How You'll Be Paid in 2030

A decade from now, will drab offices with their sea of cubicles be a distant memory?
 
While offices, and their workers, are unlikely to disappear any time soon, the way Americans work is undergoing a tectonic shift. The burgeoning gig economy—a work world characterized by freelance or project-based employment—is changing the way we think about how to earn a living. 
 
How might you work and get paid in 2030?

This infographic shows the ways people will be paid in the year 2030. There are ten blocks, and here they are numbered one through ten. One: You’ll earn multiple paychecks. 44 million Americans had a side hustle in 2017, and that number is on the rise. Two: You’ll work wherever you feel like it. 78% of freelancers say the ability to work from a location of their choosing is a top reason they chose to freelance. Three: You’ll have a lot of company. One survey showed that by 2027, the majority of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers. Four: You’ll have more skills. 65% of freelancers say they’re updating their skills as their jobs evolve. Five: You’ll be in control of your benefits, including healthcare. 7 out of 10 freelancers prefer taking home more pay and purchasing benefits on their own. And many companies are offering steady freelancers the option to buy into the same benefits as their traditional employees. Six: You’ll be in charge of your retirement fund. 42% of American workers don’t have access to employer-sponsored retirement accounts. Gig workers will need to build their own saving plans, with IRAs and other personal accounts. Seven: You may get paid through apps. From personal assistants to babysitters to dog walkers: There are many apps today that focus on niche “gigs.” Often these apps help freelancers find jobs and handle the billing, for a percentage. Eight: Peer-to-peer payments are on the rise. 76% of freelancers already use PayPal and 21% use Venmo. Apps can help you send a friend your share of the pizza bill, but they can also help freelancers bill clients seamlessly. Nine: You’ll be respected. 69% of freelancers said perceptions of freelancing as a career are becoming more positive, up 6 points from 2016. Ten: You’ll be happier. Nearly 80% of freelancers said they prefer the gig economy to traditional work.

A former Wall Street Journal reporter and Inc. magazine editor, Simona Covel has reported and written on an array of business and financial topics including investing, leveraged finance, business strategy and business planning.