2026-02-25 · NextMigrate Team
The Countries Investing Most in AI and Tech Jobs Right Now (And What That Means for Your Career)
Artificial intelligence is not a future technology. It is a present-day labor market force that is reshaping where high-paying jobs exist, which skills command premiums, and which countries are building the infrastructure to attract the people who can do this work.
If you are a software engineer in Lagos, a data scientist in Bangalore, a machine learning researcher in Manila, or an IT professional in Cairo, the question is no longer whether AI will affect your career. The question is whether your career will be positioned where AI investment is flowing — or where it is not.
This is not a hype article about robots replacing everyone. This is a data-driven look at which countries are putting real money behind AI and tech, how many jobs that investment is creating, and what it means for skilled professionals who are thinking about where to build the next chapter of their careers.
The Global AI Investment Landscape in 2025
Global private investment in AI reached $189 billion in 2024, up from $142 billion in 2023 and roughly $93 billion in 2021. Government investment added another estimated $48 billion worldwide. But the distribution of that money is wildly uneven.
Total AI Investment by Country (2024, Estimated)
| Country | Private AI Investment | Government AI Funding | Total AI Investment | Share of Global Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $109.0B | $9.5B | $118.5B | 50.1% |
| China | $38.5B | $15.8B | $54.3B | 22.9% |
| United Kingdom | $9.2B | $3.9B | $13.1B | 5.5% |
| Canada | $5.8B | $2.4B | $8.2B | 3.5% |
| Germany | $4.1B | $3.3B | $7.4B | 3.1% |
| France | $3.6B | $2.7B | $6.3B | 2.7% |
| Australia | $2.9B | $1.8B | $4.7B | 2.0% |
| UAE | $2.4B | $2.1B | $4.5B | 1.9% |
| India | $2.1B | $1.3B | $3.4B | 1.4% |
| South Korea | $1.9B | $1.7B | $3.6B | 1.5% |
Two things jump out immediately. First, the United States and China account for 73% of global AI investment. Second, a group of countries — the UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the UAE — are investing disproportionately relative to their size, signaling deliberate national strategies to compete in this space.
Now compare that to where most of the world's tech talent is being trained.
Annual Computer Science and Engineering Graduates (2024)
| Country | CS/Engineering Graduates per Year | AI Investment per Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| India | ~1,500,000 | $2,267 |
| China | ~1,100,000 | $49,364 |
| United States | ~350,000 | $338,571 |
| Nigeria | ~120,000 | $583 |
| Philippines | ~95,000 | $1,263 |
| Pakistan | ~85,000 | $706 |
| Egypt | ~78,000 | $897 |
| United Kingdom | ~75,000 | $174,667 |
| Canada | ~60,000 | $136,667 |
| Germany | ~55,000 | $134,545 |
India produces roughly four times as many CS graduates as the United States each year, but AI investment per graduate in India is $2,267 compared to $338,571 in the US and $174,667 in the UK. Nigeria produces 120,000 graduates into an AI ecosystem with almost no domestic investment.
This is the mismatch that defines the global tech labor market right now. The talent is being produced in one set of countries. The investment is concentrated in another. The professionals who bridge that gap — by relocating — are positioning themselves at the intersection of abundant opportunity and scarce supply.
Where Government Money Is Going
Government AI strategies have shifted from white papers to real budgets. The countries spending the most are not just writing policy documents — they are building research centers, funding startups, subsidizing training programs, and creating visa pathways specifically for AI workers.
