The collapse of web coding gigs is getting ugly — AI takes over routine website development jobs, and business owners are very happy with its job so far

AI now handles website creation for 53% of surveyed entrepreneurs Business owners saved $850 and 32 hours using AI tools Website design job postings have fallen 59% since early 2024 Freelance website development opportunities have fallen sharply since 2024, while an increasing number of American entrepreneurs are using artificial intelligence to create websites independently.

Research commissioned by Bluehost found that 53% of surveyed business owners had adopted AI website builders rather than relying on professional developers.

The findings coincide with substantial declines in freelance programming advertisements, particularly in website design, PHP, WordPress, and HTML development.

Website development vacancies fall by nearly 60% The Bluehost survey questioned 201 American entrepreneurs involved in decisions concerning their companies' online operations.

Among respondents adopting AI website generators, 85% indicated that their websites would have been developed differently without access to these technologies.

Participants reported average savings of $850 and approximately 32 working hours compared with commissioning developers or agencies to complete equivalent projects.

However, website hosting and domain setup remained tasks that respondents were reluctant to delegate to AI, with 21% identifying these among the least likely to be outsourced.

Previously, 34% identified insufficient time as an obstacle to launching websites, while 28% cited limitations in their technical knowledge.

Even among respondents who had avoided AI website generators, 71% expressed willingness to consider these technologies for future website development projects.

Historical recruitment figures on Freelancer.com indicate that website design advertisements declined 59% between the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2026.

PHP opportunities experienced an identical 59% reduction, while WordPress assignments decreased 58%, followed by HTML programming vacancies with a 55% decline.

These reductions exceeded those recorded across certain other freelance categories, suggesting that website development assignments have experienced particularly substantial pressure.

Graphic design advertisements decreased 43% during the corresponding period, whereas data entry opportunities increased 16%, despite their exposure to automation technologies.

However, these figures cover one freelance marketplace and cannot confirm that the adoption of AI tools directly caused the reduction in advertised programming jobs.