Are Mercor and micro1 the same company?

No. They are separate companies that do similar work. Both recruit experts to evaluate and train AI models for labs and enterprises. Mercor was founded in 2023 by Brendan Foody, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha and is based in San Francisco. micro1 is led by founder and CEO Ali Ansari.

Which pays more, micro1 or Mercor?

Mercor advertises more. A September 2026 census of job listings found a $77.50 median at Mercor and $60 at micro1. These are rates from job postings. They leave out unpaid onboarding, qualification tests and platform fees, so what you earn per hour of total effort can be lower.

Yes. It is a real company with customers that include OpenAI and Anthropic, and a $10B valuation from October 2025. Legit does not mean steady. Contractors report gaps between projects, and Mercor disclosed a data breach in March 2026 that reportedly exposed contractor information. Under its published policy it does not charge workers fees.

Yes. It raised a $35M Series A at a $500M valuation in September 2025. It does not charge workers, and you should expect an identity check and a background check before your first payment. Its Trustpilot score moved from about 2.2 in October 2025 to about 4.7 in August 2026, so read recent reviews instead of old ones.

Can I work for micro1 and Mercor at the same time?

One guide says neither platform has an exclusivity clause, so yes. Read each contract, and keep projects separate if a client has confidentiality terms.

How long does the micro1 or Mercor interview take?

micro1's AI interview is reported at 15 to 30 minutes. Mercor's is reported at anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes depending on the source. Both use an AI interviewer.

How do micro1 and Mercor pay?

Mercor pays weekly through Stripe, or Wise where Stripe is not supported. micro1's schedule is reported two ways: twice a month through Deel in an October 2026 guide, and weekly through Wise or Stripe in a May 2026 guide. Confirm the schedule in your contract before you start.

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micro1 vs Mercor

micro1 vs Mercor for AI trainers: listed pay, interview length, payment schedule, work stability and who should apply to which.

Figures checked November 9, 2026

The short version

Mercor advertises the higher pay. A September 2026 census of job listings found a median of $77.50 an hour at Mercor against $60 at micro1. micro1 is easier to get into and is described as offering steadier work. Mercor is stricter, pays more at the top end, and disclosed a data breach in March 2026 that is now the subject of a class action. You can apply to both. One guide reports no exclusivity clause on either platform, so the cost is a couple of AI interviews. Read your contract before you rely on that.

How micro1 vs Mercor compares

micro1 vs Mercor, checked 2026. Pay figures are advertised or reported rates, not guaranteed earnings.
Attribute	MiMicro1	MeMercor
Pay and payment
Median advertised rate	$60/hr across 401 listings with a usable rate. The middle half of listings run $40 to $90/hr.	Better here$77.50/hr across 1,244 listings. The middle half run $50 to $100/hr. (Census of job listings, 8 Sept 2026.)
Rates for senior experts	Most roles pay $40 to $90/hr. A tail reaches about $150/hr for senior engineering and specialist work. One guide reports up to $500/hr for rare medical and finance specialisms.	Better hereCommonly cited at $80 to $150/hr, with $200+/hr at the top for senior domain experts. One guide estimates Mercor pays top experts 30 to 50% more for equivalent work.
Payment schedule	Sources disagree. An October 2026 guide says twice a month. A May 2026 guide says weekly. Check what your contract says.	Better hereWeekly. The pay week runs Saturday to Friday and money arrives around the following Wednesday. One review says the first Stripe payout is held for 7 days.
Payment provider	Deel, according to one guide. Another says Wise or Stripe. Identity verification and a background check come before your first payment.	Stripe, or Wise where Stripe is not supported.
Fees charged to workers	None reported.	None under Mercor's published policy.
Getting in
Interview	Better hereAn adaptive AI interview called Zara. Reports put it at 15 to 30 minutes, with live coding for engineers.	An AI-led video interview. Accounts range from about 20 minutes to 90 minutes, and one says you can retake it.
How selective it is	Better hereLenient. One guide says most applicants with verifiable credentials get through, and strong writers without a specialty can place.	Strict. One guide says most applicants are rejected and generalists rarely place. Credentials like a PhD, an MD, a JD or five years at a top firm help.
Wait after you pass	Better hereYou apply to specific roles yourself, so the wait depends on how many open roles fit you.	You are matched to projects. Reported waits for a first engagement run from two to six weeks.
Work and stability
How you find projects	You browse open roles and apply.	Matching is algorithmic and, according to one guide, you generally cannot pick engagements.
Typical work	Code evaluation in Python, TypeScript, Go and Rust, RLHF preference labeling, analyst-style review, agent training and robotics data programs.	Expert evaluation and red-teaming for frontier labs and enterprises: medical reasoning, legal analysis, graduate-level math and senior code review.
Work stability	Better hereDescribed as more continuous. Some contractors stay with one client for months.	Often uneven. Engagements of two to six weeks followed by gaps are common, per one guide.
Time tracking	Depends on the project: hourly, per task or flat fee.	Desktop app with periodic screenshots on hourly work. One review says no manual time entry and a weekly billable-hour cap.
Working for both	No exclusivity clause reported.	No exclusivity clause reported.
Trust and risk
Public reviews	Better hereTrustpilot about 4.7/5 in August 2026, up from about 2.2 in October 2025. Glassdoor 4.5/5.	Trustpilot 4.1/5 from about 226 reviews in August 2026.
Security incident	Better hereNone reported in the sources we checked.	Disclosed a data breach on 31 March 2026, traced to a compromised LiteLLM package. Reports say up to 4 TB of internal data was exposed, including contractor personal information. Several contractors have sued. Those claims are allegations.
Most common complaint	Being accepted and then waiting for work.	The same wait for work. Contractors also told The Verge, New York Magazine and Wired about stressful management and declining pay.
Company
Funding	$35M Series A at a $500M valuation (September 2025). Forbes reported a later round of more than $100M at about $4B, citing people familiar with the deal.	$350M Series C at a $10B valuation (October 2025).
Scale	Reported $500M gross run rate in August 2026.	Reported $2B gross annualised run rate in July 2026. About 30,000 contractors as of October 2025.

Which one should you pick

Pick Micro1 if

You want a shorter interview and a better chance of getting through
You would rather pick specific roles than wait to be matched
You are a software engineer who is comfortable with live coding
Steady hours matter more to you than the top rate

Pick Mercor if

You hold senior credentials: a PhD, MD, JD or years at a top firm
You want the highest advertised rates and can live with gaps between projects
You are fine with desktop time tracking and screenshots on hourly work

If you hold senior credentials, such as a PhD, an MD, a JD or years at a top firm, apply to Mercor first. That is where the highest rates show up, and the listing data backs it: a $17.50 an hour gap between the two medians. If you are earlier in your career, want more say over which projects you take, or want a better shot at getting through screening, start with micro1. Do not plan around the top-end figures. They are advertised rates, and the most common complaint on both platforms is passing the screen and then waiting for work. If you are careful about where your ID and personal details sit, weigh Mercor's March 2026 breach before you upload anything. One guide reports that neither platform has an exclusivity clause. If your contracts agree, applying to both is the cheapest way to find out which one sends you work.

Pros and cons

Micro1: what works

Easier to get through screening
More open roles at once, and you choose which to apply to
Work is described as steadier, with some contractors staying months with one client
Senior engineering and specialist roles reach about $150/hr
No breach on record in the sources we checked

Mercor: what works