AI can produce a first draft. Someone still has to make the finished work worth paying for.

The September 2026 edition of The Wage to Wallet Index is a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and WorkWhile.

Digital freelancers are navigating a change in what clients want. Some buyers use AI to complete work themselves. Others bring AI-produced work to a freelancer who can fix it, finish it or make it useful. At the same time, workers are weighing what each assignment pays against the time and costs to complete it.

The report draws on a survey of 2,098 U.S. consumers, including 1,604 working adults. Nearly 37% of working adults earned money through platforms during the past year. The findings offer a closer look at digital freelancers, workers who provide in-person services and the consumers who might hire them.

For banks, FinTechs and platform operators, the stakes extend beyond the number of available jobs. Workers may earn across several platforms or combine assignments with traditional employment. A fuller view of their pay can help them plan for expenses and see what they take home after costs.

Download the report to see how AI is changing platform work, where workers are finding opportunities and what they need to manage their income.

The Wage to Wallet Index is a monthly study produced by PYMNTS Intelligence in collaboration with WorkWhile . S. consumers, fielded Sept. 1–3, 2026. Percentages are weighted. The sample includes 380 respondents who worked independently through platforms, including sellers of physical goods; the service-specific analysis excludes goods-selling activity and covers 246 workers—144 digital freelancers and 139 physical-service workers.

Source link