Mercor has 8 open roles for researchers and academics on this site today, at $45–120 an hour. SME Careers has 12 open roles, at up to $110 an hour. Both figures come from the live postings, checked each morning. How each platform screens and pays comes from its own pages.
Mercor and SME Careers for researchers and academics
| Mercor | SME Careers | |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles | 8 | 12 |
| Openings the postings state | 1,060 | 12 |
| Hourly pay as stated | $45–120 | up to $110 |
| Median hourly ceiling | $60 | $70 |
| Paid per task or session | 1 | 0 |
| Screening | Assessments and an AI interview of about 20 minutes | A CV-based application, a recorded AI video interview of about 15 minutes, then a review by SME's team |
| Paid | Weekly, on Wednesdays, via Stripe | Weekly, through Deel, for approved work |
A listed rate tells you what a role pays, not how many hours of work reach you. Neither platform's pages promise a set number of hours.
Open roles for researchers and academics on each
Best-paid Mercor roles for researchers and academics open now
The 5 highest-paid of 8 open Mercor roles for researchers and academics this site lists today, with the pay each posting states.
Best-paid SME Careers roles for researchers and academics open now
The 5 highest-paid of 12 open SME Careers roles for researchers and academics this site lists today, with the pay each posting states.
Which one to apply to
Apply to Mercor if:
- The role title names your background.
- Your country is on the role’s list and on Mercor’s supported list.
Apply to SME Careers if:
- You hold a degree or work in the field.
- Deel can pay people in your country.
You can apply to both.
Read more
- The full comparison: Mercor vs SME Careers: stated rates or country maximums
- Every open role for researchers and academics, on every platform
- What AI evaluation work asks of academics and researchers
- The Mercor and SME Careers platform pages
If you're hired through a link here and start paid work, Mercor pays this site a referral fee. Your pay is unaffected. If you're hired through a link here and start paid work, SME Careers pays this site a share of what you earn. Your pay is unaffected.
Red Pen Jobs is independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for Mercor or SME Careers in any way, and we do not recruit on its behalf.