› Adjust for unpaid time and tax
New to AI training · generalist roles · 10 paid hours a week
$303 to $867 a month
$70 to $200 a week, $3,640 to $10,400 a year, at $7 to $20 an hour, the middle half of listed rates on Innodata, Outlier AI, Claru, Meridial (Invisible) and TELUS Digital AI Community.
Across all 241 open generalist roles, the new-contractor band is $9 to $15 an hour, or $390 to $650 a month. Higher rates usually follow a passed assessment.
From 216 listed hourly rates on 241 open generalist roles. The bar runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile; your band is shaded.
Listed rates for approved work, before tax and fees. Platforms don't guarantee hours. Converted at the October 3, 2026 rate from ExchangeRate-API.
Open roles at your rate
Listed at $7 to $20 an hour.
Who pays generalist roles
Open roles and listed hourly rates per platform. A median shows once a platform has 10 or more rates.
| Platform | Listed rate | Open roles |
|---|
Every background at your hours
New to AI training, 10 paid hours a week, all open roles. Pick a row to load it above.
| Background | Listed band | A month | Median | Open roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $9 to $15/hr | $390 to $650 | $45/hr | 241 | |
| $15 to $20/hr | $650 to $867 | $30/hr | 723 | |
| $36 to $78/hr | $1,560 to $3,360 | $85/hr | 54 | |
| $50 to $70/hr | $2,170 to $3,030 | $80/hr | 475 | |
| $8 to $12/hr | $347 to $520 | $18/hr | 161 | |
| $41 to $55/hr | $1,750 to $2,380 | $70/hr | 65 | |
| $65 to $80/hr | $2,820 to $3,470 | $100/hr | 136 | |
| $55 to $70/hr | $2,380 to $3,030 | $100/hr | 241 | |
| $46 to $55/hr | $1,990 to $2,380 | $75/hr | 65 | |
| $45 to $75/hr | $1,950 to $3,250 | $100/hr | 188 | |
| $39 to $51/hr | $1,690 to $2,210 | $75/hr | 47 | |
| $39 to $60/hr | $1,710 to $2,590 | $108/hr | 35 | |
| $50 to $60/hr | $2,170 to $2,600 | $78/hr | 497 | |
| $20 to $45/hr | $862 to $1,950 | $73/hr | 434 | |
| $15 to $25/hr | $650 to $1,080 | $50/hr | 92 | |
| $13 to $23/hr | $563 to $975 | $39/hr | 144 |
New contractors usually start below the median
The median of all 2,848 listed hourly rates is $70. 1,360 of those rates (48%) are Mercor roles, and 68% of Mercor's listings ask for a specialist background such as law, medicine or software engineering. Roles that take generalists list lower: the bottom quarter of generalist rates runs $9 to $15 an hour.
Higher rates usually follow a passed assessment, a track record on a platform, or a credential in the field. For that reason the calculator starts new contractors on the rates of entry-level platforms (Alignerr, TELUS Digital AI Community, Innodata, Meridial (Invisible), Outlier AI, RWS (TrainAI) and Claru) and shows the wider listing band as the next step.
How the estimate is calculated
- Rates are the hourly rates stated on open listings, checked October 3, 2026. A range counts as its midpoint, and a role relisted at the same rate counts once. Our own estimates, "up to" maximums, placeholder ranges, and per-task or salaried pay are left out. Full method
- Experience picks a band of the listed rates open to you: new is the 10th to 25th percentile, some experience the 25th to 75th, expert the 50th to 90th.
- For new contractors the headline uses entry-level platforms instead: platforms with 10 or more listed rates whose median is in the bottom quarter of the market (today Alignerr, TELUS Digital AI Community, Innodata, Meridial (Invisible), Outlier AI, RWS (TrainAI) and Claru). It shows the middle half of their rates for your background, or for all backgrounds when fewer than 10 fit.
- A role counts as open to you when it names no country, is listed as remote, or names your country. If fewer than 10 roles open to you state a rate, the calculator uses every open role in that background and says so.
- A month is 52 weeks divided by 12. Unpaid hours lower the hourly figure, not the monthly total.
- Local currency uses the October 3, 2026 exchange rate from ExchangeRate-API. Platforms pay in US dollars and your payout service converts at its own rate.
Questions about AI training pay
- How much do AI training jobs pay per hour?
- The median listed rate across 2,848 distinct hourly rates is $70/hr, but that figure leans on specialist roles. For generalists, the lowest quarter of listed rates runs $9 to $15/hr and the median is $45/hr. Language roles have a median of $30/hr. Law, finance and healthcare roles list the highest rates.
- How much can a beginner earn a month?
- Entry-level platforms (Innodata, Outlier AI, Claru, Meridial (Invisible) and TELUS Digital AI Community) list $7 to $20/hr for generalist work, which is about $303 to $867 a month at 10 paid hours a week, before tax and fees. Across every open generalist role, the lowest quarter of listed rates runs $9 to $15/hr. Paid hours in the first weeks are often fewer than 10, while you finish assessments and wait for projects.
- How many hours a week do AI training jobs offer?
- 5% of 1,295 listings that state hours ask for 35 or more a week. The rest are part-time or flexible. On task-based projects, your hours depend on how much work the project has that week.
- Are AI training jobs paid hourly or per task?
- Both. Of the open roles we track, 4,194 state an hourly rate and 150 pay per task or per submission. This calculator uses hourly rates only. On per-task work, your hourly figure depends on how fast you finish tasks that pass review.
- Does where I live change the pay?
- It changes how many roles you can apply to more than the rate. 2,526 roles are open to applicants in United States (median $80/hr); 2,315 roles are open to applicants in India (median $80/hr); 2,146 roles are open to applicants in Nigeria (median $80/hr). Most listings are open to any country.
- Is the hourly rate what I take home?
- No. AI training roles are contractor work almost everywhere, so nothing is withheld. You pay your own income tax, and payout services can charge a fee. Add your own set-aside percentage under "Adjust for unpaid time and tax" to see the amount after it.