The wisdom from my Mom was “it’s better to be paid for what you know than what you do”. I’ve found it’s a bit more subtle than that, and enjoyed and learned a lot from piece work labor. But the sweet spot seems to be getting paid for what you do that uses what you know.
AI notwithstanding, of course.
My Mamma says that alligators are so ornery because they got all them teeth but no toothbrush