The most common question we get is whether this work is real. The clearest answer is the size of the company on the other end of it.
Key takeaways
- Mercor is in talks to raise around $500 million at a valuation of about $20 billion, with Nvidia reported to be weighing an investment. That is double its $10 billion valuation from under a.
- 1069 live listings in this category publish a rate, at a median top-of-range of $90 an hour and a ceiling of $400.
- The work is remote contract work, asynchronous, with no set hours and no guaranteed volume.
- Applications screen on a short skills assessment rather than a resume or interview.
What was reported
The finding
Mercor is in talks to raise around $500 million at a valuation of about $20 billion, with Nvidia reported to be weighing an investment. That is double its $10 billion valuation from under a year earlier. The company reached roughly $2 billion in annualised gross revenue by June 2026, charging AI labs about a 35% take rate for access to vetted expert contractors, with around 91% of revenue coming from foundation model companies.
Mercor is reportedly raising at a $20 billion valuation, roughly double where it stood under a year ago, with Nvidia weighing the round. Its revenue comes from one thing: charging OpenAI, Anthropic and similar labs for access to vetted experts who train and evaluate their models.
What the listings pay
Two details from that reporting are worth sitting with. The take rate is roughly 35%, which tells you what the labs pay above what reaches you. And about 91% of revenue comes from foundation model companies, which is real concentration risk. If those labs cut spending, the work thins out.
| # | Role | Advertised rate | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BigLaw lawyers | $140 to $400 an hour | micro1 |
| 2 | CUDA Engineering Expert | $300 to $300 an hour | Mercor |
| 3 | Street Performing Musician | $100 to $300 an hour | micro1 |
| 4 | Data Scientist | $245 to $280 an hour | micro1 |
| 5 | US-Based Business Owners Using Google Chat | $250 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 6 | Cybersecurity Research Expert, Offensive Security & Vulnerability Research | $200 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 7 | Senior Design Expert - Paid AI Design Research Study | $150 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 8 | Physician Talent Network | $110 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 9 | Machine Learning Engineer Talent Network | $70 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 10 | Disease-Area Clinician, Trial Endpoints & Prescribing | $150 to $230 an hour | Mercor |
Source: 1069 live listings on this board that publish a rate, read directly from each posting on 2026-09-06. Listings without a published rate are excluded rather than estimated.
How this compares across the board
A rate only means something next to the alternatives. This is every category we track with at least five listings publishing a rate, ranked by median top-of-range, so you can see where this work sits rather than taking a single number on trust.
| Category | Listings | Median low | Median top | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | 95 | $100 | $140 | $400 |
| Medical | 68 | $77 | $120 | $400 |
| Consulting | 45 | $80 | $120 | $280 |
| Finance | 94 | $80 | $110 | $280 |
| Engineering | 114 | $70 | $100 | $300 |
| Research/PhD | 132 | $70 | $90 | $280 |
| Writing | 36 | $40 | $80 | $280 |
| Bilingual | 78 | $44 | $52 | $120 |
| Annotation | 25 | $12 | $24 | $120 |
Same source and date as above. Categories are matched on listing title, so a role can appear in more than one.
What it means for you
Across 1069 live listings on our board that publish a rate, the median top-of-range is $90 an hour and the ceiling is $400. That is the worker-side view of a business the market currently values in the tens of billions.
Who should apply
Two checks before you spend time on an application. Confirm the role accepts applicants from your country with the eligibility checker, since a meaningful share of listings carry location requirements. Then run the advertised rate through the take-home calculator, because this is contract work and the headline figure is before self-employment tax.
Applications complete on the hiring platform and usually take a few minutes, with a short skills assessment in place of an interview. Fill in every credential, language and professional background field on your profile. Those are what route you to the better paid listings, and most applicants leave them blank.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mercor legitimate?
It is a venture-backed company reportedly valued around $20 billion, with Nvidia weighing an investment, earning revenue from major AI labs. Whether any individual project suits you is a separate question, but the platform itself is not in doubt.
What is a take rate and why does it matter?
It is the share the platform keeps. Reporting puts Mercor's at roughly 35%, meaning labs pay meaningfully more than what reaches the contractor. Worth knowing when you judge whether a rate is fair.
What do the listings pay?
Across 1069 live listings publishing a rate, the median top-of-range is $90 an hour, with the ceiling at $400.
Is the work stable?
Less than the valuation suggests. Around 91% of revenue reportedly comes from foundation model labs, so demand tracks their spending. Treat it as project income, not salary.
Should I use Mercor or micro1?
Both. They carry different listings, applications are short, and there is no exclusivity.
Sources
See every live role
The full board updates several times a week, with the advertised rate on each listing and closed roles removed.