AI automation specialists on Upwork: $75–$200/hour
Platform-cited figures suggest Upwork automation specialists with 12–18 months of experience charge $75–200/hour, with a realistic ramp of $500–1,500/month in months 3–6 growing toward $2,000–5,000 by month 12. It's a long game — a year of building a specialty — and complex automation setups still want a real computer, though consulting itself is phone-doable. Worth noting the FTC has fined several 'AI passive income' schemes, a warning for the whole category.