Pay
What each pays per hour
Typical range, median, and the range of the top 10% of roles. Rates: distinct postings that state an hourly rate.
- Mercor 121 rates median $85/hr top 10% $160–400
Choose Mercor if
- you're looking for maths and science and AI agent and RL task work
- you want more roles to pick from
Expert network that hires professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, PhDs and more) for AI lab projects. Applications include a short AI interview.
See 277 Mercor rolesJoin Mercor ↗ · referral link, your pay is the same
Choose Outlier if
- you're looking for language and translation and AI evaluation and rating work
Scale AI’s contributor platform for AI evaluation and writing, now focused on specialists and languages.
See 7 Outlier rolesMercor vs Outlier: common questions
Does Mercor or Outlier pay more?
As of 20 October 2026, Mercor's roles have a median of $85/hr, and Outlier posts its pay as a ceiling, from up to $8/hr to up to $35/hr, which is a maximum rather than a typical rate. A ceiling and a median can't be compared directly.
Which has more jobs, Mercor or Outlier?
Mercor has more open roles today: 277 against 7. 36 Mercor roles and 0 Outlier roles were posted in the last week.
Can I work for both Mercor and Outlier?
Both hire independent contractors, and their job postings don't ask you to work only for them. Check each platform's contractor terms before you sign, as some projects come with confidentiality or exclusivity rules.