{
  "name": "AI Wage Gap: verified figures",
  "edition": "Q4 2026 edition",
  "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
  "author": "Yuri Kruman",
  "publisher": "Portfolio Leverage Co.",
  "citation": "Kruman, Y. (2026). AI Wage Gap, Q4 2026 edition. Portfolio Leverage Co. https://aiwagegap.com",
  "definition": "The AI Wage Gap is the widening pay and opportunity gap between professionals who have rebuilt their work around AI and those doing the same job without it. Coined by Yuri Kruman and tracked quarterly at aiwagegap.com. Its organizational companion is the AI Build Gap (aibuildgap.com).",
  "figures": [
    {
      "id": "shorenstein",
      "question": "Is there a gender gap in AI training at work?",
      "display": "64% vs 49%",
      "claim": "Share of women who report getting no AI training at work, compared with men. 46% of women never use AI at work, against 36% of men.",
      "source": "Harvard Shorenstein Center",
      "sourceTitle": "The gender gap in perceptions and use of AI",
      "sourceUrl": "https://shorensteincenter.org/article/new-shorenstein-center-report-explores-the-gender-gap-in-perceptions-and-use-of-ai/",
      "published": "2026-10-14",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/gender-gap-ai-training-at-work"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_frontrunners",
      "question": "What share of workers are AI front-runners?",
      "display": "14%",
      "value": 14,
      "claim": "Share of workers PwC classes as AI front-runners. Another 56% form an engine room at risk of falling behind, and 29% of front-runners say they are likely to change employer within a year.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202609296890",
      "published": "2026-09-29",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-front-runners-share-of-workers"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_training",
      "question": "Can workers get the AI training they need?",
      "display": "51%",
      "value": 51,
      "claim": "Share of workers who say they can access the learning resources they need, down from 59% a year earlier, even as 64% used AI at work.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/1/issues/workforce/hopes-and-fears.html",
      "published": "2026-09-29",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/workers-access-to-ai-training"
    },
    {
      "id": "indeed_pay",
      "question": "Is AI exposure raising or lowering advertised pay?",
      "display": "46% vs 25%",
      "claim": "Growth in advertised pay since 2021 in the most AI-exposed US occupations compared with the least exposed. Exposure to AI is raising advertised pay, not squeezing it.",
      "source": "Indeed Hiring Lab",
      "sourceTitle": "AI exposure isn't squeezing advertised pay in the US",
      "sourceUrl": "https://hiringlab.indeed.com/2026/09/17/ai-exposure-isnt-squeezing-advertised-pay-in-the-us-its-boosting-it/",
      "published": "2026-09-17",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/advertised-pay-ai-exposed-occupations"
    },
    {
      "id": "indeed_ladder",
      "question": "Are entry-level jobs disappearing in AI-exposed occupations?",
      "display": "29% to 10%",
      "claim": "Entry-level share of job postings in the most AI-exposed US occupations, 2021 to 2026. The senior share rose from 22% to 47%.",
      "source": "Indeed Hiring Lab",
      "sourceTitle": "AI exposure isn't squeezing advertised pay in the US",
      "sourceUrl": "https://hiringlab.indeed.com/2026/09/17/ai-exposure-isnt-squeezing-advertised-pay-in-the-us-its-boosting-it/",
      "published": "2026-09-17",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/entry-level-share-of-postings-ai-exposed-jobs"
    },
    {
      "id": "rh_2027",
      "question": "Do employers pay more for AI skills in 2027 salary guides?",
      "display": "92%",
      "value": 92,
      "claim": "Share of US tech leaders who say they offer higher pay for AI skills, in Robert Half's 2027 Salary Guide.",
      "source": "Robert Half",
      "sourceTitle": "2027 Salary Guide, Technology",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/salary-guide/technology",
      "published": "2026-09",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/tech-leaders-pay-more-for-ai-skills"
    },
    {
      "id": "canaries_2026",
      "question": "How far have young workers in AI-exposed jobs fallen behind?",
      "display": "19%",
      "value": 19,
      "claim": "How far employment of 22 to 25 year olds in the most AI-exposed jobs has fallen behind less exposed peers, up from 15% a year earlier, with data through June 2026.",
      "source": "Stanford Digital Economy Lab",
      "sourceTitle": "Canaries in the Coal Mine, August 2026 update",
