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Compare · AI training & evaluation · updated 13 Oct 2026

Mercor vs Outlier

Quick take

Mercor pays more per hour in practice: about $83/h at the middle of its realistic range, against $36/h on Outlier.
Both report first money from 7 days.
Mercor is open in more places (worldwide, except Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria) than Outlier (limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished).
Neither costs anything to start.
Mercor is turbulent with grade A (official source); Outlier is turbulent with grade B (reliable source).

Side by side

Mercor and Outlier compared on the same fields and dates
	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	Outlier Grade B: Reliable source Grade B means: Reliable source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good Outlier is. More in the glossary Turbulent status, as of 13 Oct 2026 Checked 4 days ago
Realistic pay	≈ $16–150/h Realistic hourly equivalent	≈ $12–60/h Realistic hourly equivalent
Advertised	$20–250/h what the platform says	$15–150/h what the platform says
Median listed rate	$75/h aitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026	$20/h aitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026
At 10 h/week	≈ $688–6,450/mo our estimate	≈ $516–2,580/mo our estimate
First money	7–60 days Days to weeks from application to first contract; first Stripe payout has a 7-day hold	7–30 days Onboarding 30–90 min plus unpaid project qualifications
Fees	None for talent; instant payout 1% (optional)	—
Cost to start	$0	$0
Hours	no minimum async (some projects set weekly caps or minimums)	no minimum async
Where it's open	Worldwide, except Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria	Limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished
Education	varies by listing; top rates need graduate degree, license or senior industry experience	undergraduate-level typical; graduate preferred for top rates
Status	Turbulent as of 13 Oct 2026	Turbulent as of 13 Oct 2026
Grade	A · Official source 11 sourced facts	B · Reliable source 8 sourced facts
Checked	13 Oct 2026	13 Oct 2026
The catch	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	Scale AI agreed to a $12.5M settlement of a California wage-and-hour class action (McKinney v. Scale AI) covering contributors from 2020 to 2026; final court approval was pending as of October 2026

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.