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Mercor and Scale AI both pay experts to train AI models, but you meet them in different ways. Mercor is a job board of individual listings that show the rate and need an AI interview. Scale AI reaches most contributors through Outlier, its own platform, plus a smaller expert fellowship on its careers board.
Every fact below comes from each company's own pages, read side by side on 2026-10-13. DigiNo earns a referral from Mercor, so we kept this to what each side publishes and flagged the problems on both.
Mercor vs Scale AI at a Glance
| Mercor | Scale AI | |
|---|---|---|
| How you find work | Public listings, each with its own rate and requirements | Mostly through Outlier, a platform Scale AI operates; expert fellowships and roles on Scale's careers board |
| Open roles on 2026-10-13 | 286 listings on the public feed | 184 roles on the careers board, 16 of them Human Frontier Collective fellowships |
| How you get in | Resume, assessments and an AI interview of about 20 minutes, with up to three retakes | Outlier onboarding of 30 to 90 minutes with skill screenings and an ID check |
| Education | Set per listing | Outlier asks for at least an associate degree |
| Pay shown | On every listing | Outlier shows the rate before you start a project; fellowship pay is shared when you are matched |
| Payday | Every Wednesday for the previous week, through Stripe or Wise | Outlier pays every Tuesday, through PayPal, Airtm or ACH |
| Work status | Independent contractor on most listings; some listings are W-2 jobs through a partner company | Independent contractor on Outlier; 1099 contractor for fellows |
Sources: Mercor public job listings, Mercor apply guide, Mercor AI interview, Mercor payments, Outlier FAQ, Scale AI careers board, Scale AI STEM Fellow.
How Mercor Works for Workers
Mercor runs a public feed of role listings. On 2026-10-13 it had 286, led by science, software engineering, and languages and audio. Each one names its rate and whether it is hourly or per task.
You upload a resume, complete the assessments a role needs and verify your work authorization. Most roles use an AI interview of about 20 minutes, and Mercor says it is the standard and only screening method. You can retake an interview up to three times, and a passed assessment carries over to similar roles.
Mercor pays hourly contractors every Wednesday for the previous work week. Standard payouts through Stripe are free, and an optional instant payout costs 1 percent. Mercor does not deduct tax, so you handle your own.
Some listings are different. A few science and math roles on the feed were W-2 jobs through a company called Cincinnatus LLC, placed with an AI lab.
Sources: Mercor apply guide, Mercor AI interview, Mercor payments, Mercor taxes, Mercor public job listings.
How Scale AI Works for Workers
Outlier's FAQ says it is a platform operated by Scale AI. That is where most people do Scale AI contract work: writing prompts, ranking AI outputs and improving responses. Outlier warns that available projects may not match your field.
Outlier onboarding takes 30 to 90 minutes, with skill screenings and an identity check, followed by training for each project. You need a valid ID and phone number from your country of residence, a resume, a LinkedIn profile and at least an associate degree.
Outlier pays weekly on Tuesdays through PayPal, Airtm or ACH bank transfer. Rates vary by expertise, project and location, and you see the rate before you start. There is no minimum number of hours.
Scale AI also hires experts directly. Its Human Frontier Collective fellowships are for PhDs, postdocs and professors, paid as 1099 contractors with no fixed end date, and the US listings require US work authorization. A part-time Subject Matter Expert role in the US and Canada audits quality and writes rubrics.
For more on Outlier itself, read our Outlier review.
Sources: Outlier FAQ, Scale AI STEM Fellow, Scale AI Subject Matter Expert.
Problems on Both Sides
Neither is trouble-free. These are the sourced issues a worker should know about.
Scale AI Contractor Settlement
A class action in San Francisco Superior Court, McKinney v. Scale AI, was brought by former independent contractors of Scale AI and Smart Ecosystem, and it alleges wage and hour violations. Outlier's website footer names Smart Ecosystems. The defendants deny it and say contributors are independent contractors. The court has preliminarily approved a settlement, with a final approval hearing set for 2026-10-30.
Scale AI Sued Mercor
In September 2025, Scale AI sued Mercor and a former Scale employee, alleging he took confidential customer files to Mercor. Mercor's co-founder denied using any Scale data and said Mercor had offered to have the files destroyed. The dispute is between the two companies, and the coverage does not describe any effect on contractors. Check current court records for where it stands.
Sources: McKinney v. Scale AI settlement site, TechCrunch, 2025-09-03.
What Workers Say on Reddit
We read threads in the Outlier subreddit that compare it with Mercor, from April to August 2026.
- Replies are split. In one thread, some said both are inconsistent, one saw more medical projects on Outlier, and others said they had more projects and pay on Mercor.
- One trainer on both said the quiet spells last longer than the busy ones on each platform.
- One trainer removed from Outlier by an automated ban said their Mercor and Alignerr applications then sat in waitlists for weeks.
- The most repeated advice is to join several platforms, because experiences vary so much.
Sources: r/outlier_ai thread, r/outlier_ai thread, r/alignerr thread.
Find AI Training Work That Fits You
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Which Should You Choose?
Choose by your background and how you like to work. Mercor suits people who want to read the rate and requirements before applying, and who have a professional field that matches a listing. Outlier suits people who want to sign up once, then take the projects they are offered.
You do not have to choose one. Trainers on Reddit often advise joining more than one platform, because projects on each open and close.
Not sure where your field fits? The AI Training Job Matcher asks two questions and points you to our top pick.
DigiNo earns a referral if you join Ethos or Mercor through our links. We have no link with Scale AI or Outlier.
Mercor vs Scale AI FAQ
Is Mercor or Scale AI better for AI training work?
It depends on how you like to work. Mercor shows the rate on each listing and screens with an AI interview. Scale AI reaches most workers through Outlier, which onboards you once and then offers projects, with the rate shown before each one.
Is Outlier part of Scale AI?
Yes. Outlier's own FAQ says it is a platform operated by Scale AI, and its footer names Smart Ecosystems.
How do Mercor and Scale AI pay?
Mercor pays hourly contractors every Wednesday for the previous week through Stripe or Wise. Outlier pays weekly on Tuesdays through PayPal, Airtm or ACH bank transfer.
Why did Scale AI sue Mercor?
In September 2025 Scale AI sued Mercor and a former employee, alleging confidential customer files were taken to Mercor. Mercor denied using any Scale data. The case is between the companies.
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