Head-to-head
Outlier (Scale AI) vs Mercor
Which pays more, which is easier to start, and which fits the work you want. Compared on real pay, work model, payout, and the roles open right now.
Outlier (Scale AI)
MercorOutlier (Scale AI) vs Mercor: the short answer
On pay, Outlier (Scale AI) is benchmarked at Up to $7–$50/hr; ML, EE and quant finance up to $150/hr and Mercor at $63–$90/hr median listing; experts to $450/hr; their boards do not state enough rates to tell which pays more, so compare against your own hours.
Outlier (Scale AI) is easier to get into: of the people we know applied, about 3.7% are accepted there against 3.5% at Mercor (a 52% chance it really accepts more). Both are expert networks: gated by a screen for a degree, professional expertise, or a skills test.
Both hire for AI Evaluation, Writing, Coding, Math & STEM, and Domain Experts; Outlier (Scale AI) also covers Multilingual; Mercor also covers Agentic & RL Envs and Red-Teaming.
Bottom line: Outlier (Scale AI) accepts more of the people who apply, so it is the easier place to start; pick Mercor instead if its specific work fits you better.
| Outlier (Scale AI) | Mercor | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pay | Up to $7–$50/hr; ML, EE and quant finance up to $150/hr | $63–$90/hr median listing; experts to $450/hr |
| Work model | Expert network · Expert queue (Scale AI) | Expert network · Expert credential marketplace |
| Kinds of work | AI Evaluation, Writing, Coding, Math & STEM, Domain Experts, and Multilingual | Domain Experts, Coding, Math & STEM, Agentic & RL Envs, AI Evaluation, Red-Teaming, and Writing |
| How you get paid | Weekly (Tuesdays) via PayPal, Airtm or ACH bank transfer. | Weekly via Stripe (1099 contractors). |
| Where you can work | Remote, from the places its working guidelines list (effective 15 Jul 2026, read 8 Nov 2026): the US, the UK, India, the Philippines, Brazil and Egypt among them, but not Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan or Ukraine. English projects dominate, with multilingual projects. | Many projects are timezone- or country-restricted (US/UK/AU premiums). |
| Open roles now | See platform | See platform |
| Worker ratings | Trustpilot 3.9/5 (5,781 reviews) (read November 2026) | Trustpilot 4.5/5 (1,554 reviews) · Glassdoor 4.2/5 (195 reviews) · Indeed 3.6/5 (36 reviews) (read November 2026) |
Pay shows each platform's live measured band where its feed has enough hourly-stated roles, otherwise our compiled benchmark. How we compile pay.
Best for people with a degree or professional skills who want vetted, higher-skill work.
Best for people with a degree or professional skills who want vetted, higher-skill work.
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Outlier (Scale AI) vs Mercor: common questions
Which pays more, Outlier (Scale AI) or Mercor?
On pay, Outlier (Scale AI) is benchmarked at Up to $7–$50/hr; ML, EE and quant finance up to $150/hr and Mercor at $63–$90/hr median listing; experts to $450/hr; their boards do not state enough rates to tell which pays more, so compare against your own hours.
Is Outlier (Scale AI) or Mercor easier to get started with?
Outlier (Scale AI) is easier to get into: of the people we know applied, about 3.7% are accepted there against 3.5% at Mercor (a 52% chance it really accepts more). Both are expert networks: gated by a screen for a degree, professional expertise, or a skills test.
Can you work on both Outlier (Scale AI) and Mercor?
Yes. They are independent platforms, and many contributors join several at once to keep a steady flow of work, especially since both hire for AI Evaluation, Writing, Coding, Math & STEM, and Domain Experts. Signing up for one does not affect the other.
More comparisons
Ordered by what applying to their platforms is worth, lifted by a referral boost for a platform that pays us a referral fee; it never changes what a platform pays you.