In 2022, the average hourly earnings of workers in the jobs most exposed to artificial intelligence stood at $33, compared with $20 in jobs with the least amount of exposure. Men working in high-exposure jobs earned $39 per hour, much greater than the earnings of men in the least exposed jobs. Women in high-exposure jobs made $28 per hour, also notably more than what the least exposed women earned, according to our analysis. (Dollar amounts are expressed in 2022 prices.)
Workers in jobs most exposed to AI also earn more than workers likely to see a medium level of exposure. These workers, in jobs neither the most nor the least exposed to AI, earned $30 per hour, on average. Men in these jobs made $31 per hour, but women earned $29 per hour, about the same as women most exposed to AI.
Asian workers and college graduates are among the highest paid of workers most exposed to AI
Looking at other groups of workers, the average hourly earnings of workers in the jobs most exposed to AI ranged from $19 for those without a high school diploma to $41 for Asian workers and college graduates in 2022. In part, this is because not all groups of workers have the same jobs within the broader set of occupations most exposed to AI. For instance, Asian workers represent 8% of employment in the most exposed occupations, but they account for about a third of all computer hardware engineers. Similarly, college graduates are more likely than average to be aerospace engineers or in similar jobs.
No matter their demographic characteristic, the most exposed workers earn more than the least exposed workers. Among racial and ethnic groups, Asian workers employed in the most exposed jobs earned about twice as much as Asian workers in the least exposed jobs – $41 vs. $20.
Across education levels, the largest gap in earnings surfaces among those with college degrees. The most exposed college graduates earned $41 per hour in 2022 and the least exposed earned $26 per hour. A gap of about $11 to $16 per hour prevails among all workers ages 25 and older.
Foreign-born workers who are most exposed to AI are also among the higher-paid workers, making $37 per hour in 2022. This was about double the earnings of foreign-born workers who are the least exposed ($19). The earnings gap among U.S.-born workers is less pronounced but still large.
Most groups of workers in the most exposed jobs also typically earn about as much as or more than workers in jobs with a medium level of exposure to AI. For instance, Asian workers in the most exposed jobs earned $41 per hour, compared with $35 per hour among Asian workers in jobs with a medium level of exposure. Several other groups of workers in the most exposed jobs earned about $2 to $4 more per hour than workers in jobs with more mid-level exposure to AI. (Refer to the appendix for the full set of estimates.)
