AIPayList

Head to head · updated 2026-10-12

DataAnnotation vs Mercor: the rates each one publishes

DataAnnotation has 112 live roles but publishes too few distinct rates for a median (highest advertised $150/hr). Mercor advertises a median top rate of $105/hr across 83 distinct advertised rates. Read from each platform's own listings, which last changed on 2026-10-12.

DataAnnotation

no median yet. Fewer than 5 distinct advertised rates. The highest advertised is $150/hr.

112 live roles tracked.

Rated elsewhere: Glassdoor 4.0/5 (644 reviews), Trustpilot 3.9/5 (1,961 reviews). Sources

Mercor

median top rate
$105/hr
typical band
$70–$150/hr
highest rate
$450/hr
distinct rates
83
live roles
250

Rated elsewhere: Glassdoor 4.2/5 (180 reviews), Trustpilot 4.3/5 (676 reviews). Sources

What the figures leave out

  • DataAnnotation: 112 live listings tracked.
  • Mercor: 250 live listings tracked. 27 pay per task and are never converted to hourly. 8 publish no pay at all.

What DataAnnotation hires for

What Mercor hires for

Most country-specific roles: United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, Germany · 147 worldwide-remote

Best-paid live roles on each

DataAnnotation

  • Backend Engineerup to $150+/hr
    DataAnnotationOngoing recruitmentWorldwideCoding & software evalposting date unavailable · added
    Apply ↗
  • Machine Learning Engineerup to $150+/hr
    DataAnnotationOngoing recruitmentWorldwideCoding & software evalposting date unavailable · added
    Apply ↗
  • DevOps Engineerup to $150+/hr
    DataAnnotationOngoing recruitmentWorldwideCoding & software evalposting date unavailable · added
    Apply ↗
  • Full Stack Engineerup to $150+/hr
    DataAnnotationOngoing recruitmentWorldwideCoding & software evalposting date unavailable · added
    Apply ↗
  • Data Scientistup to $150+/hr
    DataAnnotationOngoing recruitmentWorldwideCoding & software evalposting date unavailable · added
    Apply ↗

Mercor

Which suits you

  • ▲ These two cannot be compared on pay: only Mercor publishes rates we can verify. Anyone ranking them against each other on a single number is comparing a measurement to a marketing claim.
  • ▪ Rates here are what platforms advertise, not what you will earn: task availability, unpaid onboarding and review time all cut the effective hourly. How we measure.
  • ▪ Pay is only half the decision. What the application, the AI interview and the offer are actually like on these platforms is covered in what happens after you apply, written from having done it.

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