Throughout 2025, markets have been driven to new highs despite policy uncertainty and changing economic norms as innovative technologies find new ways to enhance productivity for workers and firms. With market exuberance for productivity-enhancing technologies and venture capital funding up 48% year-over-year,[1] we decided to examine how the job market is changing for the startups that are driving and supporting innovation.
Job postings for the top startups[2] in the United States are driven by AI-centric firms and healthcare technology firms,[3] which together made up about 50% of startup job posts in both 2024 and 2025. Although they accounted for the same proportions of posts in both years, the number of posts for AI and healthcare technology surged in 2025. Positions at healthcare technology firms increased 69% to almost 1,700 between October 2024 and October 2025, and positions at AI firms increased 64% to almost 1,500. Fintech and ecommerce firms also saw large increases in job postings, with fintech posts up 175% in 2025 to over 700, and posts at ecommerce firms up 206% to over 600.
Unsurprisingly, the top occupations at startups in 2025 were for technical roles. The most posts at startups were for software developers, which grew 174% to 800 job posts in 2025. Computer and information systems managers were the third largest with 487 posts (up 118%), and computer and information scientists were the ninth largest with 211 posts (up 69%) showing the continued strength in AI-centered firms. The sixth largest occupation by job posts in 2025 was for social and human service assistants (262 posts) due to the prevalence of healthcare technology firms focused on behavioral health and mental health telehealth services.
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[1] https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/n-america-vc-funding-big-deals-q3-2025-ai-exits-data/
[1] Top startups are based on the LinkedIn top startups from 2025 and 2024.
[1] AI firms include firms that build and maintain their own models and agents as well as those that provide infrastructure support for Artificial Intelligence projects. Healthcare technology firms include telehealth, patient management, and healthcare administrative support services.
Python was the most in-demand skill in job postings at startups in 2025, with 1,005 posts requiring Python skills. The skills in job postings also showed continued growth for jobs at AI-centric firms, with positions requiring generative artificial intelligence skills up 377% year-over-year to 563 posts, and positions requiring skills with Large Language Models surging 806% year-over-year to 295 posts.
Not surprisingly, positions in startups were most centralized in the country’s technology centers, i.e., Silicone Valley, New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The map below, however, shows that jobs in startups and technology companies are becoming increasingly geographically diverse with more positions opening in growing technology hotspots such as Salt Lake City, UT; Austin, TX; and Miami, FL.
Sourse: JobsEQ by Chmura 2025
Built with JobsEQ Canvas