Mercor vs micro1 vs Mindrift for Expert (SME) AI Training Work in 2026
If you're a doctor, lawyer, engineer or PhD looking at expert AI-training work, three names come up constantly. Here's how they compare on advertised pay today: Mercor has a median of $80/hr across 297 open roles, Mindrift $69/hr across 24, and micro1 $65/hr across 294. But the median is only part
If you're a doctor, lawyer, engineer or PhD looking at expert AI-training work, three names come up constantly. Here's how they compare on advertised pay today: Mercor has a median of $80/hr across 297 open roles, Mindrift $69/hr across 24, and micro1 $65/hr across 294. But the median is only part of the story. Onboarding, payout schedules, country rules and how long postings stay open matter as much as the hourly number.
Disclosure: AI Trainer HQ is free for workers. We earn a referral fee only from micro1 today. We earn nothing from Mercor or Mindrift. That's why we stick to published data below, and you can check every number on the Pay Index and our disclosure page.
For the full picture, read each review: Mercor, micro1, Mindrift.
Mercor has the highest median of the three. It also has the widest spread, because it lists both $30/hr generalist feedback studies and $350/hr radiologist roles. Physician roles we track on Mercor commonly list $150–350/hr. Legal roles run $100–150/hr for JD/LLB holders with a current licence.
micro1 has a similar median, but its top end is very high for specialist attorneys. Several current roles list $140–400/hr, and its legal median is $125/hr. Its bottom end ($2/hr) comes from a small number of task-based or regional roles, so read the specific listing.
Mindrift is narrower. Most current roles are physician evaluations at $35–100/hr and engineering (CAD/CFD) roles at around $69/hr. It doesn't reach Mercor's peaks, but it shows a fixed reward on each task before you start, so you know what a task pays up front.
For context: 10x Team, which isn't one of the three, has the highest median we track at $135/hr. It hires senior specialists only.
Our guide to passing these screens is here: this guide.
The "median days listed" figure is a useful signal:
Neither is better by default. Evergreen pools mean you might wait weeks after acceptance. Fresh postings mean the project may also end sooner. Mindrift's own review notes that workers report weeks-long waits after onboarding, and its Trustpilot rating is 3.4/5.
Our Legit Score weights payout reliability at 35%. We publish a score only once we've checked the evidence, and none of the three is rated yet, so we're not going to pretend otherwise.
Honestly, the best answer for most experts is apply to two. Queues empty without warning, and a second platform smooths your income.
Before you apply, rate each platform 1–5 on these five questions:
Apply first to whichever scores highest. It's a quick exercise, but it keeps you from chasing the top-of-range number.
Can I work on all three at once? Usually, yes, since they're independent contractor arrangements. Check each contract for exclusivity or confidentiality clauses, especially on projects for the same AI lab.
Which one pays fastest? Mindrift is the only one of the three with a published fixed schedule (twice monthly). For the others, check your contract terms.
Open the Pay Index and filter by your profession, then apply to the two platforms with the most live roles in your field. You can download the CSV if you want to dig in yourself.