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Mercor

About Mercor

Mercor matches vetted domain experts to AI labs via a proprietary AI interview, paying premium rates for medicine, law, finance, consulting, and advanced engineering. A top-tier player (30,000+ contractors across 45+ countries; Mercor said in May 2026 it pays out over $2M a day), it has pivoted hard into the agentic frontier: after acquiring Sepal AI in February 2026, it moved in July 2026 to acquire Deeptune, a builder of reinforcement-learning environments, doubling down on the RL-environment work that is the 2026 frontier of human data. It sits at the high end of the human-data market rather than commodity labeling.

$55–$150/hr

Typical pay, live

, AITraining.jobs lists 232 open Mercor roles; their typical pay runs $55 to $150 an hour, with a median of $75.

Join Mercor (opens in new tab)Is Mercor legit?How to get accepted

Live Mercor roles

Updated 11 hrs ago
See all 232 Mercor roles Mercor jobs: all 232 full descriptions

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Mercor jobs by country

Its open roles that accept applicants in each country.

USA · 199Germany · 137Spain · 134UK · 134Australia · 131Brazil · 131Canada · 131India · 131Mexico · 131Colombia · 130South Africa · 130Bangladesh · 129Egypt · 129Ghana · 129Indonesia · 129Japan · 129Malaysia · 129Nigeria · 129Philippines · 129

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We check the Mercor job board daily and email you its newest roles each week, plus similar paid roles elsewhere. Free, unsubscribe anytime.

Is Mercor legit?

Researched October 2026 · 35 sources

Yes. Mercor is a real San Francisco company, valued at $10 billion in October 2025, that pays contractors every week through Stripe or Wise. Projects are temporary and can be paused, cut or repriced at short notice, and the March 2026 breach showed that the ID and tax details you upload can leak. It pays $55–$150/hr typically (median $75/hr).

Actively hiring, pay independently measured from its live feed
Who is behind it

Founded in 2023 by Brendan Foody (CEO), Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, Mercor raised $100 million at a $2 billion valuation in February 2025 and $350 million at $10 billion in October 2025, and bought Sepal AI and Deeptune in 2026. It says it pays out over $2 million a day to more than 30,000 weekly active contractors (May 2026); its customers include OpenAI and Anthropic. AIData.Broker's record of Mercor, a database we also run, lists each funding round, valuation and revenue figure published about the company, with its source.

Getting paid

Hourly contractors are paid every Wednesday for the previous week of approved hours, tracked in the Insightful app, through Stripe Connect, or Wise where Stripe is not available; the first Stripe payout is held 7 days. Mercor withholds no tax, and US contractors who earn over $600 get a 1099-NEC.

Worker ratings

Trustpilot 4.4/5 (999 reviews) · Glassdoor 4.2/5 (195 reviews) · Indeed 3.9/5 (26 reviews). Read October 2026.

Verified active

232 open roles on Mercor, independently checked 18 Oct 2026.

Who can join

Global (45+ countries); many projects timezone- or country-restricted (US/UK/AU premiums).

Fake Mercor recruiters

Mercor says it never charges fees, its real email ends in @mercor.com, and accounts and payouts are set up only at work.mercor.com; offers from other or misspelled domains are fake (report them to support@mercor.com). Job scammers often start on text, WhatsApp or Telegram and later ask for money.

What people praise

  • Many reviewers say weekly payouts arrive on time.
  • Reviewers like the flexible remote schedule and competitive hourly rates.
  • Some describe project staff as supportive and quick to communicate.

What people complain about

  • Projects can be paused or ended suddenly, sometimes with only an automated email, and work between projects is uneven.
  • Some spend hours on unpaid AI interviews, assessments or onboarding, then see offers stall or projects cancelled before work starts.
  • Some report logged hours being removed and pay refused after the work was done.
  • Support is mostly automated, and rejected applicants say they get no reasons.

What has gone wrong

  • March 2026. From March 24 to 30, 2026, an attacker used a poisoned version of the open-source LiteLLM tool to download Mercor data, including Social Security and government ID numbers per state filings, and Meta paused its work with Mercor. Mercor says only a very limited subset of experts was affected, saw no evidence of fraud and offered credit monitoring.
  • April 2026. In the week after the breach, contractors filed five lawsuits in federal courts in California and Texas over exposed personal data; Mercor declined to comment. In May 2026 a proposed class action in Texas federal court said Mercor misclassified more than 30,000 experts as contractors, and Mercor asked the court to send the case to arbitration.
  • November 2025. Mercor ended Musen, a Meta project that had more than 5,000 people at its peak, citing 'project scope changes', and offered similar work on a new project at $16 an hour instead of $21. Mercor said it is clear from the start that this is 'temporary, project-based work.'
Who it suits

Best for: Professionals with in-demand expertise (for example medicine, law, finance or engineering) who want flexible, hourly remote project work and can live with gaps between projects. Not for: Anyone who needs steady, guaranteed hours or benefits, or who is not comfortable sharing ID and tax details and working under screenshot-based time tracking.

