369 roles openBrowse roles
| Mercor | micro1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Reported pay | $60–$250/hr | $40–$120/hr |
| Best for | Credentialed experts — MDs, JDs, PhDs, senior engineers, finance professionals | Software engineers, especially with competitive-programming experience |
| Screening | Recorded AI interview, 15–30 minutes, after a CV upload | AI interview plus a technical assessment |
| Payment | Per project cadence, typically every two weeks | Monthly or per engagement |
| Countries | Global, though the highest-rate listings are often US-locked | Global, with strong representation outside the US |
| The catch | The hardest screen of any of them, and being accepted does not mean work is waiting. | Engineering-focused, so there is little here for non-technical fields. |
| Apply to Mercor | Apply to micro1 |
Some links on this page are referral links, which pay this site if you are hired. It costs you nothing and does not change your rate. See the disclosure below.
For engineers, this is a real choice. micro1 is engineering-first with a technical screen to match; Mercor spans every profession and pays more at the top. Engineers outside the US often find micro1 easier to get started with.
The honest answer for most people is both. Applying is free, approval on one platform tells you nothing about the other, and the gap between being accepted and being matched to a project is where people lose momentum. This board tracks all 369 public Mercor listings, so you can see what is actually open before you spend an evening on an interview.
FAQ
Yes, and most experienced contributors do. Approval on one platform does not guarantee available work, so running two smooths out the gaps. The only thing to watch is a conflict of interest on a specific project, which the platforms will tell you about.
Mercor advertises $60–$250/hr and micro1 advertises $40–$120/hr. Those are ranges rather than offers — the top of either goes to the most credentialed applicants. What you are actually offered depends far more on your background than on which platform you pick.
Mercor screens with: recorded ai interview, 15–30 minutes, after a cv upload. micro1 screens with: ai interview plus a technical assessment. Neither is a formality. The most common reason people fail either is rushing the assessment rather than lacking the background.
Mercor pays per project cadence, typically every two weeks. micro1 pays monthly or per engagement. Both are reliable on approved work; delays are usually about work being approved rather than the payment itself.
Mercor: global, though the highest-rate listings are often us-locked. micro1: global, with strong representation outside the us. Check the eligibility line on an individual listing before spending time on an assessment — it varies by project, not just by platform.