National AI Strategy Budgets (2024–2030)
| Country | AI Strategy Budget | Key Focus Areas | Immigration Pathway for AI Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $32B (CHIPS & Science Act AI allocation) | Semiconductors, AI R&D, national security | O-1A, H-1B, EB-1, EB-2 NIW |
| UK | £22.5B ($28.5B) through 2030 | AI Safety, health AI, fintech | Global Talent Visa, Scale-Up Visa |
| Canada | CAD $8.6B ($6.3B) | AI research (CIFAR, Vector Institute), responsible AI | Global Talent Stream, Express Entry tech draws |
| Germany | €10B ($10.8B) | Industrial AI, manufacturing, automotive | Opportunity Card, EU Blue Card |
| UAE | AED 30B ($8.2B) | Government services AI, smart cities | Golden Visa (tech category), Green Visa |
| Australia | AUD $7.8B ($5.1B) | Resources AI, agriculture tech, defense | Global Talent Visa (category 2), Skills in Demand |
| France | €7B ($7.6B) | AI champions program, sovereign AI | French Tech Visa, EU Blue Card |
| South Korea | ₩6.5T ($4.8B) | Semiconductor AI, robotics | E-7 Specialist Visa, Top Talent Visa |
The UK's investment is particularly aggressive. The £22.5 billion commitment through 2030 includes the AI Safety Institute (the world's first government body focused on frontier AI safety), £3.4 billion for AI in healthcare, and direct funding for AI startups. The Global Talent Visa — which does not require a job offer — was specifically redesigned to attract AI researchers and engineers.
Canada's approach is different but equally deliberate. The CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, now in its third phase, has funded three national AI institutes (Mila in Montreal, the Vector Institute in Toronto, and Amii in Edmonton). These have turned Canadian cities into global AI research hubs, and the Global Talent Stream visa can be processed in as little as two weeks for qualified tech workers.
The UAE is the outlier. A country with only 10 million people is spending $8.2 billion on AI, making it the highest per-capita AI investor in the world. The creation of a dedicated Ministry of Artificial Intelligence in 2017 — a world first — signaled that the UAE sees AI as central to its post-oil economic strategy. The Golden Visa now includes a specific category for AI and tech professionals, offering 10-year residency.
The AI Startup Ecosystem: Where New Companies Are Forming
Government funding tells you where political will exists. Startup formation tells you where the jobs are actually being created.
AI Startups by Country (2024)
| Country | Number of AI Startups | AI Startup Funding Raised (2024) | Top AI Hub Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ~8,400 | $72.3B | San Francisco, New York, Austin, Seattle |
| United Kingdom | ~2,100 | $7.8B | London, Cambridge, Edinburgh |
| Canada | ~1,200 | $4.9B | Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver |
| China | ~1,800 | $12.1B | Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen |
| Germany | ~780 | $2.9B | Berlin, Munich, Hamburg |
| France | ~650 | $2.4B | Paris, Toulouse, Lyon |
| Australia | ~480 | $1.7B | Sydney, Melbourne |
| UAE | ~320 | $1.4B | Dubai, Abu Dhabi |
| India | ~1,100 | $2.1B | Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai |
| Nigeria | ~45 | $0.08B | Lagos |
| Philippines | ~30 | $0.04B | Manila |
| Pakistan | ~25 | $0.03B | Lahore, Karachi |
| Egypt | ~35 | $0.05B | Cairo |
The UK has 2,100 AI startups — second only to the US — and London alone accounts for roughly 60% of European AI venture funding. Canada's 1,200 AI startups are concentrated in Toronto and Montreal, which have become the world's third and fourth largest AI research clusters by publication volume.
Compare this to the source countries. Nigeria has approximately 45 AI startups, the Philippines has 30, Pakistan has 25, and Egypt has 35. Combined, these four countries — home to over 600 million people — have fewer AI startups than the single city of London.
This is not a reflection of talent. India alone produces more machine learning researchers than any country except the US and China. Nigeria's tech ecosystem is vibrant and growing. But without the capital infrastructure, cloud computing access, and enterprise customer base, these ecosystems cannot yet absorb the talent they produce.
Tech Job Growth Rates: Where Hiring Is Accelerating
Investment and startup formation are inputs. Job creation is the output that matters.
