Upwork AI Gigs Bring Bigger Budgets, But OpenAI Says Hourly Pay Hasn’t Budged

OpenAI and Upwork say freelance AI projects now come with bigger budgets and more hours, but the hourly rate clients offer is about the same as for any other job.

Key Takeaways

• AI-related projects on Upwork carried larger fixed-price budgets and more hours, but similar hourly rates
• In 43 of 63 work categories, tasks common in ChatGPT use lost share on Upwork while less common tasks gained
• The mix of tasks in AI-related postings grew 45% more varied from early 2023 to late 2025
• OpenAI says the bigger budgets may reflect broader scope, not a premium for AI skills

OpenAI published the joint study on Tuesday. It matched ChatGPT use from January 2025 to June 2026 against job postings on Upwork, the freelance marketplace, to see how demand for different kinds of work is changing.

Bigger Jobs, Same Hourly Rate

AI-related projects had larger fixed-price budgets and more hours than the same type of work posted in the same month, based on estimates through April 2026. The hourly rates posted for AI work were similar to the rest of the market.

OpenAI said the bigger budgets may come from broader scope, meaning clients are asking for more work in one job, rather than paying extra for AI skills.

Where ChatGPT Use Is Heaviest

Across 63 matched work categories, 43 showed the same pattern. Activities that people commonly do with ChatGPT lost share of Upwork postings, while less common activities gained. The other 20 categories went the other way.

OpenAI says this tracks changing shares and does not prove that ChatGPT caused the shift.

Also Read: OpenAI Dots Reads Your Email And Grabs Login Codes For You

Clients Want Mixed Skills

AI-related postings listed about as many tasks as other jobs, but they combined skills that rarely appeared together before. The variety of tasks in those postings rose 45%, from 14.6 to 21.2 equally common tasks, between early 2023 and late 2025. One brief asked for AI-generated video, editing and motion graphics in a single job.

The study covers only freelance listings, so it does not describe the wider job market.

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