Insights
For Job Seekers
San Francisco Data & Analytics -- Job Seeker Guide
With 36% of roles seeking ML Engineers, investment in production ML skills offers the strongest job security. Focus on Python (53% demand), PyTorch (11%), and MLOps tools like Airflow (11%). The combi...
San Francisco Data & Analytics -- Job Seeker Guide
With 40% of positions being ML Engineer roles, candidates with PyTorch, TensorFlow, and LLM experience are well-positioned in this market.
San Francisco Project & Delivery -- Job Seeker Guide
With 54% of roles at the Senior level and a 14:1 senior-to-junior ratio, candidates should expect most openings to require substantial experience. Building a portfolio of cross-functional delivery win...
San Francisco Product Management -- Job Seeker Guide
With AI appearing in 25% of job requirements - the highest of any tracked city - demonstrating AI product experience or coursework may differentiate your application.
From Core PM to AI/ML PM: Two Ways AI Is Changing Product Management
AI already appears in 21% of core PM postings. But AI/ML PM roles require a deeper layer: understanding LLMs, model evaluation, and build-versus-buy decisions for AI infrastructure.
From Data Analyst to Data Engineer: Consumer to Producer
A third of data engineering skills overlap with analyst roles, but the other two-thirds are almost entirely infrastructure. Here's what the market data shows about making the transition.
From Data Scientist to ML Engineer: When SQL Stops Being the Point
SQL appears in 85% of data scientist roles and 19% of ML engineer postings. The transition is fundamentally about moving from the analytical layer to the systems layer.
Emerging Skills Radar: What Companies Are Actually Hiring For
The gap between what the AI conversation emphasises and what hiring managers actually screen for is wider than most people assume. LLM appears in 16% of descriptions while context engineering barely registers.
Hidden Job Families: The Roles Nobody Talks About
Project and programme managers together account for 4,229 postings -- 37% of all tracked roles. Analytics engineering, growth PM, and platform PM are substantial markets with distinct profiles that rarely feature in career advice.
Monthly Market Pulse: January-February 2026
Delivery management is surging while data and product roles cool. Project manager postings nearly doubled (+95%), while technical PM dropped 65% and data engineering fell 47%.
From Project Manager to Programme Manager: Same Skills, Bigger Canvas
Ten of fifteen top skills overlap between project and programme managers. The transition is about scope and seniority, not new technical skills, with a 33% salary premium.
The Seniority Skills Ladder: How Skill Requirements Change as You Level Up
Leveling up is defined as much by what drops off your requirements as by what gets added. SQL drops 9 points from junior to senior. AI climbs 5 points. Seniority is a move from tools to judgment.
For Employers
San Francisco Data & Analytics -- Employer Benchmarks
With a $205K median among the 34% of tracked roles disclosing salary ranges and Research Scientists reaching $251K, salary expectations are calibrated to SF market rates regardless of your company's l...
San Francisco Data & Analytics -- Employer Benchmarks
With ML Engineer roles at 40% of the market, competition for this talent is intense. Consider competitive packages and clear growth paths.
San Francisco Project & Delivery -- Employer Benchmarks
The highly competitive 14:1 senior-to-junior ratio means experienced delivery professionals are abundant relative to openings. This may allow hiring managers to be selective on domain expertise and cu...
San Francisco Product Management -- Employer Benchmarks
With 25% of roles seeking AI/ML PMs, expect competition for this talent. Consider competitive compensation or emphasizing AI-adjacent projects for candidates transitioning into the space.
Competitive Hiring Benchmarks: Is Your Job Spec Aligned with the Market?
If your data engineer posting lists 20 required skills, the market median is 11. If you're offering onsite-only for an ML role, 74% of competing postings offer remote or hybrid.
Emerging Skills Radar: What Companies Are Actually Hiring For
The gap between what the AI conversation emphasises and what hiring managers actually screen for is wider than most people assume. LLM appears in 16% of descriptions while context engineering barely registers.
Fill Rate Intelligence: How Long Does It Actually Take to Hire?
The median time to fill is 33 days across all roles. Project managers fill fastest at 30 days. ML engineers take longest at 36. These benchmarks exist, but most hiring managers operate without them.
Hidden Job Families: The Roles Nobody Talks About
Project and programme managers together account for 4,229 postings -- 37% of all tracked roles. Analytics engineering, growth PM, and platform PM are substantial markets with distinct profiles that rarely feature in career advice.
Monthly Market Pulse: January-February 2026
Delivery management is surging while data and product roles cool. Project manager postings nearly doubled (+95%), while technical PM dropped 65% and data engineering fell 47%.
The Seniority Skills Ladder: How Skill Requirements Change as You Level Up
Leveling up is defined as much by what drops off your requirements as by what gets added. SQL drops 9 points from junior to senior. AI climbs 5 points. Seniority is a move from tools to judgment.
Skills Inflation Tracker: Are Employers Asking for More Than They Used To?
The skills inflation narrative is overstated. Average skills per posting held steady at 9.4-9.6 across all roles. AI skill demands have stabilised at roughly a third of all postings.
Talent Pool Sizing: Where the Demand Is and Who's Driving It
Google alone accounts for 9.4% of all programme manager postings. The data engineer market is so fragmented that no employer holds more than 2.1%. These concentration patterns shape hiring strategy.
Want interactive dashboards and the full dataset?
Sign up for free to access the dashboard, job feed, and detailed reports.