AI skills are in demand, but don’t always command a pay premium, report shows

Artificial intelligence skills are increasingly in demand from employers, but companies are not always inclined to pay a premium for workers who possess them.

In short, AI proficiency alone isn’t enough for workers and job seekers to command a pay bump or bonus, according to new data from Payscale, a provider of compensation insights.

More than 60% of companies that Payscale surveyed have updated their job listings to show they’re looking for workers with an AI edge, according to the company’s 2026 Compensation Best Practices Report. While a majority of employers say workers should know how to maximize performance and productivity through AI, most of them — 55% — are not offering premiums, bonuses or equity for workers with strong AI skills. 

Only 14% of employers offer higher base pay for AI-savvy workers, while 10% offer bonuses and 9% offer other types of long-term incentives, according to the report. 

“While these skills are valuable, the data shows that HR teams are not yet using pay differentials to reward these specialized skills,” the report states.

Is AI replacing jobs?

AI appears to be transforming the labor market, as its tools prove capable of performing tasks typically associated with entry-level work.

But it’s still unclear how much that shift is translating into widespread job losses. According to Payscale data, a majority of employers — 59% — say they are not replacing human workers with AI tools. Meanwhile, 30% of employers say they are deploying AI to do the jobs of workers, or plan to do so in the future. 

These are the top industries already replacing workers with AI, according to Payscale:

• Construction: 27%
• Business services: 19%
• Technology: 17%
• Healthcare: 16%

At the same time, AI is creating new roles, including positions in AI model development and data analysis, with one in four organizations saying they have added AI-related roles to their IT hiring.

Slow-moving labor market

Voluntary turnover, or workers choosing to leave their jobs, is at an “exceedingly low” rate of 8%, according to Payscale. 

This so-called “job-hugging” trend reflects workers clinging to positions in which they might not be satisfied, but which they don’t want to lose in a lackluster job market for workers.