Digital freelancers note 37% of working adults now earn via platforms

The September 2026 Wage to Wallet Index, based on a survey of 2,098 U.S. consumers, finds digital freelancers facing shifting client demand as AI use rises. Nearly 37% of working adults earned money through platforms in the past year, while 57.5% of those seeking digital or creative work relied on AI to handle the task.

Around 32% of digital freelancers report that their platform has introduced AI tools capable of performing their type of work. Approximately 30% of service platform workers have ceased that work over the past year. The study’s service‑specific segment includes 144 digital freelancers and 139 physical‑service workers out of 380 independent platform workers surveyed.

The Wage to Wallet Index, a monthly study from PYMNTS Intelligence and WorkWhile, tracks platform worker earnings. The findings come from a poll of 2,098 U.S. adults conducted between September 1 and September 3, 2026.

What we know

• 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.

• Among people who needed digital or creative work, 57.5% used AI to do it themselves, while 19.1% paid or hired someone.

• Nearly 32% of digital freelancers say a platform introduced AI tools that can do their kind of work.

• About 30% of service platform workers stopped that work within the year.