I work on Mercor. I have not worked on micro1, so everything about micro1 below comes from micro1's own documentation, linked at the end. The rates, countries and requirements come from the 161 listings open on AI Gigs Daily on 22 September 2026: 86 on Mercor, 75 on micro1.
The short version
- Median hourly rate: $82.50 on Mercor, $65 on micro1.
- 67% of Mercor listings are open worldwide and 22% are for the USA only. 89% of micro1 listings are open in 58 countries.
- 30% of Mercor listings ask for an advanced degree or senior experience, against 65% on micro1.
- Mercor pays every week through Stripe. micro1 pays twice a month through Deel.
- Both hire through an interview run by an AI.
Mercor and micro1 at a glance
| Mercor | micro1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Open listings (22 Sep 2026) | 86 | 75 |
| Median hourly rate | $82.50 | $65 |
| Middle half of hourly rates | $50 to $125 | $40 to $110 |
| Listings at $100/hr or more | 38% (31 of 82) | 26% (19 of 72) |
| Countries | 67% open worldwide, 22% USA only | 89% open in 58 countries |
| Advanced degree or senior experience required | 30% | 65% |
| Weekly hours | Set per project. 33 of the 50 listings that state hours mention about 40 a week | About 15 to 20 a week, per micro1 |
| Interview | 15 to 20 minute video interview with an AI | Interview with micro1's AI interviewer, Zara |
| Pay frequency | Every week, on Wednesday | Twice a month |
| Payment provider | Stripe, or Wise where Stripe is not available | Deel |
| Currency | USD, converted to your local currency | USD |
Which one pays more?
On the listings open on 22 September 2026, Mercor's median hourly rate is $82.50 and micro1's is $65. The gap comes mostly from expert roles. For entry-level and student listings, the two are close.
| Median hourly rate by level | Mercor | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| No experience needed | $18 (8 listings) | $17.25 (12 listings) |
| Students & graduates | $50 (21) | $55 (17) |
| Tech & data | $87.50 (28) | $67.50 (19) |
| Expert | $180 (25) | $132.25 (24) |
A listing's rate is a range set by the platform. Your own rate depends on the project and your profile.
Which one is open to more countries?
On Mercor, 58 of the 86 open listings are open worldwide, and 19 are reserved for people in the USA. On micro1, 67 of the 75 open listings are open in 58 countries. Always check the countries on the listing before you apply: every listing on AI Gigs Daily shows them.
Which one asks for more qualifications?
micro1 leans toward experienced profiles: 49 of its 75 open listings ask for an advanced degree or senior experience. On Mercor, 26 of 86 do. Both platforms also post listings with no degree required.
How does hiring work on each?
Mercor: you send a CV, your LinkedIn profile and an ID document, then take a 15 to 20 minute video interview with an AI, sometimes with a logic or language test. In my experience the answer takes one to two weeks, then a background check and the payout setup take about a week. I describe every step in How hiring works on Mercor.
micro1: candidates are interviewed by micro1's AI interviewer, called Zara. Once accepted, micro1 asks you to complete your profile on Deel, pass an identity check (KYC) and a background check before you start.
How and when do they pay?
Mercor pays every Wednesday for the previous week, through Stripe, or through Wise in countries where Stripe is not available. The contract is in US dollars, converted to your local currency. The very first payout is held for seven days.
micro1 pays in US dollars twice a month, through Deel, which also handles the contract. Depending on the contract, you are paid by the hour, per task, or a flat fee per approved task.
On both, you work as an independent contractor and declare the income yourself, following the rules of your country.
Should you apply to Mercor or micro1?
Both, if listings on each match your profile. Rejections are common on these platforms, so several applications give you better odds than a single one. Start with the listings open in your country and whose requirements you meet.
How these numbers were calculated
- Base: every listing open on AI Gigs Daily on 22 September 2026, 86 from Mercor and 75 from micro1.
- Hourly rates: the middle of the range published on each listing. Listings paid per task or as a one-time fee are left out (4 on Mercor, 3 on micro1).
- Countries, hours and requirements: as stated on each listing.
- Payment, hours and onboarding: from each platform's official documentation, linked below.
Sources
- Mercor, Payments (talent documentation): weekly schedule, Stripe and Wise, currency, first payout hold.
- micro1, Working at micro1: FAQs: pay twice a month in USD, Deel, weekly hours, onboarding checks, contract types.
- micro1, Zara: an LLM-based candidate interview feedback system (research paper by the micro1 team): the AI interviewer.
- AI Gigs Daily listings open on 22 September 2026.
- My own experience on Mercor, in How hiring works on Mercor.
If you sign up through one of my links, the platform shows Ulysse Chailley as the person who referred you. That's me. The platform pays me a referral fee if you get hired. It costs you nothing and your pay is exactly the same. The platforms listed here do not charge candidates. If anyone asks you to pay for one of these gigs, it is not the platform.