Demand for AI trainers emerging in Hong Kong's enterprise sector
Employers in Hong Kong are looking beyond the financial hub's borders to find highly skilled talent, according to a new report, with larger firms setting their sights on people for AI trainer roles.
Findings from Deel's State of Global Hiring data reveal that Hong Kong's firms are looking outward for talent, with Mainland China emerging as a growing talent source.
According to the findings, Mainland China is the fifth most common worker country for Hong Kong companies, reflecting deepening Greater Bay Area integration.
Other primary source markets for cross-border hires are India, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with the top drivers of demand being the Technology & Telecom, Professional & Business Services, as well as the Finance & Insurance sectors.
The top three cross-border roles among employees of record include sales manager, business developer, and software developer, according to the report.
AI trainer role emerges
Karen Ng, Regional Head of Expansion, Enterprise, North and South Asia, Deel, pointed out that the role of AI trainer is the single most in-demand cross-border role among enterprises.
"Hong Kong's enterprise sector is no longer just talking about AI, they are building the infrastructure for it," Ng said in a statement.
The AI trainer role is the market's response to the need for humans in the wake of rising AI adoption in workplaces. People in these roles are expected to embed human judgement into how models learn and improve.
The AI trainer role ranked above positions such as mobile application developer, software developer, and business developer when it comes to the most in-demand cross-border role among Hong Kong's enterprises.
This trend, however, is not yet reflected in smaller companies, where the top cross-border roles remain software developer, sales manager, and software tester, according to the findings.
The rising demand for AI trainers reflects the growing demand for similar roles overseas. Singapore is also emerging as a top recruiter for these employees, with general AI trainer roles hired from abroad growing by 283% in 2025.
