DataAnnotation suits generalists who want one assessment and no per-role applications, and it pays through PayPal. Mercor suits people with a professional background who want a posted role with its rate stated, and it pays weekly. Neither states a guaranteed number of hours. From each platform’s own pages, read 6 November 2026.
DataAnnotation and Mercor side by side
| DataAnnotation | Mercor | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Surge Labs, Inc., per its contract terms | Mercor.io Corporation, San Francisco, per its terms |
| How you apply | One Starter Assessment, about an hour for general work and one to two hours for specialised tracks; ID check through Persona | Resume, any role assessments, work-authorisation check, then an AI interview of about 20 minutes |
| Stated pay | Starting rate per track: $25 to $50 general, $25 to $40 multilingual, $40 to $150+ coding, $40 to $125+ STEM and professional | $15–350 an hour across hourly roles; median ceiling $95 |
| How and when paid | PayPal, in US dollars, deposits within a few days of a request | Weekly, Wednesdays, through Stripe or Wise |
| Who can apply | A bachelor’s degree or equivalent real-world experience, plus fluent English; no country list published | Mercor’s list of 107 supported countries, plus any limit a role sets |
| Contractor status | Independent contractor; you pay your own income and self-employment tax | Contractor; Mercor deducts no tax |
| Fees | No signup fees | Standard Stripe payouts are free; instant payouts carry a 1.0% fee |
Which pays more, DataAnnotation or Mercor?
Neither platform publishes what a typical worker earns. These are the rates each states.
DataAnnotation’s FAQ gives a starting rate per track. General work starts at $25 to $50 an hour and coding at $40 to $150+. It does not say what moves a worker above a starting rate.
Mercor puts a rate on each posting. Of its 181 roles open now on this site, 177 list an hourly rate, running $15–350 an hour. The median advertised ceiling is $95.
Mercor’s contracts page says a deliverable-based contract has no minimum hourly guarantee. Compare the roles you would take.
Which is easier to get into?
Neither publishes an acceptance rate. They screen differently.
DataAnnotation’s Starter Assessment is free and can be taken once, with no retake. Its FAQ says the result comes by email within a few days. It also says DataAnnotation cannot reply to every applicant, so silence is a possible outcome.
Mercor asks for more up front: a resume, any role assessments and a work-authorisation check. Its AI interview can be retaken up to three times. Mercor gives no general time to a decision and no feedback on individual applications.
Who is each one for?
DataAnnotation’s tracks cover chatbot response review, comparing AI outputs, coding, and STEM or professional review in law, finance and medicine. STEM work asks for a master’s or PhD, or a bachelor’s plus ten years in the field. Professional work asks for a licence. The general track fits a generalist who wants to skip per-role applications and work irregular hours with no minimum.
Mercor’s postings describe specific roles, often tied to a profession such as engineer, accountant, clinician or lawyer. It fits someone whose background matches a posting and who wants the rate stated before applying.
How and when does each pay?
DataAnnotation pays through PayPal only, and its FAQ says deposits arrive within a few days of a request. Rejected work is unpaid, per its contract terms.
Mercor’s payments page says wages are released every Wednesday at about noon Pacific time, for the previous week. Stripe holds a first payout for 7 days. Bonuses and work-trial pay follow a separate schedule.
Is either one a scam?
Both are run by named companies. DataAnnotation’s contract terms name Surge Labs, Inc. Mercor’s terms name Mercor.io Corporation.
DataAnnotation’s Trust and Safety page says fraudsters have misused its brand and that it never takes payment from workers. Trustpilot showed 1,979 reviews at an average of 3.8 on 6 November 2026. Bloomberg Law reported a proposed class action against Surge Labs on 20 May 2025, alleging worker misclassification. We do not know its status.
Mercor said that a security incident began in late March 2026 and affected a very small subset of its experts. The detail is in Is Mercor legit. For the other platform, read Is DataAnnotation legit.
How this site is paid
We do not list DataAnnotation, and we earn nothing if you apply there. If you are hired through Mercor after applying from a link here, Mercor pays this site a referral fee. Your pay is unaffected.
Browse the Mercor roles open now.
What neither publishes
- An acceptance rate.
- How many hours of work a hired person can expect.
- What a typical worker earns.
- Whether an assessment or interview is paid time.
This site is not affiliated with DataAnnotation or Mercor, and passing either screening is not a promise of work.