<p>Today’s tip is about US software job posts over the last five years, and what they mean if you are a junior developer trying to get in. By the end, you should be able to answer one question: did A I replace developers, and if not, what changed?</p><p>By twenty twenty-two, those posts had more than doubled. Then they crashed below twenty twenty, and they still have not climbed back.</p><p>That is Indeed's data on job posts, not hires, compared with early twenty twenty. As of October twenty twenty-six, posts are still twenty-two percent below that mark.</p><p>And the drop did not hit every title the same. Across all tech jobs, not only software, junior titles, the ones without senior or lead in the name, had fallen thirty-four percent by early twenty twenty-five. Senior titles fell only nineteen.</p><p>Many people blame that crash on A I. But the drop started in twenty twenty-two, right after the peak, months before ChatGPT came out. So did A I replace developers? No. Posts are growing again. What changed is who gets hired. Seventy-one percent of that new growth is senior roles, and over a third has A I in the job title. Those two groups overlap, so one post can be both.</p><p>If you are trying to get in, that means fewer junior posts, and people still applying just as hard. So learning to code and mass applying is not enough anymore. A I did not close the door. It changed how you need to position yourself.</p><p>Here is what positioning looks like on a real post. Read it before you apply. If it names A I tools or A I features, show one project where you built with them, and say what that project does. That makes your application look more like the roles that are growing.</p><p>So keep this. A I did not replace developers. The rebound is mostly senior and A I titled roles, so you match your work to the post. You do not only send more applications.</p><p>The quiz on this tip checks those numbers. The practice gives you one real post to position yourself against.</p><p>I will see you in the next tip.</p>

Indeed US software job posts vs early 2020: still 22 percent below in October 2026. Junior titles fell harder. The drop started before ChatGPT. New growth is mostly senior and AI-titled.

Software job posts, five years | Tech Tips by Moh

Junior −19 percent, senior −34 percent

Junior −34 percent, senior −19 percent

71 percent is senior roles, and over a third has AI in the title; those groups overlap

71 percent is junior roles with no AI in the title

All of the new posts are AI-titled and none are senior

The senior share and the AI-title share never overlap

Software job posts, five years

<div class="course-slide cs-center">
  <p class="cs-kicker">This tip</p>
  <h2 class="cs-title cs-at-1-5">US software job posts</h2>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-5-6 cs-until-10-9">Junior, trying to get in</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-10-9">Did AI replace developers?</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-12-8">If not, what changed?</p>
</div>

<div class="course-slide cs-band-top">
  <div class="cs-band cs-until-5-7">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Doubled by 2022.</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad cs-at-3-9">Crashed below 2020.</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-5-7 cs-until-7-4">
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad">Never climbed back.</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-7-4 cs-until-10-9">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Indeed job posts</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-9-8">not hires</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-10-9 cs-until-12-5">
    <span class="cs-band-line">vs early 2020</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-12-5 cs-until-17-6">
    <span class="cs-band-line">October 2026:</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad cs-at-15-3">Still 22% below 2020</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-17-6 cs-until-20-4">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Not every title</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line">was hit the same.</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-20-4 cs-until-23-3">
    <span class="cs-band-line">All tech jobs,</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-21-9">not only software</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-23-3 cs-until-27">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Junior titles</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-24-5">no senior or lead</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-27 cs-until-30-4">
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad">Junior titles: −34%</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-28-2">by early 2025</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-30-4 cs-until-32-5">
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad">Junior titles: −34%</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up">Senior titles: −19%</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-32-5 cs-until-35-6">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Many blame AI.</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-35-6 cs-until-39-1">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Drop started in 2022</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad cs-at-37-6">right after the peak</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-39-1 cs-until-40-7">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Months before</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up cs-at-39-5">ChatGPT came out</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-40-7 cs-until-43-7">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Did AI replace</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line">developers?</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-43-7 cs-until-46">
    <span class="cs-band-line">No.</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up cs-at-44-7">Posts growing again</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-46 cs-until-48-4">
    <span class="cs-band-line">What changed:</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up cs-at-46-9">who gets hired</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-48-4 cs-until-51-5">
    <span class="cs-band-line">71% of new growth</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up cs-at-50-4">is senior roles</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-51-5 cs-until-54-2">
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-51-6">Over a third has</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up cs-at-52-5">AI in the job title</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-54-2 cs-until-57-3">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Those two overlap:</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-55-8">one post can be both</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-57-3 cs-until-59-3">
    <span class="cs-band-line">Trying to get in?</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-59-3 cs-until-62-9">
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad">Fewer junior posts.</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-60-8">Applying just as hard</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-62-9 cs-until-66-9">
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-at-63-5">Code + mass applying</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-bad cs-at-65-4">Not enough anymore.</span>
  </div>
  <div class="cs-band cs-at-66-9">
    <span class="cs-band-line">AI did not close the door.</span>
    <span class="cs-band-line cs-up cs-at-70-3">Position yourself.</span>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="course-slide cs-center">
  <p class="cs-kicker">Positioning</p>
  <h2 class="cs-title cs-at-1-5">On a real post</h2>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-2-8 cs-until-4-4">Read it before you apply</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-4-4 cs-until-9-3">Names AI tools or features?</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-7-2">Show one project you built</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-9-3">Say what that project does</p>
</div>

<div class="course-slide cs-center">
  <p class="cs-kicker cs-at-3-1">Keep this</p>
  <h2 class="cs-title cs-at-0-9 cs-until-4-5">Look like the growing roles</h2>
  <h2 class="cs-title cs-at-4-5">AI did not replace developers</h2>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-6-8 cs-until-12">Rebound: senior and AI-titled</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-10-4">Match your work to the post</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-12">Not only more applications</p>
</div>

<div class="course-slide cs-center">
  <p class="cs-kicker">On this tip</p>
  <h2 class="cs-title cs-at-0-9">Quiz checks those numbers</h2>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-2-6">Practice: one real post</p>
  <p class="cs-pill cs-at-5-7">See you in the next tip</p>
</div>