What does AI training pay in finance?
Experienced finance professionals are usually offered $60-$150/h for AI training work, and up to ~$250/h for investment banking, private equity and quant roles. Each project sets its own rate, based on the type of work and the client.
How much does each finance specialism pay?
| Specialism | Typical rate | Top of range |
|---|---|---|
| Investment banking and private equity | $100-$180/h | ~$250/h |
| Quant and hedge funds | $120-$200/h | ~$235/h |
| Equity research and asset management | $80-$150/h | ~$200/h |
| Fixed income | $100-$180/h | ~$180/h |
| Tax | $80-$140/h | ~$200/h |
| Accounting and audit | $60-$100/h | ~$140/h |
| Corporate finance and FP&A | $50-$100/h | ~$150/h |
| Economics | $70-$120/h | ~$250/h |
| Personal finance (UK, Canada) | $90-$110/h | ~$110/h |
These are the rates platforms list, not what people earned.
How much does each platform pay?
Some links on this page are referral links. Disclosure
| Platform | Finance median | Range seen | Pay model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercor (opens in a new tab) | ~$100/h | $40-$210/h | Mostly hourly, some per task |
| micro1 (opens in a new tab) | ~$94/h | $15-$300/h | Hourly, per task or flat fee |
| AfterQuery (opens in a new tab) | ~$112/h | $50-$200/h | Hourly (approved hours) |
| Ethos (opens in a new tab) (askethos.com) | ~$100/h | $70-$120/h | Per project |
| Handshake AI (opens in a new tab) | ~$80/h | Not published | Hourly |
| DataAnnotation (opens in a new tab) | Not published | $40-$125/h | Hourly |
| Alignerr (opens in a new tab) | Not published | $20-$40 per task, up to ~$150/h | Hourly or per task |
| Outlier (opens in a new tab) | Not published | Up to $90/h | Hourly |
Updated 6 October 2026.
What does the rate depend on?
Each project has its own rate. It depends mostly on the type of work: complex work, like writing difficult prompts, pays more than simpler work like labelling. Your experience and specialism also play a role. Some AI companies pay more than others for similar work.
What will I earn in practice?
Your monthly income depends on your hourly rate and on how many hours you work on your projects.
- The amount of work can change from week to week. Some weeks a project has plenty of tasks and you can work many hours, other weeks fewer.
- Some projects pay only for approved work.
- With per-task pay, a task priced at one hour can take you more or less time.
- Applications and tests are unpaid. In our experience onboarding is usually paid, but not always.
- Pay is in US dollars and converted to your currency. Instant payouts can cost a small fee.
- Platforms usually don't withhold tax for contractors outside the US, so you declare the income yourself.
An example: an accountant at $85/h who works 15 hours a week for 4 weeks earns $5,100 before tax.
How do we collect this data?
We track open and recently closed finance roles on the main platforms and record the posted rate, location and requirements, with the date. We don't publish individual earnings claims. How we work
Frequently asked questions
Why do listings show such wide ranges?
Rates depend on seniority, specialism, the type of work and the client.
Do rates change over time?
Yes, they move with demand. Rates for senior expert work have held up so far, and specialist work keeps paying more than general work. We keep this page up to date.
Can I negotiate my rate?
Usually not. Each project sets its own rate.
Your next step
Sources (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Mercor: Finance experts page, Payments
- Listing medians: aitrainer.work job pages, tracked 5 and 6 October 2026
- micro1: Personal Finance Expert (UK), on micro1 opportunities
- DataAnnotation: finance roles