Tech Job Growth by Country (2023–2025)
| Country | Tech Job Growth Rate (2023–2025) | AI-Specific Job Growth | Average Tech Salary (USD) | Projected Tech Openings (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | +12% | +34% | $128,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Canada | +15% | +41% | $92,000 | 245,000 |
| United Kingdom | +11% | +38% | $87,000 | 310,000 |
| Germany | +9% | +29% | $82,000 | 195,000 |
| Australia | +14% | +36% | $89,000 | 165,000 |
| UAE | +18% | +52% | $78,000 | 85,000 |
| New Zealand | +10% | +27% | $72,000 | 42,000 |
| India | +8% | +22% | $18,000 | 890,000 |
| Nigeria | +6% | +15% | $8,500 | 35,000 |
| Philippines | +5% | +12% | $12,000 | 28,000 |
| Egypt | +4% | +10% | $9,200 | 18,000 |
| Pakistan | +5% | +11% | $7,800 | 22,000 |
Canada's tech job growth rate of 15% is notable because it is happening alongside aggressive immigration policy designed to fill those roles. The country added 112,000 tech jobs in 2024 alone, and the federal government has explicitly linked its immigration targets to tech sector labor needs.
The UAE's 52% AI-specific job growth is the highest in the table, driven by massive government digitization projects, the expansion of DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) as a fintech hub, and direct government mandates that require AI integration across all federal services by 2028.
But look at the salary column. A tech professional in Nigeria earning $8,500 per year — which is a competitive salary domestically — is earning roughly 10% of what the same role pays in Canada, Australia, or the UK. When you factor in currency volatility, that gap widens further over time.
Which AI Specializations Are in Highest Demand
Not all tech roles are created equal. The AI investment wave is creating intense demand for specific specializations, and the salary premiums for these roles are extraordinary.
AI Role Demand and Salaries by Country (2025)
| AI Specialization | Global Vacancy Rate | Canada (Avg Salary) | UK (Avg Salary) | Australia (Avg Salary) | UAE (Avg Salary) | Germany (Avg Salary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning Engineer | 3.2 jobs per candidate | CAD $135K | £85K | AUD $155K | AED 420K | €90K |
| AI/ML Research Scientist | 4.1 jobs per candidate | CAD $145K | £95K | AUD $165K | AED 480K | €100K |
| Data Engineer (AI focus) | 2.8 jobs per candidate | CAD $120K | £72K | AUD $140K | AED 360K | €78K |
| NLP/LLM Specialist | 5.3 jobs per candidate | CAD $155K | £100K | AUD $175K | AED 520K | €105K |
| Computer Vision Engineer | 3.7 jobs per candidate | CAD $130K | £82K | AUD $150K | AED 400K | €88K |
| AI Infrastructure Engineer | 2.9 jobs per candidate | CAD $125K | £78K | AUD $145K | AED 380K | €82K |
| AI Ethics/Safety Researcher | 4.8 jobs per candidate | CAD $140K | £90K | AUD $160K | AED 450K | €95K |
| Robotics/AI Engineer | 3.4 jobs per candidate | CAD $128K | £80K | AUD $148K | AED 390K | €85K |
NLP and LLM specialists have the highest demand ratio at 5.3 open positions per qualified candidate globally. This is a direct result of the generative AI boom — every major company needs people who can fine-tune, deploy, and maintain large language models, and the supply of people with production LLM experience is extremely thin.
AI Ethics and Safety roles are the surprise entry. The creation of the UK's AI Safety Institute, the EU AI Act's compliance requirements, and growing corporate governance demands have created a new profession that barely existed three years ago. The vacancy rate of 4.8 jobs per candidate reflects a field where demand has outpaced the pipeline entirely.
What This Means for Tech Professionals in Developing Countries
Here is the honest picture. If you are a skilled tech professional in Nigeria, India, the Philippines, Egypt, or Pakistan, you are facing a structural asymmetry:
Your skills are globally competitive. Indian engineers run some of the largest tech companies in the world. Nigerian developers are building innovative fintech products. Filipino IT professionals are backbone of global BPO operations. The talent is not the problem.
Your domestic market cannot absorb you at global rates. The AI investment flowing into Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, and the UAE is creating hundreds of thousands of roles that pay 5x to 15x what equivalent roles pay domestically. And these countries are actively designing immigration pathways to fill them.
The gap is widening, not closing. AI investment is compounding. Countries that invested early are attracting more researchers, who produce more breakthroughs, which attract more investment. The UK's AI ecosystem grew 40% in two years. Canada's grew 35%. Nigeria's grew 6%.
