Guides
How paid AI training work actually works
These pages answer the questions people search before they apply. Every pay figure is read from platforms' own job feeds. As of 2026-09-09: typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms).
First-hand
What happens after you apply
First-hand notes from Alex on Mercor, micro1 and Ethos interviews, onboarding and getting paid.
Guide · MTurk alternatives
MTurk closes September 30: three routes to try next
MTurk closes September 30, 2026. Check your payments, then compare research studies, generalist AI work and specialist projects by fit and application effort.
Guide · getting started
How to get AI training jobs
A practical way to get paid AI training work: apply to several live platforms, treat interviews as reusable, and use a feed that shows typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms).
Guide · pay
How much do AI training jobs pay?
AI training jobs currently advertise typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms). Live figures, distinct rates, updated with the feeds.
Guide · side work
AI training as a side hustle (keep your job)
AI training work is mostly hourly contract work you can do around a day job. Live listings currently show typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms).
Guide · beginners
AI training jobs with no experience
You can start AI training work without an AI background. Begin with rating, writing or annotation. Live listings currently show typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms).
Guide · specialists
Domain experts: lawyers, doctors and analysts paid to train AI
Credentialed experts are the top of the AI-training market. Law & legal currently advertises a median top rate of $140/hr (typical $100–$160/hr, highest $400/hr, from 32 distinct rates across 120 listings). Live listings, not a recruiting email.
Guide · trust
Is getting paid to train AI legit?
Yes: real companies pay real contractors to train models. Scams exist around the edges. Here is how to tell them apart, with typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms) on the platforms we can measure.
Guide · the job
How to become an AI trainer
An AI trainer is a contractor who rates, writes or checks model answers. It is not a new degree. Live listings currently show typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms).
Guide · RLHF
RLHF jobs: what the work is and how to get it
RLHF jobs are paid ranking and rating of model answers. Model evaluation & rating currently advertises a median top rate of $50/hr (typical $28–$75/hr, highest $180/hr, from 13 distinct rates across 182 listings).
Guide · remote
Remote AI training jobs
Almost all paid AI training work is remote contract work. 2,581 open roles on this directory, with typical advertised top rates of $55–$120/hr (median $85/hr, from 449 distinct advertised rates across 8 platforms).
Guide · one platform
How to get a job on Mercor, step by step
Every step from a Mercor listing to a paid contract, from Mercor's own documentation and my own contracts: account, profile and CV, the AI interview, assessments, the wait, offers and pay. Mercor currently advertises a median top rate of $90/hr (typical $60–$140/hr, highest $250/hr) across 374 live listings.
Guide · one platform
How to get a job on micro1, step by step
The route onto micro1 in the order you meet it: which countries it hires from, the sign-up behind Apply, the hour-long first interview and the short ones after it, what happens after the interview, and pay. micro1 currently advertises a median top rate of $80/hr (typical $45–$120/hr, highest $400/hr) across 337 live listings.
Live briefing
This week's AI training pay
New roles, closed listings, and any median that actually moved, rebuilt from the feeds each time they refresh.