Head-to-head
Mercor vs Prolific
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.
Mercor
ProlificMercor vs Prolific: the short answer
, AITraining.jobs lists 230 open Mercor roles (typical pay $55 to $150 an hour, median $75) and 124 open Prolific roles (typical pay $25 to $120 an hour, median $30).
Mercor pays more on typical work ($55-$150/hr typical (live median $75) vs Prolific's $25-$120/hr typical (live median $30)), and its ceiling is higher too.
Prolific is easier to start on (open to most people, but you must match each study's participant criteria to qualify), while Mercor is gated by a screen for a degree, professional expertise, or a skills test.
Both hire for Domain Experts, Coding, and AI Evaluation; Mercor also covers Math & STEM, Agentic & RL Envs, Red-Teaming, and Writing; Prolific also covers Studies & Surveys, Multilingual, and Data Annotation.
Right now Mercor has more live roles (230 vs 124).
Bottom line: pick Mercor for higher pay, or Prolific for the lower barrier to entry. Many people do both.
| Mercor | Prolific | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pay | $55-$150/hr typical (live median $75) | $25-$120/hr typical (live median $30) |
| Work model | Expert network · Expert credential marketplace | Research studies · Study pool + AI trainers |
| Kinds of work | Domain Experts, Coding, Math & STEM, Agentic & RL Envs, AI Evaluation, Red-Teaming, and Writing | Studies & Surveys, AI Evaluation, Multilingual, Coding, Data Annotation, and Domain Experts |
| How you get paid | Weekly via Stripe (1099 contractors). | Cash via PayPal only; ~£6/$6 minimum cash-out. |
| Where you can work | Global (45+ countries); many projects timezone- or country-restricted (US/UK/AU premiums). | Most OECD countries plus Croatia and South Africa; excludes Turkey, Lithuania, Colombia, Costa Rica. |
| Open roles now | 230 live | 124 live |
| Worker sentiment | Glassdoor ~4.0/5; ~81% would recommend | Trustpilot ~4.4/5 (thousands of reviews) |
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 professionals and specialists chasing the highest rates.
230 open roles now →Best for anyone who wants flexible, one-off paid studies and surveys.
124 open roles now →Some links on AITraining.jobs are referral links. If you sign up through one, AITraining.jobs may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what a platform pays you.
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Mercor vs Prolific: common questions
Which pays more, Mercor or Prolific?
Mercor pays more on typical work ($55-$150/hr typical (live median $75) vs Prolific's $25-$120/hr typical (live median $30)), and its ceiling is higher too.
Is Mercor or Prolific easier to get started with?
Prolific is easier to start on (open to most people, but you must match each study's participant criteria to qualify), while Mercor is gated by a screen for a degree, professional expertise, or a skills test.
Can you work on both Mercor and Prolific?
Yes. They are independent platforms, and many contributors join several at once to keep a steady flow of work, especially since both hire for Domain Experts, Coding, and AI Evaluation. Signing up for one does not affect the other.