Three platforms crossed major revenue milestones this year, and the most useful number in the coverage is the one about what they keep.
Key takeaways
- micro1 grew its gross annual run rate from $100 million to $500 million over roughly eight months, supplying AI training data by contracting domain experts including doctors, lawyers and.
- 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
micro1 grew its gross annual run rate from $100 million to $500 million over roughly eight months, supplying AI training data by contracting domain experts including doctors, lawyers and scientists. Reporting notes micro1 retains roughly 60% to 70% of that gross figure, putting net annual run rate between $150 million and $200 million. Handshake reached a $1 billion run rate earlier in the year, and Mercor hit roughly $2 billion in gross annualised revenue over the summer.
micro1 went from a $100 million to a $500 million gross run rate in about eight months. But reporting notes it retains roughly 60% to 70% of gross, putting net between $150 million and $200 million. The rest flows through to the contractors doing the work. Mercor's take rate has been reported at roughly 35%, which is the same story from the other direction.
What the listings pay
That gap between gross and net is the clearest picture anyone has published of what this industry pays out. Across 1069 live listings on our board 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
What it means practically: these platforms compete for contractors as much as for lab contracts, and there is no exclusivity stopping you from being on several. Applying to one is leaving options on the table. Compare them in our platform comparison.
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
How fast is this market growing?
micro1 went from a $100 million to a $500 million gross run rate in about eight months. Handshake reached $1 billion and Mercor roughly $2 billion gross annualised.
What is the difference between gross and net run rate?
Gross includes what is paid out to contractors. micro1 reportedly retains 60% to 70%, so its net is between $150 million and $200 million. The remainder is contractor pay.
What does that mean for what I earn?
It means a large share of platform revenue reaches contractors. Across 1069 live listings publishing a rate, the median top-of-range is $90 an hour.
Should I join more than one platform?
Yes. There is no exclusivity, listings differ substantially between them, and applications are short.
Is the growth sustainable?
Demand is strong but concentrated among frontier AI labs, so it tracks their spending. Treat it as project income rather than guaranteed volume.
Sources
See every live role
The full board updates several times a week, with the advertised rate on each listing and closed roles removed.