Pay side by side
What each pays per hour
Typical range, median, and the range of the top 10% of roles.
- Mercor 286 roles median $80/hr top 10% $130–400
- Appen / CrowdGen 61 roles median $35/hr top 10% $55–100
Choose Mercor if
- you work in other expertise and maths & stem
- you're aiming for the top rates ($130+/hr for its top 10%)
- you want more roles to choose from
Expert network that hires professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, PhDs and more) for AI lab projects. Applications include a short AI interview.
See 286 Mercor rolesChoose Appen / CrowdGen if
- you work in voice & audio and data annotation
Appen’s CrowdGen community: voice, language and data annotation projects.
See 61 Appen / CrowdGen rolesMercor vs Appen / CrowdGen: common questions
Does Mercor or Appen / CrowdGen pay more?
As of 19 October 2026, Mercor pays more at the median: $80/hr against $35/hr for Appen / CrowdGen. The top 10% of roles pay $130+/hr on Mercor and $55+/hr on Appen / CrowdGen.
Which has more jobs, Mercor or Appen / CrowdGen?
Mercor has more open roles today: 286 against 61. 40 Mercor roles and 0 Appen / CrowdGen roles were posted in the last week.
Can I work for both Mercor and Appen / CrowdGen?
Both hire independent contractors, and their job postings don't ask you to work only for them. Check each platform's contractor terms before you sign, as some projects come with confidentiality or exclusivity rules.