These US states are rapidly scaling AI capabilities into their local job markets, with some states requiring specialist AI skills for every 4 in 100 advertised finance roles right now.
The new analysis from leading bookkeeping platform, acuity.co , of current 2026 job listings across all 50 states on Adzuna found that employers in tech and finance are increasingly embedding AI-related skills into job specifications. The snapshot measured AI skill requirement by each state’s total sector job ads, with Delaware ranked as the leading job market for AI adoption across both tech and finance.
Matthew May, CPA, accounting services leader at Acuity, said the findings suggest AI is becoming a practical hiring filter rather than a future-facing extra. “What stands out is that this is not just a Silicon Valley or Manhattan story. In several smaller state markets, employers are already signalling that workers need to know how to use AI tools as part of doing the job, not as a niche technical specialism.”
Where AI skill demand is most concentrated
Acuity.co analysed finance and tech job listings by state to test where AI skills are appearing most often as a share of total advertised roles.
| AI Adoption in Statewide Job Markets (Tech and Finance Roles) | |||
| Local Tech Role Requirements | |||
| Rank | State | Total Tech Jobs | AI Skill Requirement (%) |
| 1 | Delaware | 2,070 | 14.40% |
| 2 | Alaska | 1,410 | 14.11% |
| 3 | New York | 16,010 | 13.95% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3,017 | 13.76% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 1,493 | 13.33% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 1,635 | 13.03% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,550 | 12.90% |
| 8 | Maine | 1,756 | 12.70% |
| 9 | West Virginia | 1,798 | 12.51% |
| 10 | Idaho | 2,123 | 12.01% |
| Local Finance Role Requirements | |||
| Rank | State | Total Finance Jobs | AI Skill Requirement (%) |
| 1 | Delaware | 1,066 | 4.41% |
| 2 | West Virginia | 629 | 3.34% |
| 3 | Montana | 653 | 3.22% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 691 | 3.18% |
| 5 | Alaska | 679 | 2.95% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 720 | 2.92% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 804 | 2.86% |
| 8 | Idaho | 959 | 2.50% |
| 9 | Maine | 875 | 2.40% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 950 | 2.32% |
Acuity.co’s analysis found the strongest concentration of AI-related hiring in smaller state markets, where a meaningful share of job ads now include AI skills as part of the role.
In finance, Delaware ranked first, with AI skills appearing in 4.41% of listings, or roughly 4 in every 100 finance jobs. West Virginia followed at 3.34%, which is about 3 in 100 jobs, while Montana recorded 3.22%, also around 3 in 100. North Dakota came in at 3.18%, again about 3 in 100, and Alaska posted 2.95%, just under 3 in 100 finance roles.
The same trend was far more pronounced in tech, where AI expectations appeared at much higher rates across the leading states. Delaware again ranked first, with 14.40% of tech listings mentioning AI skills, equivalent to about 14 in every 100 jobs.
Alaska followed at 14.11%, also around 14 in 100, while New York combined scale with intensity at 13.95%, again roughly 14 in 100. Arkansas recorded 13.76%, or close to 14 in 100, and North Dakota posted 13.33%, which works out to around 13 in every 100 tech jobs.
May said this is where the data becomes more telling. “Acuity works with thousands of small businesses navigating exactly this shift. When you see states like Delaware and West Virginia, not traditional tech hubs, leading on AI skill demand in finance roles, it tells you this is a structural change in how financial work gets done, not a trend confined to big-city employers.”
For more information, you can read the full report on the Acuity.co website here: https://acuity.co/the-states-
