These days, whenever the topic of downtown San Francisco comes up, people often mention how the atmosphere has changed dramatically. Just a few years ago, the conversation was all about vacant offices and empty streets, but now there are constant reports of AI companies sweeping up office spaces.

However, the most common question I hear is this: "So, are there positions for people who can't code?" Today, I want to answer this question with some numbers.

First, let's look at the office market. According to data from real estate research firms Savills and CompStak, AI companies leased 2.9 million square feet in San Francisco in the first half of 2026.

From the same data, AI accounted for 31.3% of newly signed leases. This means that nearly one in three leases is with an AI company, which honestly surprised me.

The vacancy rate is also decreasing. According to the Kidder Mathews report, the overall office vacancy rate in San Francisco for the second quarter of 2026 was 27.2%, down from 31.6% a year earlier.

Of course, 27% is still a high number. While it is recovering, it's important to remember that the city hasn't returned to being fully occupied like before.

What about employment? According to data compiled by USAFacts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in San Francisco County was 3.3% in May 2026, which is 0.5 percentage points lower than a year ago.

In the same month, the overall unemployment rate for California was reported by EDD to be 5.3%. This is definitely lower than the state average, so we can say that the job situation at the city level isn't too bad.

Now, let's get to the main topic: positions for non-developers. A job board that collects AI startup job postings analyzed 1,044 companies and 29,215 postings in March 2026.

The result showed that 46.5% of the postings did not require coding skills. These positions are in areas like sales, marketing, customer success, and operations.

However, this is based on postings tracked by one site, so we can't definitively say it represents the entire market. You can think of it as a directional indicator.

The reason is surprisingly simple. Once the product development stage is over, there is a need for people to sell it, ensure customers actually use it, and manage contracts and operations.

That's why we often see titles like Account Executive, Customer Success Manager, BizOps, and Growth Marketer. As companies grow, these types of positions tend to increase.

But there's a catch. Just because a position is non-developer doesn't mean you can be completely clueless about technology.

According to recruitment agency articles, AI companies are looking for hybrid types who have sales or customer service experience along with a technical understanding. You need to be able to explain how the product works to customers.

Moreover, many AI startups aim to grow quickly with a small team. This means that one person often has a broad range of responsibilities, and the pressure for results is significant.

There is also an opposing view. Some worry that AI will automate tasks like writing marketing copy or handling customer inquiries, thereby reducing entry-level office positions.

I believe both perspectives are valid. While simple repetitive tasks may decrease, the demand for roles that involve using AI tools effectively while interacting with people is likely to increase.

So, what should you actually do? First, rewrite your experience in the language of AI companies.

For example, if you were a manager at a Korean grocery store, you could frame your inventory management and sales improvement experience as operational achievements. The key is to express it in numbers.

Second, try using the products of the company you want to apply to. Even if it's just a free version, discussing your impressions from a customer perspective during the interview will definitely make you stand out.

Third, leverage your bilingual skills. In sales or support roles dealing with the Korean market or Asian customers, knowing Korean can be not just a plus but a core competency.

Fourth, make sure to check the salary range. In California, companies with more than 15 employees are legally required to include salary ranges in their job postings.

So, look at the range provided in the posting and set your negotiation baseline accordingly. Startups often mix stock compensation into their offers, but keep in mind that bonuses or stocks are usually not included in that range.

Fifth, check the company's funding status. You can easily find out when and how much recent investments were made through news articles, and this is directly related to the stability of your position.

Startups can aggressively hire when the atmosphere is good, but they can also quickly downsize if the situation changes. I've seen this pattern several times, so I wanted to emphasize it.

In summary, there are definitely positions for non-developers. However, these are not just any positions that accept any experience; they are looking for people who understand technology and can quantify their achievements.

If I were you, I would try to use at least one AI tool in my current job and highlight that experience at the top of my resume. I believe that's the quickest and most realistic preparation you can make.