Eight out of 10 corporate HR managers said they are willing to offer additional salary to candidates with artificial intelligence skills, according to a new survey, as AI capabilities become a new salary premium in the job market.
HR tech company Wantedlab (376980.KQ) released its "2026 AX Insight Report" on Thursday. The report is based on an online survey conducted from December 15 last year to January 5 this year, with responses from 130 corporate HR managers and 209 office workers.
According to the report, 77.2% of HR managers said they are willing to provide additional compensation to candidates with AI skills. The most common premium ranges were less than 10% at 45.6% of respondents, followed by 11-20% at 28.1%.
Job seekers are also actively highlighting their AI experience during the hiring process. Among worker respondents, 47.6% said they include AI experience in their resumes or portfolios. Additionally, 62.1% said working at an AI-utilizing company would positively impact their future market value.
Workers are actively using AI in their daily tasks. Among respondents, 92.1% said they have experience using AI, with more than 86% of them using AI in their work almost daily.
Those who have used AI in their work reported direct improvements in performance. Some 95.8% said AI improved the quality of their output, while 78.4% experienced faster work speed. Workers said they used the time saved through AI for improving the quality of existing work (46.7%) or planning new projects and services (18.7%).
Companies also recognize the need for AI transformation (AX). More than 97% of Korean companies expect AX to impact their business environment within the next three years. While only 5.3% have adopted AX company-wide, 41.6% are in pilot testing and 38.1% are in the review stage, meaning eight out of 10 companies are considering AX adoption.
Companies are also preparing changes in organizational operations to respond to AX. Some 71.9% recognized the need for new performance evaluation and compensation systems suited to an AI environment, while 55.3% agreed on the possibility of workforce reallocation or reduction following AI adoption.
However, AX adoption is taking time due to talent and strategy challenges. Among respondents, 53.1% cited difficulty securing specialized personnel, while 51.3% pointed to the lack of clear strategy and roadmap as obstacles to AX. This suggests that while companies recognize the need for AX, organizational capabilities and execution strategies are not keeping pace.
"This report confirms that AX is no longer a task limited to IT departments but a core issue reshaping corporate strategy and talent structures overall," a Wantedlab official said. "We will support companies in turning AX into tangible results through AI-based talent matching, training, and organizational transition support."