      "sourceUrl": "https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/news/canariesaug26/",
      "published": "2026-08-12",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/young-workers-ai-exposed-jobs-employment-gap"
    },
    {
      "id": "canaries_quintile",
      "question": "How has employment changed for 22 to 25 year olds in AI-exposed jobs?",
      "display": "-11% vs +10%",
      "claim": "Employment change for workers aged 22 to 25 from November 2022 to June 2026: down about 11% in the two most AI-exposed groups of occupations, up about 10% in the three least exposed.",
      "source": "Stanford Digital Economy Lab",
      "sourceTitle": "Canaries in the Coal Mine, August 2026 update",
      "sourceUrl": "https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/news/canariesaug26/",
      "published": "2026-08-12",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/entry-level-employment-ai-exposure"
    },
    {
      "id": "iia_israel",
      "question": "Is AI influencing layoffs at Israeli tech firms?",
      "display": "About 50%",
      "claim": "Share of Israeli tech firms planning layoffs that say AI influences the decision, up from 29%.",
      "source": "Israel Innovation Authority",
      "sourceTitle": "Human Capital in Tech 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/press_release/human-capital-in-tech-israel-2026/",
      "published": "2026-08-11",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/israeli-tech-layoffs-ai"
    },
    {
      "id": "taub_israel",
      "question": "Do AI-exposed occupations pay more in Israel?",
      "display": "NIS 13,600 vs 9,600",
      "claim": "Average monthly pay in Israel for workers in AI-exposed occupations compared with other occupations. This measures exposure to AI, not an AI-skill premium.",
      "source": "Taub Center",
      "sourceTitle": "AI and PIAAC 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.taubcenter.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AI-and-PIAAC-2026-ENG.pdf",
      "published": "2026-08",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/israel-pay-ai-exposed-occupations"
    },
    {
      "id": "revelio_entry",
      "question": "How much have US entry-level job postings fallen?",
      "display": "-35%",
      "claim": "Change in US entry-level job postings since early 2023.",
      "source": "Revelio Labs",
      "sourceTitle": "Entry-level hiring",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.reveliolabs.com/blog/fast-company-entry-level-hiring",
      "published": "2026-07-17",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/us-entry-level-job-postings-decline"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_hk",
      "question": "How fast are AI job postings growing in Hong Kong?",
      "display": "50%",
      "value": 50,
      "claim": "Growth in AI job postings in Hong Kong from 2024 to 2025, lifting their share of all postings from 3.6% to 4.7%.",
      "source": "PwC Hong Kong",
      "sourceTitle": "AI Jobs Barometer 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwchk.com/en/press-room/press-releases/pr-140726.html",
      "published": "2026-07-14",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/hong-kong-ai-job-postings-growth"
    },
    {
      "id": "indeed_swe",
      "question": "Who is getting hired in the software developer job rebound?",
      "display": "71%",
      "value": 71,
      "claim": "Share of the rebound in US software development postings since February 2025 that went to senior roles. Postings rose almost 15% while overall postings fell 7%.",
      "source": "Indeed Hiring Lab",
      "sourceTitle": "AI and job postings: from destruction to creation",
      "sourceUrl": "https://hiringlab.indeed.com/2026/07/08/ai-and-job-postings-from-destruction-to-creation/",
      "published": "2026-07-08",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/software-developer-postings-senior-share"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_germany",
      "question": "What is the AI-skill wage premium in Germany?",
      "display": "Up to 39%",
      "claim": "AI-skill wage premiums in Germany, often above 20% and peaking at 39% in energy, utilities and resources. Financial services is the exception at minus 9%.",
      "source": "PwC Germany",
      "sourceTitle": "AI Jobs Barometer 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2026/pwc-studie-ki-erreicht-den-kern-des-deutschen-jobmarkts-treibt-den-skill-wandel-aber-noch-kaum.html",
      "published": "2026-06-30",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/germany-ai-skills-wage-premium"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_2026",
      "question": "How much more do jobs that require AI skills pay in 2026?",
      "display": "62%",
