertified AI skills declined 1%, according to Foote Partners. Noncertified AI skills still earn higher bonuses, averaging 14.5% of base salary compared to 8.3% for AI certifications.
Top AI and automation skills include Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) at 23% premium, AI engineering at 23% premium, and AI productivity at 22% premium. Azure AI/ML services pay a 20% premium, as do Large Language Model Optimization (LLMOps), machine learning, MLOps, neural networks, and prompt engineering.
