Questions people ask

Is it real

Is AI training work legit?

Yes, on the platforms listed here. They are real companies that pay contractors to train and test AI models. Each publishes its postings, its terms and how it pays. None promises steady work, and passing screening does not guarantee tasks. Read about each one on the platform pages.

Will a platform ever ask me to pay?

Not to apply. None of the platforms here charges an application fee. A payout service may charge its own withdrawal fee: Whop, which pays out Terac earnings, may do so and shows it before you confirm. Anyone asking you to pay to start work is not one of these platforms.

How do I spot a fake job or recruiter?

Find the role on the platform's own site before you share anything. Check that the pay adds up: a per-task rate times the task time should match any hourly figure. Be wary of silent rate cuts and hours of unpaid tests. How to spot an AI training job scam.

Why do platforms ask for my ID?

To confirm who they are paying. Terac needs a verified government ID before your first cash-out. micro1 pays through Deel, which runs an identity check before the first payment. Mercor asks you to verify your work authorisation when you apply.

Applying

Do I need a degree or experience?

Not for most roles. Generalist roles need careful reading and clear writing. Expert roles ask for what the posting names, such as a law degree or a PhD. Every platform then screens you with its own test or interview. AfterQuery, for one, says no prior AI experience is needed.

What is the AI interview?

A recorded interview run by an AI, where you answer spoken questions about your work. micro1's takes 20 to 40 minutes, Mercor's about 20, SME Careers' about 15 and Terac's screener about 3. micro1, Terac and SME Careers say a person makes the decision. Interview prep.

I applied and heard nothing. What now?

Silence is common and is not always a no. SME Careers grades interviews in 1 to 2 business days, Sovrano takes 2 to 4 weeks, and Turing up to 6 weeks. Check your spam folder and the platform's dashboard, and keep applying elsewhere. What happens after you apply.

Can I retake a failed assessment?

It depends on the platform. Mercor lets you retake its AI interview up to three times. SME Careers allows one retake per job, if offered. Terac allows one attempt per opportunity. Turing makes you wait 90 days. A test cut short by a technical fault usually does not count.

Which platform should I start with?

The one with open roles in your field. Each profession page shows which platforms list work for it, and what each pays. Applying to more than one is free.

Can I work on several platforms at once?

Usually. micro1 says you can keep your day job, but not if you work for a company that builds foundation AI models. AfterQuery says you can work elsewhere if your quality holds. Ethos names no exclusivity clause. Read each contract before you sign.

Pay

What does AI training work pay?

Across the 1,136 open roles here, hourly rates run $2–450 an hour. Half of the hourly roles top out between $70 and $100. Some roles pay per session (19) or per task (30) instead. Pay by role.

How and when do I get paid?

Each platform pays you directly, on its own schedule:

• micro1: twice a month, in US dollars, through Deel.
• Mercor: weekly on Wednesdays, through Stripe, or Wise where Stripe is not available. The first payout is held for 7 days.
• Terac: cash out from $12.50 through Whop once your work is approved.
• AfterQuery: weekly, on the Friday after the pay period, through Stripe.
• Turing: its own pages disagree. Most say monthly, around the 5th.
• SME Careers: weekly, through Deel.
• Ethos: set per project, usually weekly, monthly or at completion.
• Sovrano AI: monthly through Deel, says its payment page, which also says the policy is being updated.

How you get paid, in detail.

Why does pay differ by country?

Some platforms set the rate by where you work. SME Careers does this on many roles, so one role can pay a different maximum in the US, the UK and Italy. Those role pages list every country's rate, and each figure is a maximum.

Can this be a full-time income?

Rarely, and not reliably. The rates are real, but hours depend on the project. micro1 expects about 15 to 20 hours a week and guarantees no minimum. Can AI training be a full-time income?

Getting work

Why is my task queue empty, or why did my project end?

Work comes in projects. When a client finishes, pauses or cuts its budget, the tasks stop. Falling below a project's quality bar can also end your place on it. Mercor and Turing say a normal project ending does not affect your standing.

How many hours a week is there?

It depends on the project. micro1 says about 15 to 20 hours. Sovrano says most evaluators work 5 to 15. Ethos postings state a weekly range. The other platforms give no figure.

Which countries are the roles open to?

Each role states who can apply. When a posting names no country, we list it as open to 26 countries: the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe. A platform's payout rules can narrow that, and the role page says so. This site serves readers in 47 countries. Filter roles by your country.

What equipment do I need?

A computer, not a phone, with a browser and a steady connection. Some roles add a webcam for the interview or time-tracking software, such as the Insightful app on SME Careers and Terac hourly projects. Software and time tracking.

Tax

Am I an employee or a contractor, and who pays the tax?

A contractor, on every platform here. That means no benefits and, usually, no tax taken off your pay. Terac and AfterQuery say so directly. You report the income under your own country's self-employment rules:

• US: you may receive a 1099-NEC, and self-employment tax of 15.3% applies on top of income tax. IRS guidance.
• UK: self-employment income may mean registering for Self Assessment. GOV.UK guidance.
• Canada: report it as self-employment income. CRA guidance.
• Australia: this is usually sole trader income. ATO guidance.

About this site

What is Red Pen Jobs?

A list of contract and part-time AI training work, sorted by profession. Each role shows the pay its posting states. Today it lists 1,136 open roles from micro1, Mercor, Terac, AfterQuery, Turing, SME Careers, Ethos and Sovrano AI. You apply on the platform, not here.

Does it cost anything to use?

No. There are no accounts, no sign-ups and no fees. None of the platforms listed here charges a fee to apply either.

How does this site make money?

Referral fees, and nothing else. When you apply through our link and get hired, the platform pays us a fee. Some pay only after you finish qualifying work, such as 10 hours on micro1. There are no ads and no paid listings. How we earn, in full.

Does applying through your link change my pay?

No. The fee comes out of the platform's recruiting budget, not your rate. No platform says a referral helps you pass screening, so we don't claim it does.

Why apply through your link and not go direct?

It costs you nothing, and it pays for this site. Where a platform supports it, our link opens the role itself. Going direct is fine too. The pay table and the profession pages work the same either way.

Do you work for micro1, Mercor or the other platforms?

No. This site is independent of every platform it lists. It is not their agent, recruiter, representative or partner, and it does not speak for them. Who runs it.

Where do the pay figures come from?

From the posting. If a posting lists $90–170 an hour, that is what you see. If it lists no pay, the page says so. We never estimate, and we never turn a per-session or per-task fee into an hourly rate. Euro rates stay in euros.

How often is the list updated?

Every morning. We check each platform's listings, add new roles and mark closed ones. The current list was checked 17 Oct 2026.

Why did a role I saw disappear?

The platform took it down. If a posting is gone at the morning check, its page says when it closed. Closed roles stay on the profession page for a while, then drop off. Similar roles are often posted again, and the profession page shows them first.

A figure looks wrong. How do I tell you?

Email [email protected] with the role's name or link. We check it against the posting and correct it.