AI Skills Are Now Worth 56% More Pay. Still Think AI Is Optional?

(Check out the bonus prompt at the end of this article. Try it in ChatGPT or your favorite AI tool and see what automations it suggests. It's like your job vs. your job on AI drugs.)

I read, digest and translate all of this stuff so you don't have to. File this under "all work and no play".

Every so often, a study drops that makes me sit up straight and think. “Well… that explains a lot.”

PwC just analyzed almost one billion job ads to see how AI is reshaping work. And what they found wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t theoretical.

It was a flashing neon sign saying “Learn AI or get left behind.”

Here are the numbers that hit hardest.

The Money Is Real

PwC found that workers with AI skills are now earning up to 56% more than their non-AI counterparts. Last year that premium was 25%. Now it’s doubled.

That’s not a bump. That’s a raise that lets you spring for guac every time.

Other studies back it up.

• AWS: Employers will pay 47% more for AI-skilled workers.

• Indeed: Confirms the same.

• Lightcast: Jobs listing AI skills pay 28% more, about $18,000 extra per year.

Point is… this isn’t hype. It’s the market talking. Loudly.

Job Growth Is Surging Too

Here’s the twist I never expected.

The jobs most exposed to AI? They’re not disappearing. They’re growing. But they’re changing fast.

PwC reports:

• Skills for AI-exposed jobs are changing 66% faster than last year.

• Roles augmented by AI saw the largest job growth overall.

• Jobs requiring AI skills are growing 7.5%, even while total job postings are down 11%.

Translation: the work isn’t gone. It’s upgraded. And employers are willing to pay extra for people who can keep up.

Why This Matters Heading Into 2026

We’re entering a new kind of economy. One where:

• People who learn AI earn more.

• People who use AI become more productive.

• People who avoid AI watch the ground shift under their feet.

This isn’t doom and gloom. This is a chance. A big one.

If you raise your hand right now and say, “Alright, show me how this stuff works,” you put yourself in the top tier of candidates, employees, and business owners.

And here’s the good news… you don’t have to become an engineer. You just need to know how to use the tools.

That’s where we come in.

Want a Raise in 2026? Start With 20 Minutes.

We built AI in 20™ for one reason. Most people don’t need a master’s degree in AI. They just need someone to break it down fast and show them how to use it in everyday work.

That’s exactly what we do in 20 minutes.

No jargon. No pressure. No judgment. Just real skills that translate into real value.

Our next free session is December 4 at 2:00 PM ET.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to finally learn this stuff, this is it.

👉 Register here.

Come join us. You’ll walk away with practical skills you can use the very same day. And who knows… maybe that 56% raise starts here.

Bonus Prompt: "Tell me the salary range for this job, both with and without AI skills. Break it down like this: Base salary range today. Salary range if the worker has AI skills. How much more money that is (in dollars and percentage). A simple explanation of why AI raises the pay. A short list of the AI skills that would actually help in this job. Here’s the job: [desired job]."