Gartner Sees Enterprise AI Development Costs Exceeding Average Developer Pay by 2028

Gartner said companies are expanding their use of large language model-powered AI coding agents to accelerate coding, testing and debugging. However, because model providers charge by the token, rising usage and task complexity could offset productivity gains and change how companies assess staffing costs and AI investments.

Gartner’s latest forecast shows that by 2028, the enterprise cost of using AI coding agents will exceed the average developer’s salary. The report did not provide a single benchmark amount, as actual spending will vary with model pricing and token consumption. Gartner recommended selecting models according to task complexity and establishing token-monitoring and budget-control systems.