MBO Partners by Beeline released its 16th annual State of Independence study on September 28, 2026, and the headline figure is a record 74.9 million Americans working independently. The research surveyed 4,557 U.S. adults in April 2026, including 2,063 independent workers, with fieldwork handled by Emergent Research and Radius Insights.
For solo workers, the report works like a scoreboard. It suggests that going independent is increasingly a deliberate career choice rather than a stopgap between jobs, and the numbers behind that claim are worth a closer look.
What The State Of Independence Study Found
Full-time independents have grown 114% since 2020, and they now account for 22% of all full-time U.S. workers. That share is nearly double what it was in 2019.
Earnings are climbing too. MBO estimates that 5.8 million independent professionals bring in more than $100,000 a year, about twice the 2020 figure, and one in three independents now serves customers abroad, nearly triple the 2012 share.
AI is part of the story as well. Close to 80% of respondents say the technology complements their work, and people who use it report saving roughly 10 hours each week.
Why This Matters For Self-Employed Workers
A larger independent pool means more competition, but it also shows that clients are buying from solo providers at scale. Teresa Creech, president of MBO Partners by Beeline, said organizations “can’t assume skills will always be available through traditional hiring,” which is a polite way of saying companies increasingly need people who work the way you do.
Satisfaction is high, too. The study found that 78% plan to stay independent or expand, more than three-quarters report high satisfaction, and only 1% say they are dissatisfied. If you have ever wondered whether peers regret the leap, the data says very few do.
What Self-Employed Readers Should Do Next
Use the income data as a pricing check. If nearly 6 million independents clear six figures, compare your current rates against the value you deliver and decide whether an increase is overdue. Consider whether international clients could fit your service, since a third of your peers already sell across borders.
Then put the AI finding to work. Ten saved hours a week is worth real money at your hourly rate, so list the recurring tasks you dread, such as proposal drafting, receipt sorting, or background research, and test a tool on one of them this month.
What To Watch Next
Watch for occupation and income breakdowns drawn from the same dataset, which tend to show which niches are growing fastest. Independent workers who serve corporate clients should also track whether large employers build formal contractor programs, since Creech’s comments point in that direction.
This count also sits alongside other forecasts we have covered, including the projection of 87 million freelancers by 2027. Different studies define independent work differently, so expect the totals to vary from report to report.
