AI Side Hustlers Earn Nearly Twice as Much

The newest business partner for the side hustle generation might not be a person at all. A new survey of 1,007 side hustlers found that AI side hustlers reported significantly higher monthly earnings than those who don't, according to research conducted by Network Solutions and reported by Black Enterprise on September 18, 2026.

The earnings gap was hard to ignore. AI users reported average monthly earnings of $555, compared with $333 for nonusers. At the median, the split was even starker: $500 versus $250. The survey's authors cautioned that the link is correlation, not proof that the technology itself caused the income difference. People who adopt new tools may simply be more serious about turning their hustle into a real income stream.

The blank page was the real boss

For one in three respondents, AI wasn't just a boost — it was the reason the business exists. Thirty-three percent said they probably or definitely would not have started their side hustle without access to AI tools. For many, the technology solved the single biggest early hurdle: knowing where to begin. In fact, more than a third said figuring out their first steps was their toughest early challenge.

"For most of the people we surveyed, the hardest part was never the work itself," the report said. "It was the blank page or not knowing where to begin." That framing reframes AI less as a worker and more as a starter engine — the thing that turns an idea into motion.

Nine hours a week, back in your pocket

Once AI side hustlers got moving, the tools kept paying off in time. Users reported saving an average of nine hours per week, with writing, social media content, branding and logo creation, and market research among the tasks most commonly automated. Saved across a year, that works out to nearly 12 full workdays of time returned.

The technology also appeared to shorten the runway from idea to launch. Nearly 40% of AI users said they got their businesses off the ground faster than expected, compared with 30% of those who didn't use AI, and the average transition from concept to operation was about one month. The generational twist is unexpected: baby boomers were the fastest group to launch, with 47% operational within four weeks, followed by Gen Z at 40%, millennials at 37%, and Gen X at 35%.

The fine print: motivation and copycats

AI couldn't automate everything. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said staying motivated was the hardest task to hand off to a tool, while 20% pointed to finding and retaining customers. And there's a sharper concern: nearly half — 45% — said they worry AI makes it easier for competitors to copy what they do, a fear felt most by digital-product sellers and content creators. That pressure helps explain why the financial stakes matter so much: a July 2026 CNBC and SurveyMonkey quarterly money survey, published on SurveyMonkey, found 63% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, with 90% of them having less than $500 left over each month after expenses.

The broader picture backs up why so many are trying anyway. A 2026 RBC small business poll found that 46% of Gen Z business owners are building a business while working a full-time job, and nearly a third of Gen Z Canadians aspire to start a side hustle. Separately, a 10,000-person Fiverr survey found almost 70% of Gen Z are freelancing already or planning to. The hustle economy is now mainstream — and AI is becoming its default toolkit.

As one entrepreneur quoted in the original report put it: "Don't reinvent the wheel." In other words, use the tools. But make sure the business itself makes sense. For anyone eyeing the side hustle life, the data suggests the starting line matters more than the tech stack — AI can help you launch, but customers, motivation, and a real problem to solve are still on you. For more on how second incomes are reshaping work, read our look at why 72% of workers now have a second gig and browse the Side Hustles topic page.

The timing is no accident. In September 2026, FreshBooks released its "Era of the Solopreneur" report, based on a Wakefield Research survey of 500 solo and microbusiness owners, finding that 86% now try AI before hiring anyone when they hit a task they can't do alone, as reported via GlobeNewswire. That stat reframes the side hustle: the next hire for most one-person businesses may not be a person at all. The tools can carry more of the load — but the vision, the customers, and the nerve to start are still irreducibly human.