The Compounding Effect: 5-Year Career Earnings Comparison
| Scenario | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 | 5-Year Total | Savings (30% rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML Engineer in Lagos (NGN) | ₦12M ($7,740) | ₦15M ($8,100*) | ₦18M ($7,200*) | $38,500 | $11,550 |
| ML Engineer in Toronto (CAD) | CAD $135K ($99,000) | CAD $148K ($108,500) | CAD $165K ($121,000) | $536,000 | $160,800 |
| ML Engineer in London (GBP) | £85K ($107,100) | £95K ($119,700) | £108K ($136,100) | $594,000 | $178,200 |
| ML Engineer in Dubai (AED) | AED 420K ($114,300) | AED 470K ($128,000) | AED 530K ($144,300) | $631,000 | $189,300 |
*Adjusted for projected naira depreciation against USD.
The Lagos ML engineer earns a respectable local salary. But over five years, the Toronto-based engineer accumulates $536,000 in total earnings — nearly 14 times more. In Dubai, with zero income tax, the gap is even wider. And the Dubai-based engineer is saving $189,300 over five years — roughly 17 times the Lagos engineer's total savings.
This is not about one country being better than another. It is about capital concentration. The AI revolution is being funded in specific places, and the jobs — and the salaries — exist where the funding flows.
The Countries Making It Easiest to Move for AI Careers
Some countries are not just investing in AI — they are actively building immigration fast lanes for tech workers.
Immigration Processing Times for Tech Workers (2025)
| Country | Fastest Tech Visa | Average Processing Time | Salary Threshold | Job Offer Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Global Talent Stream | 2 weeks | None (employer-driven) | Yes |
| UAE | Golden Visa (Tech) | 3–4 weeks | AED 30K/month | No (for qualifying talent) |
| UK | Global Talent Visa | 4–6 weeks | None | No |
| Germany | Opportunity Card | 4–8 weeks | None (points-based) | No |
| Australia | Global Talent Visa | 4–8 weeks | AUD $167,500 (benchmark) | No |
| New Zealand | Accredited Employer Work Visa | 6–8 weeks | NZD median wage+ | Yes |
Canada's two-week processing for the Global Talent Stream is the fastest in the world for tech workers. The UK's Global Talent Visa does not require a job offer — if you can demonstrate exceptional talent or promise in AI, you can get a visa and then find work. Germany's new Opportunity Card, launched in 2024, lets qualified professionals enter Germany for up to a year to find work, with points awarded for STEM qualifications and tech experience.
Looking Ahead: Where AI Jobs Will Be in 2030
Projections from the OECD, World Economic Forum, and national AI strategies suggest that AI-related employment will roughly triple by 2030 in the countries investing most heavily today.
Projected AI Workforce by Country (2030)
| Country | AI Workforce (2025) | Projected AI Workforce (2030) | Growth | Projected Unfilled AI Roles (2030) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,200,000 | 3,200,000 | +167% | 850,000 |
| United Kingdom | 340,000 | 920,000 | +171% | 310,000 |
| Canada | 195,000 | 540,000 | +177% | 195,000 |
| Germany | 280,000 | 680,000 | +143% | 220,000 |
| Australia | 145,000 | 410,000 | +183% | 145,000 |
| UAE | 62,000 | 195,000 | +215% | 72,000 |
The projected unfilled roles column is the one to watch. By 2030, these six countries alone are expected to have 1.8 million unfilled AI positions. That is 1.8 million jobs that domestic labor markets cannot fill — positions that will be filled by international talent or will not be filled at all.
For a skilled tech professional sitting in Lagos, Mumbai, Manila, or Cairo today, those 1.8 million unfilled positions represent something concrete: a structural demand for exactly what you do, in places that will pay you many multiples of your current salary, with immigration systems that are being redesigned to bring you in faster.
The AI revolution is not happening everywhere equally. It is concentrating in specific countries that are spending hundreds of billions to build ecosystems that need more workers than they can produce domestically. Understanding where that investment is flowing — and positioning yourself accordingly — is not just good career planning. It is the most consequential professional decision of this decade.
The data is clear. The opportunity is real. The only variable is whether you will be in the places where the future is being built, or watching from the outside as it happens somewhere else.
