Realistic 2026 AI income guide: retainers, consulting rates, fast first dollars
A research roundup ranks AI income paths by speed and reliability: agency retainers at $800-2,000 a month per client, AI agent consulting at $150-300 an hour, and RLHF or data-labeling gigs at $20-40 an hour for the fastest first dollar. Its core point: money concentrates in distribution and trust, not generation.