AI training jobs · Platform review
Mercor review
Mercor lists 294 open roles at a median posted $60–100 an hour (seen Oct 17, 2026). Before you apply: what the work is, how to get accepted, how it pays and what workers complain about.
Mercor is a legit, fast-growing expert marketplace that pays weekly and pays experts well. Weigh three things: screenshot-based time tracking, projects that end when a client contract does, and a 2026 data breach that led to lawsuits.
| Run by | Mercor (venture-backed startup) |
|---|---|
| Best for | Credentialed experts: engineers, doctors, lawyers, finance |
| Advertised pay | $85+/hr |
| Open roles (live) | 294 · Oct 17, 2026 |
| Posted pay (median) | $60–100/hr |
| Paid via | Stripe Connect (bank) in most countries; Wise in Brazil, Nepal, Turkey and the UAE. Assigned by region |
| Who can apply | About 100 supported countries; excluded include China, Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Hong Kong and Puerto Rico among others. |
| Last checked | October 17, 2026 |
What the work is
Mercor hires domain experts (engineers, doctors, lawyers, finance and other professionals) as hourly contractors to train and evaluate AI models for frontier labs. Work is tracked with the Insightful desktop app. Projects come and go with client contracts.
How much does Mercor pay?
| Work | Advertised pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average expert pay, company figure (Oct 2025) | $85+/hr | techcrunch.com seen October 17, 2026 |
Mercor doesn't publish a general rate card; each listing shows its own rate. When it raised its Series C, it said experts averaged over $85 an hour.
What Mercor is posting right now Live
On our last check (Oct 17, 2026), Mercor listed 294 open roles, 294 of them with a stated rate. The median posted range was $60–100/hr and the highest was $450/hr.
| Sample open role | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Oncologist | $350–450/hr |
| Data Scientist Talent Network | $100–150/hr |
| Administrative Services Managers | $70–110/hr |
| Excel Expert — Finance | $70–100/hr |
| Legal Expert, Mandarin Chinese (mainland China) | $85/hr |
From the AI gig pay tracker. Posted rates are not earnings: you're paid for hours you work, and hours aren't guaranteed.
How to get accepted
- Apply to a listing and upload a 1-2 page text-based PDF resume.
- Take the AI video interview in Chrome on desktop with camera, mic and screen share; retakes allowed and only the latest counts.
- Complete any written or multiple-choice assessments (passed ones carry over to similar roles).
- Verify work authorisation and ID; final decisions come by email.
How Mercor pays you
Stripe Connect (bank) in most countries; Wise in Brazil, Nepal, Turkey and the UAE. Assigned by region, weekly, Wednesdays around 12:00 PM PST for hourly wages; bonuses, trials and referrals released Wednesdays and Fridays. · source
You work as an independent contractor: nobody withholds tax, so set some of each payout aside. See taxes on AI training income.
Is Mercor legit?
Yes. Mercor raised $350 million at a $10 billion valuation in October 2025 and pays weekly through Stripe or Wise. It disclosed a cyberattack on 31 March 2026 that led to contractor lawsuits, and in late 2025 it ended a large Meta project and offered workers a lower-paid replacement.
- Raised $350M Series C at a $10B valuation in Oct 2025 (Felicis led; Benchmark, General Catalyst, Robinhood Ventures); said it paid contractors over $1.5M per day with 30,000+ experts. (techcrunch.com)
- Disclosed a cyberattack on 31 March 2026 traced to a compromised LiteLLM package; hackers claim 4TB taken; five contractors filed lawsuits; Meta paused contracts indefinitely. (techcrunch.com)
- Ended a Meta project in November 2025 and offered workers a lower rate on a replacement project. (aol.com)
- Hours are tracked in Insightful, which may take periodic screenshots; idle or unrelated time may be removed and there is a weekly hours cap. (talent.docs.mercor.com)
Mercor reviews: what workers complain about
The recurring themes in worker reviews and reporting. Read them before you apply, not after your first project ends:
| Complaint | What it means |
|---|---|
| Projects ending suddenly and pay cuts | Meta project ended Nov 2025 with a lower-rate replacement offered. (aol.com) |
| Personal data exposure | 2026 breach; contractors sued over alleged exposure of personal data. (techcrunch.com) |
| Logged hours removed | Policy lets Mercor remove idle or unrelated time; disputes go to the project lead and decisions are final. (talent.docs.mercor.com) |
| Unpaid training and removal without reason | Small Trustpilot sample (5 reviews, 2.5) describes unpaid training with little guidance and being dropped after about 32 hours. (worker reviews) (trustpilot.com) |
Who Mercor is not for
- People who don’t want screenshot-based time tracking (Insightful)
- Residents of unsupported countries such as Pakistan, Kenya or China
- Anyone who needs long-term work from one project
Referral programme
Earn 20% of a referral's earnings up to a cap of 4x their first hourly rate; paid Wednesdays and Fridays after ID verification.
Apply to two or three: compare other platforms
Mercor FAQ
Is Mercor legit?
Yes. Mercor raised $350 million at a $10 billion valuation in October 2025 and pays weekly through Stripe or Wise. It disclosed a cyberattack on 31 March 2026 that led to contractor lawsuits, and in late 2025 it ended a large Meta project and offered workers a lower-paid replacement.
How much does Mercor pay?
Mercor's advertised rates: $85+/hr (Average expert pay, company figure (Oct 2025)). These are advertised ranges, not guaranteed earnings, and you're paid only for hours you work.
How does Mercor pay you?
Stripe Connect (bank) in most countries; Wise in Brazil, Nepal, Turkey and the UAE. Assigned by region, weekly, Wednesdays around 12:00 PM PST for hourly wages; bonuses, trials and referrals released Wednesdays and Fridays.
Is there an interview?
Yes, an AI video interview in Chrome on desktop, plus role assessments. You can retake it and only the latest attempt counts.
Was Mercor hacked?
Yes. It disclosed a breach on 31 March 2026 linked to the LiteLLM tool, and contractors have filed lawsuits.