Workers once feared AI would erase paychecks. The numbers now point in a different direction: employers are paying a premium for people who can use the technology.
According to Robert Half, 72% of managers plan to boost pay for recruits with relevant AI skills. The firm also says 42% of employers view that knowledge as commanding a bigger surcharge than other technical skills.
Dawn Fay, operational president at Robert Half, said employers are willing to offer higher pay for professionals who understand where AI can add value, can integrate it into day-to-day processes, and can apply it responsibly to solve real business challenges.
The wage premium is showing up in labor-market data beyond one survey. Fortune cited a LinkedIn analysis earlier this year showing AI job postings in the U.S. have doubled since 2023. That study found AI jobs are among the fastest-growing and highest-paying opportunities in today's labor market, with an average annual salary of around $177,000 versus roughly $80,000 for non-AI roles.
Robert Half's data also shows around 57% of managers across the United States are offering higher-than-planned salaries to new hires. In some cities, the bidding is especially intense. San Francisco and Washington, D.C., are described as competing for top talent with bigger paychecks.
The pay pressure is not limited to AI specialists. Employers are planning wage increases of 3.3% for newly hired data scientists starting in 2027. Freshly hired financial analysts are projected to get a 3.8% increase next year, while attorneys with four to nine years of experience, marketing automation specialists, and executive assistants are each expected to see 3.9% gains. Across all specialties, the projected salary bump is 1.7%.
The market signal is hard to miss. Around 64% of managers say job offers have become more competitive than they were three years ago. Even as AI and automation are expected to cut demand for around 36 million U.S. jobs by 2035, McKinsey Global Institute says new growth will generate the need for 41 million other roles.
For workers, the lesson is straightforward: capital rewards scarce skills. Around 40% of U.S. workers are casually using AI on the job, according to an Ipsos study with Google shared exclusively with Fortune earlier this year, while only 5% are considered AI fluent. Those who are fluent are over four times more likely to report higher earnings and get promoted.
That is how a free market works when it is left to price talent honestly. The administrative state may debate disruption in broad terms, but employers are making a narrower judgment: if AI lifts productivity, workers who can deploy it are worth more. The market has already voted.
