65% of Developers Expect Their Roles To Be Redefined by AI in 2026

The Dev Barometer by BairesDev also found that 4 in 10 developers expanded career opportunities in 2025 thanks to AI, 7 out of 10 improved technical skills, and half reported better work-life balance

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BairesDev® today released a new edition of the Dev Barometer, a quarterly global survey to dive into the minds of software engineers and project managers. This edition focuses on how AI impacted their jobs in 2025 and is changing software work and team structures heading into 2026, gathering insights from 501 developers, most with 8+ years of experience, and project managers working across 92 software development initiatives at Fortune 500 and small & medium enterprises.

Key findings from the Q4 2025 survey:

• 7 in 10 (65%) senior developers believe their role will be redefined in 2026. Of those:
  • 74% expect to shift from coding to designing technical solutions
  • 61% expect to integrate AI-generated code into their workflows
  • 50% anticipate a greater focus on strategy and architecture
• 58% believe automation will reduce entry-level tasks, leading to smaller, leaner teams in 2026.
• 74% say AI has strengthened their technical skills, 50% say it improved their work-life balance in 2025, and 37% say it has expanded their career opportunities.

"At the start of the year, many asked how AI would change developers’ roles. It’s clear now: developers are the first professionals to reinvent their jobs in real time,” said Nacho De Marco, CEO and Co-Founder of BairesDev. “They’re using AI to boost productivity, learn faster, and drive innovation. What’s happening in software today will soon happen across every knowledge industry: people will think bigger, break old limits, and redefine what productivity means."

How Will the Developer Role Be In 2026?

As AI reshapes their day-to-day work, senior developers see 2026 as a turning point for how software teams are structured, managed, and the skills required to stay competitive:

• 63% expect new career opportunities to emerge.
• 6 in 10 (59%) predict that AI will create more specialized roles in 2026.
• 58% foresee smaller, leaner teams as automation reduces entry-level tasks.
  

While developers expect AI to continue transforming the industry in 2026, they are divided on how it will affect early-career roles: 24% expect these positions to shift in quality, requiring stronger analytical and AI-assisted coding skills; 24% anticipate growth as AI creates new products and markets; and 19% predict a decline in traditional junior roles.

Four in Ten Developers Unlocked New Career Opportunities in 2025

Senior developers are increasingly operating in AI-integrated environments: 6 in 10 say AI accelerated project delivery, shortening time-to-market, and saving almost one working day per week. While enthusiasm is high, developers are also realistic about its current capabilities. Over half (56%) said AI-generated code is currently “somewhat reliable,” requiring continued validation to ensure quality, accuracy, and security. Only 9% trust it enough to implement as is.

Overall, developers still spend most of their time on writing code and building features (48%), debugging and fixing bugs (42%), and planning and documentation (35%). Just under one-fifth (19%) said they focus primarily on creative problem-solving and innovation, a figure expected to grow as AI continues to automate routine coding tasks.

Where Will Tech Jobs Grow in 2026?

As software teams become smaller and leaner in 2026, there is a shift toward more specialized structures, AI-integrated workflows, and human oversight in design and delivery.

• Over half (51%) of developers warn that those without AI skills risk falling behind. PMs identified AI/ML specialists (42%) as the biggest upcoming talent gap, followed by prompt engineers and data engineers.
• Developers expect AI/ML (67%), data analytics (46%), and cybersecurity (45%) to be the fastest-growing areas in 2026.
• 63% of PMs said developers will require more training in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity.
  

The Dev Barometer Q3 2025 edition showed AI had already become standard practice: 92% of developers were using AI-assisted coding, saving an average of 7.3 hours per week. This new Q4 edition points to an industry defined by AI integration: Senior developers foresee their core work evolving into a strategic role. Teams get leaner and more specialized, and upskilling in AI, data, and security becomes mandatory. In short, the role changes, the team structure follows, and human oversight remains central, turning individual AI gains into a repeatable way to build software in 2026.

About the Dev Barometer Survey
The Dev Barometer is BairesDev’s quarterly global survey to dive into the minds of senior software engineers and project managers. In this Q4 edition, the survey was conducted in October 2025 among 501 developers, 53% of whom had 8+ years of experience, and 19 project managers working across 92 projects.

About BairesDev
BairesDev provides nearshore software development services to some of the world's largest and most respected companies like Abbot, Adobe, Coca-Cola, eBay, Google, HP, and Rolls-Royce. Backed by 4,000+ engineers across LATAM, BairesDev has delivered high-quality software in over 130 industries.
Join BairesDev's team by applying to https://jobs.bairesdev.com/. Or recommend a candidate in the Talent Referral Program https://applicants.bairesdev.com/external-referral

Media Contact: press@bairesdev.com

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