How Much Do AI Training Jobs Pay? Real Rates From Every Open Listing
By Artificial Jobs · Published · Data updated
AI training jobs pay a median of $90/hr at the top of their posted range, based on 287 live listings on micro1 with posted pay as of November 2026. Rates run from $6/hr for simple recording and transcription gigs to $400/hr for specialist attorneys and PhD researchers. Credentials are the single biggest driver: roles for lawyers, doctors, scientists and finance professionals have a median top rate of $125/hr, against $30/hr for generalist and language roles.
How AI training pay is distributed
Most listings cluster between $60 and $200 an hour. Here is how the 287 hourly listings break down by the top of their range:
| Top of posted range | Listings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30/hr | 12 | 4% |
| $30–$59/hr | 39 | 14% |
| $60–$99/hr | 101 | 35% |
| $100–$199/hr | 91 | 32% |
| $200/hr and up | 44 | 15% |
Pay by field
Science & Research pays the most, with a median top rate of $200/hr. Robotics pays the least at $30/hr. Fields with at least three hourly listings:
| Field | Listings | Median top rate | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science & Research | 24 | $200/hr | $400/hr |
| Law | 54 | $170/hr | $400/hr |
| Finance | 19 | $120/hr | $350/hr |
| AI & Machine Learning | 14 | $120/hr | $140/hr |
| Medicine | 22 | $115/hr | $125/hr |
| Arts & Design | 5 | $105/hr | $105/hr |
| Software Engineering | 32 | $100/hr | $300/hr |
| Data Analysis | 5 | $100/hr | $350/hr |
| Applied Engineering | 14 | $90/hr | $150/hr |
| Business Operations | 12 | $90/hr | $350/hr |
| Specialist | 66 | $80/hr | $140/hr |
| Sales & Marketing | 9 | $40/hr | $350/hr |
| Generalist | 19 | $36/hr | $60/hr |
| Languages & Audio | 16 | $30/hr | $70/hr |
| Robotics | 13 | $30/hr | $50/hr |
What pushes the rate up
Professional credentials
AI labs pay for judgment a non-expert can’t supply: whether a contract clause is enforceable, whether a dosing note is safe, whether a proof holds. That is why licensed and doctoral roles sit at the top of the table. Listings in these fields usually ask for a license, board certification or a PhD in the title itself.
Scarce languages and specialisms
Language roles pay more when fewer qualified speakers exist. The best-paid language listings right now are English Voice Recording ($20–$70/hr) and Voice Actor/Coaches ($30–$70/hr).
Demand
233 of 329 open roles are flagged high demand by micro1. These are the roles most likely to move applicants quickly from interview to paid work.
Salaried roles
Not everything is hourly. 36 listings are full-time positions with stated base salaries from $80K to $350K a year, mostly research and engineering staff roles.
What the posted rate doesn’t tell you
- It’s the top of a range. Figures here are the top of each posted range; starting rates can be lower.
- Hours aren’t guaranteed. This is project-based contract work. Passing the interview puts you in the pool; it doesn’t promise a set number of hours.
- Location limits apply. Many roles are open only to applicants in certain countries, which each listing states.
Browse the full list of open roles, ranked by pay, or see our micro1 review for how the hiring process works. For a citable monthly snapshot with a CSV download, see the micro1 Pay Index.
Source: every open listing in micro1’s referral job feed and its public job pages (jobs.micro1.ai), refreshed daily. Rates are the top of each listing’s posted hourly range. Salaried figures are the base salary stated in the listing.