DataAnnotation alternatives that publish their pay

The Starter Assessment can only be taken once, with no retake, and DataAnnotation’s own FAQ says that if you never hear back afterward, “it likely means your application is still under review or hasn’t been accepted yet,” because the company cannot “provide direct responses for every applicant.” One shot, then silence, sends people looking elsewhere.

The platforms below are the ones this site lists. If you apply through a link here and are hired, the platform pays this site a referral fee. DataAnnotation does not, and we do not list it. Everything below describes fit, not a ranking.

micro1

micro1 hires domain experts as remote contractors to train and evaluate AI models, from generalist annotation work to specialist review in fields like physics and engineering. Anyone can apply; the qualification is usually the subject knowledge a role names rather than a credential, and each role states which countries it is open to.

It currently lists 220 open roles carrying 18,949 stated openings, with hourly pay from $6–400. Screening is a single AI interview, 20 to 40 minutes, and micro1 does not require prior AI experience for many roles. Pay varies by project: monthly or twice monthly, through Deel or Stripe. See the micro1 roles open now or the micro1 platform page.

Mercor

Mercor hires professionals as remote contractors for AI projects, and its listings skew toward technical and professional work: software engineers, data scientists, analysts, subject-matter experts.

It lists 202 open roles right now, hourly pay from $15–450, with a median advertised ceiling of $85 an hour. Screening runs through a resume upload, role-specific assessments, work-authorisation verification and an AI interview of about 20 minutes, the only way Mercor screens. It gives no general time to hear back; the confirmation screen shows the expected timeline for each role. Pay runs weekly, on Wednesdays, through Stripe. See the Mercor roles open now or the Mercor platform page.

Terac

Terac is an expert marketplace connecting verified domain experts to paid work from market research and human data companies. Most of what it posts is one-time paid sessions, interviews and surveys, rather than ongoing projects, so it suits someone looking for occasional paid work over a steady contract.

It lists 43 open roles with 4,816 stated openings and hourly pay from $5–112 where a role pays hourly; many of its postings instead pay a fixed amount per session or task. Applying requires a verified phone, then a short screener per opportunity: a form, an AI voice interview of about 3 minutes, or a file upload, with one attempt each. Terac pays on approval, with cash-out available from $12.50 once your ID is verified. See the Terac roles open now or the Terac platform page.

AfterQuery

AfterQuery connects domain experts with AI training and evaluation work across fields including finance, law, software engineering, medicine, data science and cybersecurity. It says it welcomes experts worldwide, though project availability varies by country, and most roles ask for professional experience or an advanced degree.

It lists 47 open roles, hourly pay from $15–200, with a median advertised ceiling of $100 an hour. Screening is a four-step process: create an account, complete an interview (live or asynchronous video), pass a short skills assessment in your domain, then get invited to matching projects. AfterQuery says rates are transparent and set upfront, though it does not publish a payout cadence or method. See the AfterQuery roles open now or the AfterQuery platform page.

Turing

Turing runs a global expert network for AI labs, hiring professionals in tech, finance, healthcare, law and other fields for remote contract work training or evaluating AI models. Pay is set per role rather than as a single platform-wide rate, so a posting states its own payment type in its own text.

It lists 15 open roles, hourly pay from $15–30. Screening starts with an application; some roles add proctored tests, and Turing says an interview is typically required. Its talent page claims bi-weekly payouts and its help centre says monthly, and it does not name a payment method. See the Turing roles open now or the Turing platform page.

SME Careers

SME Careers is SuperAnnotate’s network of subject matter experts, who train and evaluate AI models on paid, remote, hourly projects. It asks for advanced degrees or hands-on professional knowledge in science, engineering, medicine, law, finance, software and dozens of languages, and asks for no AI background.

It lists 185 open roles, with hourly pay up to $150. Every rate is a maximum, and many roles pay a different maximum in each country, which their role pages list country by country. Screening starts with a CV-based application and a recorded AI video interview of about 15 minutes, taken on a desktop computer. SME says grading usually takes 1 to 2 business days, and its team then reviews your profile. Pay runs weekly through Deel, and on hourly projects only active time recorded in its Insightful app is paid. See the SME Careers roles open now or the SME Careers platform page.

DataAnnotation’s own Trust and Safety page says it will never ask you for money or any other form of payment, and warns that fraudsters have misused its brand. Our scam checklist covers what to check before you apply anywhere in this market.

Red Pen Jobs is independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for DataAnnotation in any way, and we do not recruit on its behalf.