Of every category we track, legal pays the most. Not machine learning research, not software engineering. Legal. The reason is specific and it is about liability.
What the listings actually pay
Labs are trying to build models that reason about contracts, statutes and liability without inventing case law. The only reliable way to check that is to have someone who could actually be sued for being wrong read the output. Malpractice exposure is what your rate is priced against.
| # | Role | Advertised rate | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BigLaw lawyers | $140 to $400 an hour | micro1 |
| 2 | Legal, Policy & Public Expert | $150 to $350 an hour | micro1 |
| 3 | Corporate Attorney | $140 to $350 an hour | micro1 |
| 4 | Federal Civil Litigation Attorney | $150 to $250 an hour | micro1 |
| 5 | Derivatives Counsel (ISDA Specialist) | $150 to $200 an hour | micro1 |
| 6 | Intellectual Property Counsel | $100 to $200 an hour | micro1 |
| 7 | US Patent Attorney, Prosecution & Litigation | $180 to $180 an hour | Pearson |
| 8 | Investment Funds Attorney | $90 to $180 an hour | micro1 |
| 9 | Lawyer | $80 to $180 an hour | micro1 |
| 10 | Pro Bono Counsel (Access to Justice Expert) | $170 to $170 an hour | Mercor |
Source: 158 live listings on this board that publish a rate, read directly from each posting on 2026-11-09. Listings without a published rate are excluded rather than estimated.
What moves your rate
Across 158 live legal listings on our board that publish a rate, the median top-of-range is $135 an hour, and the ceiling reaches $400. Platforms worth applying to verify bar admission and match you to genuine legal reasoning work rather than document sorting.
How to apply
Every role above links to its own page with the full requirements and a direct application link. Applications are completed on the hiring platform and typically take a few minutes, with a short skills assessment in place of an interview.
Two things are worth doing before you apply. Check whether the role accepts applicants from your country using the eligibility checker, and run the advertised rate through the take-home calculator, because this is contract work and the headline rate is before self-employment tax.
Frequently asked questions
What do legal AI roles pay?
Across 158 live legal listings publishing a rate, the median top-of-range is $135 an hour, with the highest at $400. Legal is the best paid category on our board.
Do I need active bar admission?
For most higher-paying listings, yes. Legal-adjacent and paralegal listings exist and pay less, but they are a smaller share of the category.
Does this conflict with my firm?
There is no client and no representation, so traditional conflicts rules generally do not attach. Check your firm's outside-activity policy first, as many require disclosure of paid outside work.
Is this document review?
No. Document review is volume work. This is assessing whether a model's legal reasoning holds up, which is judgment work and priced very differently.
Can I do it alongside full-time practice?
Yes, and that is the common pattern. The work is asynchronous with no set hours.
See every live role
The full board updates several times a week, with the advertised rate on each listing and closed roles removed.