BairesDev launches its first quarterly Dev Barometer – the most up-to-date survey of senior developers and project managers across 100+ industries and 63 countries – offering a real-time view of how tech pros are navigating emerging tech, career shifts, and evolving work environments.
- 7.3 hours saved weekly on coding: Developers using AI tools are reclaiming nearly a full workday per week;
- Over three-quarters (76%) of developers say AI makes their work more fulfilling;
- However, 65% worry about falling behind on AI skills, and developers are now spending almost 4 hours per week on upskilling;
- Remarkably, YouTube is the most popular way (58%) developers learn AI outside of learning on the job (66%);
- Just 15% of project managers say companies they work with have structured AI upskilling in place.
Developers are saving an average of 7.3 hours per week – nearly a full workday – by using AI tools to assist with coding. At the same time, they are now also spending, on average, almost four hours a week on upskilling, with 44% citing AI/ML as their top skill development focus over the next three months. These are some of the key findings from the first edition of Dev Barometer, a new quarterly report from BairesDev, a leading nearshore software solutions company.
“Developers are embracing AI. They’re boosting productivity, learning faster, and discovering greater purpose as they shift to high-value problem-solving. However, the survey also reveals a critical gap: while developers race ahead, many companies are lagging behind. It is time for businesses to invest in upskilling and AI integration to avoid being left out of the next wave of innovation,” said Nacho De Marco, CEO and Co-Founder of BairesDev. “The Dev Barometer gives us an unfiltered look at how tech professionals are shaping and perceiving the evolving tech landscape. We hope these real-time insights will help businesses navigate this shift with confidence.”
The report captures the most up-to-date insights from senior developers and project managers working on tech projects across a wide range of companies – from startups to Fortune 500s – spanning over 100 industries and 63 countries. The inaugural survey includes responses from 1,129 developers and 50 project managers, most with 8+ years of experience. The findings show that while developers are enthusiastically embracing AI to boost productivity and job satisfaction, companies are falling behind in supporting this shift.
AI Boosts Productivity, Purpose, and Career Growth
AI is reshaping how developers work, learn, and grow in their careers. One-third (33%) of developers say over a quarter of their code is now written with AI assistance. This integration of AI into the coding process is driving real impact. Nearly 9 in 10 (89%) developers say AI tools have improved their work, with the top three cited benefits including faster coding (65%), accelerated learning (48%), and increased productivity (45%).
But AI’s value goes beyond speed. A majority (76%) say AI makes their work more fulfilling. Most (88%) also see AI as a gateway to new career paths, such as becoming AI/ML specialists (45%) and working in prompt engineering (44%) or automating repetitive tasks so they can focus on more ambitious technical work (62%), including architecture and creative problem-solving.
Developers Are Upskilling – Often Informally
Despite reporting that AI saves time and boosts productivity, 65% of developers worry they’re falling behind on AI skills. To keep pace, they’re dedicating an average of 3.7 hours per week to learning new tools and technologies.
Most of this learning, however, is self-directed. YouTube is the most popular way (58%) developers learn AI outside of learning on the job (66%), beating formal training certificates (15%), and employer upskilling programs (27%).
Just 15% of project managers reported that they work with organizations that have structured upskilling in place. Even among project managers working with Fortune 500s, over half (53%) do not currently have a formal training plan in place.
Nearly half (44%) of developers surveyed cited AI/ML as their top skill development focus over the next three months, far surpassing DevOps/Cloud (7%), the next most in-demand skill.
AI Disruption Is Here – But Organizations Are Still Playing Catch-Up
When asked which technologies will most disrupt business models in the next year, developers overwhelmingly ranked generative AI (87%), AI agents (75%), and private or fine-tuned AI models (55%) as the most transformative. However, most companies remain in the early stages of AI adoption. According to project managers surveyed, 64% of the projects they are working on are still in exploratory phases, and only 3% have AI fully integrated into delivery.
Data privacy and security concerns are cited as the greatest challenge to AI adoption by developers (64%) and the second-highest among project managers (38%). Developers also cite legacy systems (44%) and unclear client policies (42%) as key challenges. The other two challenges project managers cite are unclear ROI (38%) and limited resources (36%).
Remote Work Still Central to Developer Success
In addition to AI, Dev Barometer explored workplace models and found that remote work continues to be a major priority for developers. A striking 78% of developers say that remote work has enabled them to pursue a career in tech. This flexibility has expanded opportunities – especially for those outside tech hubs, caregivers, or people in underrepresented regions.
Among developers who say remote work made their careers possible, 76% cite access to global jobs as the top reason, followed by better work-life balance (61%) and flexible hours (59%).
For companies navigating fast-moving shifts in AI and talent retention, offering flexible, remote-first options remains a critical edge.
