AI Training Job Platforms Compared (2026): Pay, Referral Programs and What We Verified
One table, no hype. For each platform we list what the vendor itself publishes about pay, whether a referral program exists and who can use it, and whether StackPick has a verified referral link. Where a cell says "no public rate card", the platform shows rates only after you qualify — we do not invent a number.
Sources checked 2026-09-02.
| Platform | What the vendor publishes about pay | Referral program | StackPick link | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hub.xyz entry-level friendly |
US$5 per approved hour (published in API) | US$0.50 per approved L1 hour + US$0.25 per L2 hour; link from any account |
Hub.xyz →
Verified referral — StackPick may earn a commission |
Read review |
| Crowtado entry-level friendly |
Voice examples US$18–40/hour advertised; payout from US$10 | US$10 after the referred contributor completes US$50 in tasks |
Crowtado →
Verified referral — StackPick may earn a commission |
Read review |
| micro1 | Set per role and shown on each posting; no public rate card | Open to anyone at refer.micro1.ai; flat amount per role (up to US$3,000) after 10 hours or 1 task |
micro1 →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| Mindrift (Toloka) entry-level friendly |
US$15–30/hour entry level; US$60–100+ for domain experts; paid twice a month | No public referral program found |
Mindrift (Toloka) →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| Outlier (Scale AI) | Per project; no public rate card | Dashboard-only, for contributors with an account; bonus amounts not published |
Outlier (Scale AI) →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| DataAnnotation | Most projects US$20–30+/hour; coding up to US$60; specialized US$50–100+ (official blog) | Invite-only Referrals tab for some workers; small cap; login required |
DataAnnotation →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| Alignerr (Labelbox) | Per project; no public rate card | Contributor-only link; US$25 + US$125 after 10 hours reported by third parties, unconfirmed |
Alignerr (Labelbox) →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| Handshake AI | Per project, time-tracked; paid via Stripe; no public rate card | Active contractors only; qualified after 10 paid hours within 6 months (terms updated Aug 2026) |
Handshake AI →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| Clickworker entry-level friendly |
Per task; price shown before you accept; no hourly rate | €5 / US$5 once your friend has been paid €10 / US$10 (official support article) |
Clickworker →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| CrowdGen by Appen entry-level friendly |
Per project; no public rate card; 200 countries claimed | No public referral program found |
CrowdGen by Appen →
Direct link — no commission |
Read review |
| Claru entry-level friendly |
No public contributor rate | Not found |
Claru →
Direct link — no commission |
— |
How to read this table
"Entry-level friendly" means the platform accepts contributors without a degree or professional credential for at least some tasks. Referral rows describe the vendor's own program for contributors; "dashboard-only" means you must already be an accepted worker to get a link. Sources and verification dates are on each review page.
StackPick earns a commission only through the two verified links (Hub and Crowtado). Every other button on this site goes to the official site with no tracking. Approved work, not advertised rates, is what gets paid.