humaven

670 open tasks tracked across these platforms

The AI training job platforms, compared

Pay, vetting and payouts at Mercor, micro1, Outlier, Handshake AI, Terac and Turing, side by side, with live numbers from the tasks we track.

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Head-to-head comparisons

The matchups people ask about most.

Mercor vs micro1

Both pay experts by the hour for AI training work. Mercor suits senior specialists after the highest rates and weekly pay; micro1 hires at a wider range of levels and pay, mostly open worldwide, and pays twice a month.

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Mercor vs Outlier

Mercor is built for specialists and pays higher hourly rates. Outlier has far more ways in for generalists and multilingual writers, with lower starting pay that rises as you move up its tiers.

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micro1 vs Outlier

micro1 vets you once, with an AI interview, then places you on hourly contracts. Outlier gates each project with its own assessments and pays weekly by tier, with more entry-level work.

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Handshake AI vs Outlier

Handshake AI is for US students and graduates, with fellowship rates set by your education. Outlier is open in many more countries and to any background, but pay starts lower.

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Mercor vs Handshake AI

Mercor hires experienced professionals worldwide at high rates. Handshake AI is built for US students, graduates and PhD researchers, with part-time fellowships.

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micro1 vs Turing

Both began as ways to hire remote engineers. micro1 now hires across many fields through an AI interview; Turing still leans toward software engineers and coding assessments.

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Every platform at a glance

Who each platform is for, how you get in, and how you're paid.

Mercor

Expert contracts for AI labs, with some of the highest hourly rates for specialists.

10Open tasks we track
$41–$150/hrTypical listed rate
$270/hrTop listed rate
Best for
Experienced professionals: doctors, lawyers, bankers, consultants, engineers and other specialists.
How you get in
An online application, an AI-led video interview and, for some roles, a domain test.
Pay
Hourly. Expert roles commonly list $50 to $200+ an hour, and some specialist roles list more.
How you're paid
Weekly, on Wednesdays, mostly through Stripe. The first Stripe payout is held for 7 days.

micro1

Hundreds of hourly AI training contracts across many fields, vetted by an AI interviewer.

325Open tasks we track
$50–$90/hrTypical listed rate
$400/hrTop listed rate
Best for
Engineers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, linguists and other specialists, worldwide.
How you get in
A 20 to 30 minute webcam interview with Zara, micro1's AI recruiter, with proctoring.
Pay
Hourly. From about $20 an hour for general work to $150 an hour for specialists.
How you're paid
Twice a month: work from the 1st to the 15th is paid around the 20th, and the rest of the month around the 5th.

Outlier

Scale AI's contributor platform, with the most entry-level and multilingual work.

Not tracked yetOpen tasks we track
Not tracked yetTypical listed rate
Not tracked yetTop listed rate
Best for
Generalists and specialists: writers, coders, STEM graduates and domain experts, in many languages.
How you get in
Skills assessments and onboarding courses for each project. Your pay tier depends on your track record.
Pay
Hourly. Generalist work is often $15 to $35 an hour; expert projects can pay $50 to $150 an hour, plus bonus missions.
How you're paid
Weekly, on Tuesdays, through PayPal, ACH bank transfer or Airtm.

Handshake AI

AI training fellowships for US students, graduates and PhD researchers.

10Open tasks we track
$105–$105/hrTypical listed rate
$175/hrTop listed rate
Best for
US-based bachelor's, master's and PhD students and graduates with valid US work authorization.
How you get in
An application based on your academic background, then assessments for each project.
Pay
Hourly. Handshake lists $50 to $125 an hour for fellows, set by education and expertise; generalist projects pay less.
How you're paid
Paid directly by Handshake, not by the AI lab, as a part-time contractor.

Terac

A newer expert marketplace mixing hourly AI projects with one-off paid studies.

65Open tasks we track
$62–$62/hrTypical listed rate
$260/hrTop listed rate
Best for
Verified professionals: physicians, finance, consulting, product and other specialists.
How you get in
Terac verifies your professional background, then screens you for each opportunity.
Pay
Hourly AI projects (Terac lists $60 to $300 an hour depending on the field), plus paid studies and interviews for a fixed fee.
How you're paid
Weekly, once your work is verified.

Turing

AI training and coding work for frontier labs, strongest for software engineers.

260Open tasks we track
$15–$15/hrTypical listed rate
$150/hrTop listed rate
Best for
Software engineers first, plus domain experts such as doctors, accountants and scientists.
How you get in
Skills tests and coding assessments, then screening for each role.
Pay
Varies by role. Many listings don't show a rate until you apply.
How you're paid
As an independent contractor, in US dollars, on the schedule set in your contract.

Questions

Which AI training platform pays the most?

For specialists, Mercor and Terac list the highest hourly rates, often $100 an hour or more for doctors, lawyers and finance experts. micro1 and Outlier have more work at every level, from about $15 to $20 an hour for general tasks up to $150 an hour for experts. Handshake AI sets fellowship rates of $50 to $125 an hour by education level.

Which platform is easiest to get into?

Outlier has the most entry-level work and lets you start with short assessments. micro1 needs one AI interview. Mercor, Terac and Turing screen more for professional experience, and Handshake AI is limited to US students and graduates.

Can I work on several platforms at once?

Yes. They all treat you as an independent contractor, so most people apply to several. It's the best way to keep work coming in, since each platform's projects start and stop.

Which platforms pay weekly?

Mercor, Outlier and Terac pay weekly. micro1 pays twice a month. Handshake AI pays fellows directly, and Turing pays on the schedule in your contract.

How does humaven help?

humaven tracks 670 open tasks across these platforms and ranks them by how likely you are to be hired, so you can apply where you fit best. Find your matches in about a minute.

Tasks by expertise

Open AI training tasks for your field, updated every 6 hours.

Software engineersLawyersDoctors & nursesFinance professionalsMath expertsScientists & PhDs

Sources

Facts are from each platform's own pages and press coverage, checked October 2026. Live numbers come from the tasks humaven tracks, updated every 6 hours.

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