      "value": 62,
      "claim": "Average wage premium advertised for jobs that require AI skills, across more than one billion job ads in 27 countries. Up from 57% the year before.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2026/pwc-2026-ai-jobs-barometer.html",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-skills-wage-premium-2026"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_growth",
      "question": "How fast are jobs requiring AI skills growing compared with the job market?",
      "display": "69% vs 9%",
      "claim": "Growth in jobs requiring AI skills compared with the overall job market from 2024 to 2025, roughly eight times as fast.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2026/pwc-2026-ai-jobs-barometer.html",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-skilled-jobs-growth"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_sector",
      "question": "Which sectors pay the highest and lowest premium for AI skills?",
      "display": "118% vs 16%",
      "claim": "The AI-skill wage premium ranges from 118% in consumer markets to 16% in government and public sector.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/artificial-intelligence/job-barometer/2026/2026-global-ai-jobs-barometer-global-findings.pdf",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-wage-premium-by-sector"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_productivity",
      "question": "Are AI-exposed companies growing productivity faster?",
      "display": "34% vs 24%",
      "claim": "Productivity growth at the most AI-exposed companies compared with the least exposed. The lead has tripled since 2022.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2026/pwc-2026-ai-jobs-barometer.html",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-exposed-companies-productivity"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_uk",
      "question": "What is the AI-skill wage premium in the UK?",
      "display": "34.2%",
      "value": 34.2,
      "claim": "AI-skill wage premium in the UK in PwC's 2026 edition, up from 11% a year earlier.",
      "source": "PwC UK",
      "sourceTitle": "UK AI Jobs Barometer 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/generative-artificial-intelligence/uk-ai-jobs-barometer.html",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/uk-ai-skills-wage-premium"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_ireland",
      "question": "How fast are AI-skilled jobs growing in Ireland?",
      "display": "83%",
      "value": 83,
      "claim": "Growth in AI-skilled jobs in Ireland since 2019, against 16% for the total Irish jobs market.",
      "source": "PwC Ireland",
      "sourceTitle": "AI Jobs Barometer 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.pwc.ie/media-centre/press-releases/2026/ai-jobs-barometer-2026.html",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ireland-ai-skilled-jobs-growth"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_singapore",
      "question": "What is the AI-skill wage premium in Singapore?",
      "display": "32% to 107%",
      "claim": "AI-skill wage premiums in Singapore, at least 32% in every sector studied and up to 107% in government and public sector.",
      "source": "PwC Singapore",
      "sourceTitle": "AI Jobs Barometer 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.mynewsdesk.com/sg/pwc-singapore/pressreleases/ai-roles-command-wage-premiums-across-sectors-in-singapore-starting-at-32-percent-underscoring-ai-as-a-key-driver-of-talent-value-pwcs-ai-job-barometer-3454090",
      "published": "2026-06-15",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/singapore-ai-skills-wage-premium"
    },
    {
      "id": "stanford_postings",
      "question": "What share of US job postings require AI skills?",
      "display": "2.6%",
      "value": 2.6,
      "claim": "Share of US job postings that required AI skills in 2025, up 55% from 2024 and 297% from a decade earlier.",
      "source": "Stanford HAI",
      "sourceTitle": "AI Index Report 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://hai.stanford.edu/assets/files/ai_index_report_2026.pdf",
      "published": "2026-04-13",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/share-of-us-jobs-requiring-ai-skills"
    },
    {
      "id": "linkedin_literacy",
      "question": "How fast are job postings requiring AI literacy growing?",
      "display": "70%",
      "value": 70,
      "claim": "Year-over-year growth in US job postings that require AI literacy. AI engineering tops LinkedIn's 2026 list of fastest-growing skills.",
      "source": "LinkedIn",
