An $85 an hour average across 30,000 people is the most useful number published about this industry, because it is an average of what was actually paid rather than what was advertised.
Key takeaways
- Reporting on Mercor describes payouts of more than $1.5 million per day to over 30,000 active contractors earning an average of $85 an hour, spanning 45 or more countries. Contractors.
- 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
Reporting on Mercor describes payouts of more than $1.5 million per day to over 30,000 active contractors earning an average of $85 an hour, spanning 45 or more countries. Contractors include software engineers, doctors, lawyers, bankers, consultants, PhDs, scientists and journalists. For ongoing expert engagements the average is $85 an hour, with some specialists reported at up to $200 an hour.
The reported figures are $1.5 million paid out per day, more than 30,000 active contractors across 45 or more countries, and specialists reaching up to $200 an hour. The contractor base is described as software engineers, doctors, lawyers, bankers, consultants, PhDs, scientists and journalists, which tells you plainly what is being bought.
What the listings pay
That average lines up closely with what we see on the board. Across 1069 live listings that publish a rate, the median top-of-range is $90 an hour, reaching $400.
| # | 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
The number that should temper expectations is on the other side of the funnel: reporting describes several million signups against roughly 30,000 who got work. Acceptance is the hard part, not the rate. Treat the assessment as the real interview and put your actual credential in your profile. See what trainer roles pay.
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
What does Mercor pay on average?
Reporting puts the average at $85 an hour across more than 30,000 active contractors, with over $1.5 million paid out per day and some specialists reaching up to $200 an hour.
How hard is it to get accepted?
Hard. Reporting describes several million signups against roughly 30,000 who received work. The screening assessment is the real gate, not the application form.
Does that match other platforms?
Broadly. Across 1069 live listings we track publishing a rate, the median top-of-range is $90 an hour, reaching $400.
Who actually gets this work?
Reported contractor backgrounds include software engineers, doctors, lawyers, bankers, consultants, PhDs, scientists and journalists. Verified expertise is the common thread.
Is it available outside the US?
Yes. Contractors are reported across 45 or more countries, though individual listings can carry their own location requirements.
Sources
See every live role
The full board updates several times a week, with the advertised rate on each listing and closed roles removed.