Sources for this review

What Mercor pays

Measured from its open roles · as of 18 Oct 2026
$55–$150/hrTypical pay, live

Median $75/hr, from the 195 open roles that state a rate. Advertised rates run from $10/hr to $450/hr.

Measured from 194 distinct advertised rates, on this platform. 37 of the 232 open roles here state no hourly rate.

Kind of workOpen rolesTypical pay
Domain Experts119$80–$200/hr
Agentic & RL Envs26$35–$85/hr
Transcription & Audio25$20–$100/hr
Coding16$60–$90/hr
Multilingual16$10–$60/hr
AI Evaluation12$60–$110/hr
Math & STEM8$50–$115/hr
Red-Teaming6$55–$110/hr
Data Annotation2$50–$60/hr2 rates
Studies & Surveys2$30–$35/hr1 rate

Highest-paying Mercor roles open now

All 232 by pay

Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling, the same measure the job board uses for any list of roles. See how we compile and grade every pay figure.

The work Mercor hires for

Each links to what the work involves, who hires for it, and what it pays across the market.

Law, Medicine & Finance119 open hereCoding & Software Evaluation16 open hereMath & STEM8 open hereAgentic Tasks & RL Environments26 open hereAI Evaluation & Rating (RLHF)12 open hereRed-Teaming & AI Safety6 open hereWriting & Content

New to this? Start with the learning guides or compare pay across every platform.

How to get started on Mercor

Researched August 2026

Create an account at work.mercor.com (passwordless email or Continue with Google), build a profile with your resume, apply to a listing, complete a ~20-minute AI video interview plus any role-specific assessment and a work-authorization check, and once approved you enter the talent pool and get matched to a client contract that pays out weekly.

Who can join

  • A desktop computer with a working camera and microphone (headphones/external mic recommended) and stable internet. The AI interview requires desktop Chrome (Edge and Safari also supported); Firefox and mobile browsers do NOT work.
  • A phone number that can receive SMS verification. According to one detailed 2026 reviewer, SMS verification is unsupported in 100+ countries (the reviewer's own Kenyan number was blocked, and they report China and Russia among those blocked), which can prevent sign-up. Treat this as a worker report, not an official country list.
  • A resume as an OCR-friendly, text-based PDF (not a scanned image), 1-2 pages, under 2 MB, with a simple layout and clear section headings (Education, Experience, Skills, Certifications).
  • You must complete work-authorization verification as part of the application checklist.
  • Specialized or expert-level skills / a strong portfolio. Acceptance is not guaranteed and screening is selective; per a 2026 reviewer, applicants without a strong portfolio or specialized skills may not pass the initial assessment.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Create your account

    Go to work.mercor.com and sign up with passwordless email verification (a one-time verification email each sign-in) or the 'Continue with Google' button. Applications are accepted only through the Mercor platform.

  2. 2

    Build your profile

    Upload your resume (text-based PDF, 1-2 pages, under 2 MB) via Profile then the Resume tab, and fill in experience, skills, education, and portfolio. Your resume is stored on your profile and reused for future applications.

  3. 3

    Find and apply to a listing

    Click the 'Explore' icon in the left sidebar to see all listings, filter by job fit, trending, newest, or salary, pick one, and click 'Apply Now'. Listings can close at any time, so act promptly.

  4. 4

    Complete role assessments

    Answer the assessment tailored to the role, which the docs describe as a Form (written or multiple-choice questions). Once you pass an assessment it is automatically reused for comparable roles, so you do not retake it. (Some roles or later client/onsite stages may add a coding walkthrough or take-home; this is reported by third-party interview guides, not listed in Mercor's assessment docs.)

  5. 5

    Do the AI video interview

    If required, complete the ~20-minute AI video interview in Chrome (or Edge/Safari) with camera and mic on. Take the free practice interview first. You can retake a given official interview up to three times across all applications, and each unique interview is completed once and carries over to future applications.

  6. 6

    Verify work authorization

    Complete the work-authorization verification step in the application checklist.

  7. 7

    Submit and await review

    After submitting, it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to hear back about whether you have moved on to the next stage. Specific rejection reasons are generally not provided.

