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AI training platforms compared: Mercor, micro1, Outlier and more

None of the major AI training platforms publishes a standard rate card. micro1, Mercor and Outlier do show a pay range on each open listing, so you can compare what roles like yours pay today. Those ranges do not show what people actually earn over a month. You can also compare who owns them, how big they are, their incident record and what they publish about referrals.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 2 min read 16 sources

In this guide

micro1
Mercor
Outlier
Handshake AI
Scale AI
Surge AI

Side by side

micro1
Owner or operator
Independent, $4B valuation
Scale
$500M gross run rate (Aug 2026)
Incidents
None on record
Referral terms
Talent bonus up to $3,000
Mercor
Owner or operator
Independent, $10B valuation
Scale
$2B+ gross run rate (Jun 2026)
Incidents
Breach (Mar 2026), class actions
Referral terms
20% of referral's earnings, capped $250 to $15,000
Outlier
Owner or operator
Scale AI (49% Meta-owned)
Scale
Not published
Incidents
None on record
Referral terms
Program exists, amount not published
Handshake AI
Owner or operator
Handshake
Scale
Total gross ARR about $1.15B, AI unit near $1B
Incidents
None on record
Referral terms
Fellowship referral program with published terms
DataAnnotation
Owner or operator
Reportedly a Surge AI subsidiary
Scale
Not published
Incidents
None on record
Referral terms
Not published

Platform	Owner or operator	Scale	Incidents	Referral terms
micro1	Independent, $4B valuation	$500M gross run rate (Aug 2026)	None on record	Talent bonus up to $3,000
Mercor	Independent, $10B valuation	$2B+ gross run rate (Jun 2026)	Breach (Mar 2026), class actions	20% of referral's earnings, capped $250 to $15,000
Outlier	Scale AI (49% Meta-owned)	Not published	None on record	Program exists, amount not published
Handshake AI	Handshake	Total gross ARR about $1.15B, AI unit near $1B	None on record	Fellowship referral program with published terms
DataAnnotation	Reportedly a Surge AI subsidiary	Not published	None on record	Not published

Pay on open listings

micro1
Range on public listings
$6 to $400/hr across 277 roles; median range $50 to $90
How it pays
Twice a month, around the 5th and 20th
Mercor
Range on public listings
Generalist $40 to $80/hr; sample expert roles $60 to $250/hr; some roles $65 to $75 per task
How it pays
Weekly on Wednesdays, by Stripe or Wise
Outlier
Range on public listings
Up to $8 to $35/hr across 7 public listings
How it pays
Weekly on Tuesdays, by PayPal, Airtm or ACH

Platform	Range on public listings	How it pays
micro1	$6 to $400/hr across 277 roles; median range $50 to $90	Twice a month, around the 5th and 20th
Mercor	Generalist $40 to $80/hr; sample expert roles $60 to $250/hr; some roles $65 to $75 per task	Weekly on Wednesdays, by Stripe or Wise
Outlier	Up to $8 to $35/hr across 7 public listings	Weekly on Tuesdays, by PayPal, Airtm or ACH

Checked on 28 October 2026. Listing ranges show what a role offers. They do not show how many hours you will get.

How to choose

Want hourly expert contracts? Mercor has the largest volume, but read about its 2026 breach first.
Want a fast-growing platform with no incident history? micro1.
Want flexible task-based work? Outlier or DataAnnotation.
Already on Handshake? Its AI Fellowship is the easiest door in.

Whichever you choose, ask for the rate and payment schedule in writing before starting a project. If your employer is also licensing company data, that is a separate market; see sell your data.

Why pay scores stay low-confidence

Pay carries the most weight in our expert rubric, and we will only score it from published evidence. Listing ranges are published evidence. They show the offer for a role and leave out hours worked and how long a project lasts. Until platforms publish what contractors actually earn, pay scores stay low-confidence. See our methodology.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Which AI training platform pays the most?

On listed rates, micro1 and Mercor sit well above Outlier. On 28 October 2026, micro1's specialist attorney roles showed up to $400/hr and Mercor's sample expert roles up to $250/hr, while Outlier's public listings topped out at $35/hr. Listed rates are not guaranteed earnings.

Which platform is biggest?

Mercor, by reported run rate: above $2B gross in June 2026.

Which platforms have had security incidents?

Mercor confirmed a cyberattack in March 2026. We have none on record for the others.

Who owns Outlier?

Scale AI operates it, and Meta owns 49% of Scale AI.

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Sources

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