As layoffs across tech industry cross over a lakh, position for this engineering job has gone up 700%

Tech layoffs have crossed a lakh in 2026, with Meta, Cisco, Intuit, PayPal and Cloudflare slashing thousands of jobs as AI restructuring takes hold. But one engineering role is booming against the tide. Forward-deployed engineer (FDE) postings on Indeed jumped 729% year-on-year, with salaries ranging from $170,000 to over $200,000. Anthropic, OpenAI, Stripe, Google Cloud, Palantir and McKinsey's QuantumBlack are all hiring FDEs to integrate AI tools into enterprise workflows.