We have a paid referral link for Mercor, not for Handshake AI Fellowship. Both are compared on the same criteria and dates, and the referral doesn't change what we show.

Compare · AI training & evaluation · updated 13 Oct 2026

Handshake AI Fellowship vs Mercor

Quick take

Mercor pays more per hour in practice: about $83/h at the middle of its realistic range, against $78/h on Handshake AI Fellowship.
Mercor pays sooner: first money from 7 days, against 14 on Handshake AI Fellowship.
Mercor is open in more places (worldwide, except Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria) than Handshake AI Fellowship (uS only (needs US work authorization)).
Neither costs anything to start.
Handshake AI Fellowship is turbulent with grade B (reliable source); Mercor is turbulent with grade A (official source).

Side by side

Handshake AI Fellowship and Mercor compared on the same fields and dates
	Handshake AI Fellowship Grade B: Reliable source Grade B means: Reliable source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good Handshake AI Fellowship is. More in the glossary Turbulent status, as of 13 Oct 2026 Checked 4 days ago	Mercor Grade A: Official source Grade A means: Official source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good Mercor is. More in the glossary Turbulent status, as of 13 Oct 2026 Checked 4 days ago
Realistic pay	≈ $30–125/h Realistic hourly equivalent	≈ $16–150/h Realistic hourly equivalent
Advertised	$40–125/h what the platform says	$20–250/h what the platform says
Median listed rate	$80/h aitrainer.work, 1 Oct 2026	$75/h aitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026
At 10 h/week	≈ $1,290–5,375/mo our estimate	≈ $688–6,450/mo our estimate
First money	14–45 days	7–60 days Days to weeks from application to first contract; first Stripe payout has a 7-day hold
Fees	—	None for talent; instant payout 1% (optional)
Cost to start	$0	$0
Hours	no minimum async; some weekly hour caps	no minimum async (some projects set weekly caps or minimums)
Where it's open	US only (needs US work authorization)	Worldwide, except Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria
Education	current students, graduates, PhD candidates	varies by listing; top rates need graduate degree, license or senior industry experience
Status	Turbulent as of 13 Oct 2026	Turbulent as of 13 Oct 2026
Grade	B · Reliable source 3 sourced facts	A · Official source 11 sourced facts
Checked	13 Oct 2026	13 Oct 2026
The catch	Proposed class action (filed 2026-07-20, N.D. Cal.) alleging misclassification, unpaid onboarding and hour caps; allegations only, not decided	2026: a reported data breach via a supply-chain attack on the LiteLLM library was followed by six proposed class actions (pending, allegations not proven). The platform collects ID documents and biometric data for verification, so the stakes of a breach are high

Pay figures are what platforms advertise or what workers report, each with its date. They are not typical or guaranteed earnings: yours depend on your skills, hours, location and how much work is available. Each figure has its source on the entry's page.