      "sourceTitle": "Labor Market Report, January 2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://delivery-p143253-e1476319.adobeaemcloud.com/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:cef0613f-8120-4328-a651-eea88832fcf0/original/as/linkedIn-labor-market-report-building-a-future-of-work-that-works-jan-2026.pdf",
      "published": "2026-01",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-literacy-job-postings-growth"
    },
    {
      "id": "wef_wages",
      "question": "Do executives expect AI to raise wages?",
      "display": "12%",
      "value": 12,
      "claim": "Share of executives who expect AI to raise wages for the remaining workforce. Nearly 45% expect higher profit margins instead.",
      "source": "World Economic Forum",
      "sourceTitle": "Four Futures for Jobs in the New Economy",
      "sourceUrl": "https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Four_Futures_for_Jobs_in_the_New_Economy_AI_and_Talent_in_2030_2025.pdf",
      "published": "2026-01",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/executives-expect-ai-to-raise-wages"
    },
    {
      "id": "wef_aiml",
      "question": "How much have wages for AI and machine learning roles risen?",
      "display": "27%",
      "value": 27,
      "claim": "Rise in median advertised wages for US AI and machine learning roles from 2019 to July 2025, to nearly $190,000.",
      "source": "World Economic Forum",
      "sourceTitle": "New Economy Skills (ADP data)",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/davos-here-s-what-to-know-about-jobs-and-skills-transformation/",
      "published": "2025-12",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-machine-learning-median-wages"
    },
    {
      "id": "iceberg",
      "question": "How much US wage value is tied to skills AI can already perform?",
      "display": "11.7%",
      "value": 11.7,
      "claim": "Share of US wage value, about $1.2 trillion, tied to skills current AI systems could technically perform.",
      "source": "MIT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory",
      "sourceTitle": "Project Iceberg",
      "sourceUrl": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.25137",
      "published": "2025-10",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/us-wage-value-ai-can-perform"
    },
    {
      "id": "lightcast_one",
      "question": "How much does a single AI skill add to advertised salary?",
      "display": "28%",
      "value": 28,
      "claim": "Salary premium advertised for postings that ask for one AI skill, about $18,000 a year. Two or more AI skills: up to 43%.",
      "source": "Lightcast",
      "sourceTitle": "Beyond the Buzz",
      "sourceUrl": "https://lightcast.io/resources/blog/beyond-the-buzz-press-release-2025-07-23",
      "published": "2025-07-23",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/salary-premium-one-ai-skill"
    },
    {
      "id": "lightcast_functions",
      "question": "How fast is demand for AI skills growing in HR, marketing and finance?",
      "display": "66%",
      "value": 66,
      "claim": "Year-over-year growth in demand for AI skills in HR job postings. Marketing and PR grew 50% and finance 40%, while postings outside IT asking for generative AI skills are up 800% since 2022.",
      "source": "Lightcast",
      "sourceTitle": "Beyond the Buzz",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.datocms-assets.com/62658/1753230742-beyond_the_buzz_final23.pdf",
      "published": "2025-07-23",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-skills-demand-hr-marketing-finance"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_2025",
      "question": "What was the AI-skill wage premium in PwC's 2025 barometer?",
      "display": "56%",
      "value": 56,
      "claim": "Average wage premium for jobs requiring AI skills in PwC's 2025 edition (2024 data). PwC's 2026 edition restates it as 57%.",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer",
      "sourceUrl": "https://pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2025/ai-linked-to-a-fourfold-increase-in-productivity-growth.html",
      "published": "2025-06-03",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-skills-wage-premium-2025"
    },
    {
      "id": "pwc_2024",
      "question": "What was the AI-skill wage premium in PwC's first barometer?",
      "display": "25%",
      "value": 25,
      "claim": "Wage premium of up to 25% on average for jobs requiring AI skills in the US, in PwC's first edition (2023 data).",
      "source": "PwC",
      "sourceTitle": "2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer",
      "sourceUrl": "https://pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2024/pwc-2024-global-ai-jobs-barometer.html",
      "published": "2024-05-21",
      "verifiedOn": "2026-10-22",
      "page": "https://aiwagegap.com/figures/ai-skills-wage-premium-2024"
    }
  ]
}