  8. 8

    Enter the talent pool and get matched

    On approval you enter the talent pool. Mercor is a matching platform, not a task queue: being in the pool does not guarantee a constant stream of offers, and you are matched to a specific client contract before paid work begins.

AI Video Interview (plus role-specific Form assessments)

The core qualification step is an AI-conducted video interview: an AI interviewer poses role-specific questions, generates a transcript of your responses, and evaluates your performance to decide whether your profile advances. Many roles also add a Form assessment (written or multiple-choice questions). You complete each unique interview once and it is reused across similar roles ('apply once').

Format

A roughly 20-minute AI-conducted video interview in desktop Chrome (Edge and Safari also supported; Firefox and mobile browsers not supported), with camera and mic required and your full face visible. Questions are generated dynamically from your resume and answers rather than a fixed script (Mercor's docs do not publish a fixed question count). Some roles also require a Form (written/multiple-choice) assessment.

How to prepare

  • Take the FREE practice interview first: it can be taken multiple times, does not affect future opportunities, and lets you learn the format before the official one
  • Answer with a tight STAR structure: one-sentence situation, then spend most of the answer on YOUR specific actions, then quantify the outcome. Keep each answer under ~90 seconds (answers over three minutes are penalized)
  • Use concrete numbers and specifics ('cut API latency 40% by switching from REST polling to WebSockets') instead of vague claims. Third-party coaching write-ups say the AI rewards specificity
  • Say 'I' not 'we' when describing what YOU did. Third-party write-ups report 'we' language reads as deflection and scores lower
  • Avoid rambling; keep audio clean (headphones/external mic, quiet room) and your full face visible with clear voice throughout
  • You can retake a given official interview up to 3 times across all applications. Treat attempt 1 as calibration and refine from there. Test camera and mic before you start

Why people get rejected

  • Weak or non-specialized profile: screening is selective, and per a 2026 reviewer applicants without a strong portfolio or specialized skills may not pass the initial assessment
  • Vague answers with no numbers, or 'we' language that hides your individual contribution (per third-party interview-coaching write-ups)
  • Rambling answers (over ~3 minutes) or poor communication compression (per third-party write-ups)
  • Not actually rejected but placed in the talent pool with no active match: Mercor is a matching platform, so 'Not selected' on a listing is common
  • Phone/SMS verification failing in your country (a 2026 reviewer reports it is unsupported in 100+ countries), which can block sign-up entirely

Preparing for it? AI interviews: how they work and how to pass one →

How long it takes

Hearing back on whether you advanced a stage usually takes 2 to 4 weeks (per Mercor's docs). Getting matched to an actual paid project typically takes 1-4 weeks after approval, and one reviewer notes that if you have not heard back within about 14 days you are likely sitting in the talent pool waiting for a match rather than rejected.

When you get paid

Per a detailed 2026 reviewer, contractors are paid weekly, released every Wednesday for the prior work week. Payouts go to a Stripe Express account then your bank in 2-5 days (or ~30 minutes via Instant Payout for a 1% fee), or via Wise arriving in roughly an hour. The first Stripe payout is reportedly held ~7 days before the normal weekly cadence begins. Contractors complete W-9 or W-8BEN tax forms (i.e. paid as a contractor, not an employee). These mechanics come from a reviewer, not Mercor's own published terms, so they may vary by contract.

Tips to get accepted

  • Always run the free practice interview before your first real one. It can be taken multiple times and does not affect future opportunities, so it removes the surprise factor that trips up first-timers.
  • Lead every answer with a calm one-line summary, then get specific fast. Third-party coaching write-ups report the AI scores specificity, ownership ('I' not 'we'), and communication compression, so a tight ~90-second answer with real numbers beats a polished ramble.
  • Match your prep to your track: engineering roles are scored on technical depth, architectural awareness, and owning outcomes, while AI-training roles are described as more accessible and require no engineering experience. Do not use jargon you cannot defend.
  • Fix your setup before you start: desktop Chrome (or Edge/Safari), external mic/headphones, front lighting, full face in frame, and a clear voice. Bad audio can undermine a good answer.
  • Apply to more than one relevant listing. Because your resume, interview, and passed assessments are saved and reused ('apply once'), you can enter multiple matching pools without redoing the work.
  • Treat 'Not selected' on a specific listing as normal, not a verdict on you. Mercor is a matching platform, not a task queue, so applying broadly and expecting a wait is the expected path.

What isn't public

  • Mercor's official docs do NOT publish the exact scoring methodology, a pass threshold, or a fixed number of interview questions. The four scoring dimensions (specificity, ownership, communication compression, technical depth) come from a third-party interview-coaching write-up (AceRound), not Mercor itself, so treat them as guidance rather than official criteria.
  • There is no publicly disclosed acceptance rate, and the docs say specific rejection reasons are generally not provided.
  • The docs list only two assessment types (Forms and AI Interviews). Coding walkthroughs and take-home assignments are described only by third-party interview guides as later client/onsite stages, not as part of Mercor's own published assessment flow, and background verification is NOT mentioned in the docs (only work-authorization verification is).
  • The line between 'rejected' and 'in the talent pool waiting for a match' is genuinely blurry; the docs do not spell out the distinction.
  • Country eligibility is not published as a clean official list. The 100+-countries SMS-verification blocker (including China and Russia) is a single reviewer's claim, not an official Mercor country list.
  • Payment specifics (Wednesday payouts, 7-day first-payout hold, Stripe vs Wise timing, 1099/W-9/W-8BEN status) all come from one detailed reviewer, not Mercor's own published terms, so exact mechanics may vary by contract.
Start your Mercor application (opens in new tab)
Sources (5)

Frequently asked questions

Is Mercor legit?

Yes. Mercor is a real San Francisco company, valued at $10 billion in October 2025, that pays contractors every week through Stripe or Wise. Projects are temporary and can be paused, cut or repriced at short notice, and the March 2026 breach showed that the ID and tax details you upload can leak.

Is Mercor a scam?

No. Mercor is a real company. Mercor says it never charges fees, its real email ends in @mercor.com, and accounts and payouts are set up only at work.mercor.com; offers from other or misspelled domains are fake (report them to support@mercor.com). Job scammers often start on text, WhatsApp or Telegram and later ask for money.

Does Mercor pay?

Yes. Credible with strong payment reliability (weekly Stripe payouts on time). Earnings are feast-or-famine as project queues ebb and flow. Payouts: Weekly via Stripe (1099 contractors). Per a detailed 2026 reviewer, contractors are paid weekly, released every Wednesday for the prior work week. Payouts go to a Stripe Express account then your bank in 2-5 days (or ~30 minutes via Instant Payout for a 1% fee), or via Wise arriving in roughly an hour. The first Stripe payout is reportedly held ~7 days before the normal weekly cadence begins. Contractors complete W-9 or W-8BEN tax forms (i.e. paid as a contractor, not an employee). These mechanics come from a reviewer, not Mercor's own published terms, so they may vary by contract.

How much does Mercor pay?

$55–$150/hr is the typical pay on Mercor's board today, with a median of $75/hr, measured from the 195 open roles that state a rate. Its advertised rates run from $10/hr to $450/hr.

Is Mercor worth it?

Mercor pays $55–$150/hr typically (median $75/hr). It rewards credentialed experts who clear its assessment far more than open generalist work. Worker sentiment: Trustpilot 4.4/5 (999 reviews) · Glassdoor 4.2/5 (195 reviews) · Indeed 3.9/5 (26 reviews).

How does Mercor pay out?

Weekly via Stripe (1099 contractors).

Where can you work for Mercor?

Global (45+ countries); many projects timezone- or country-restricted (US/UK/AU premiums).

How do I actually get accepted onto Mercor?

Sign up at work.mercor.com, build a complete profile with a strong resume, apply to a listing, and pass the ~20-minute AI video interview plus any Form assessment and the work-authorization check. Acceptance means entering the talent pool; you are then matched to a specific client contract. It is selective, and a specialized/expert profile helps.

How hard is the Mercor AI interview and can I retake it?

It is a ~20-minute AI video interview whose questions are generated dynamically from your resume and answers. You get a free practice run you can take multiple times, plus up to 3 real retakes of a given interview across applications, so use the first as calibration and refine from there.

Why did Mercor reject me or never reply?

Often you were not outright rejected: Mercor is a matching platform, so 'Not selected' on a listing usually means no active contract match and you stay in the pool. Third-party write-ups attribute low scores to vague answers, 'we' instead of 'I', or no quantified results, and a 2026 reviewer notes a profile without specialized skills may not pass. The docs say specific rejection reasons are generally not given.

How long until I get accepted and start earning?

Hearing whether you advanced a stage usually takes 2-4 weeks (per Mercor's docs). Getting matched to a paid project typically takes 1-4 weeks after approval, and one reviewer notes no reply within ~14 days usually means you are in the pool awaiting a match.

Do I need to reapply for every role?

No. Mercor uses an 'apply once' model: your resume, AI interview, and passed assessments are saved and automatically reused across comparable roles, so you do not redo them for each listing.

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