u/No-Impress-8446

Just wanted to share a new platform I’ve been looking into recently (with referral link):

👉 https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/handshake-ai-training-jobs-2026-pay-roles-how-it-works/

It’s Handshake AI, and it’s part of a larger US-based career platform used by universities and early-career professionals.

From what I’ve seen:

• AI training / evaluation work
• Fellowship-style (you apply → get matched to projects)
• Pay can be quite high (some roles $75–$150+/hr, even higher for specialists) (Handshake)
• Focus on more “qualified” profiles (not basic microtasks)

Important things to know:

• Mostly US-focused (you usually need US work authorization) (Handshake)
• Work is NOT guaranteed (project-based, like Mercor / similar platforms) (fonzi.ai)
• Selection can be quite strict

This is NOT a typical data annotation site.

It’s closer to “expert-based AI training work”

Meaning:

• less volume
• higher pay
• but harder to get in

If you have a background in:
• STEM
• Finance
• Law
• Writing / content
• or any specific domain

Disclosure: Some links on this page may be referral links. If you choose to apply through them, it may help support this site at no additional cost to you.

Another company that appears quite often in AI training work is TransPerfect.

Many of the projects run through their DataForce platform, where contributors work on tasks like:

• data annotation
• linguistic labeling
• transcription
• content evaluation
• multilingual AI training

A lot of projects are language-specific, so native speakers are often preferred.

It’s more structured than many microtask platforms because TransPerfect works on long-term contracts with large tech companies.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/transperfect-ai-training-jobs-review-2026-tasks-pay-and-what-to-expect/

RLHF

It stands for Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback.

In simple terms, it means training AI models using human evaluations.

For example:
humans compare two AI responses and decide which one is better.
That feedback is then used to improve the model.

Many AI training tasks (response ranking, evaluation, safety review) are basically part of this process.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/what-is-rlhf-explained-simply-for-ai-workers/

One niche that’s starting to appear more often in AI training work is journalism and research evaluation.

Instead of simple data labeling, the tasks can involve:

• fact-checking AI responses
• verifying sources
• checking bias or neutrality
• reviewing research summaries

It’s actually closer to editorial or research work than typical annotation tasks.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/journalism-research-ai-training-jobs-tasks-pay-how-to-get-started-2026-guide/

Examples of domains that appear more often now:

• legal
• medical
• finance
• programming
• translation / linguistics

Generalist work still exists, but domain expertise often leads to better projects and higher pay.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/ai-training-jobs-by-domain-2026-guide/

Something many people overlook when starting AI training or data annotation work is how payments and taxes actually work.

Most platforms treat you as a contractor, not an employee.

That usually means:
• you fill out forms like W-9 or W-8BEN
• payments may be reported to the IRS
• you are responsible for declaring income in your country

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/getting-paid-on-ai-training-data-annotation-w9-w8ben-withholding/

If you work for US platforms, you might hear about tax treaties.

These agreements exist to prevent the same income from being taxed twice — once in the US and once in your home country.

In many cases they can reduce or eliminate the default US withholding tax that applies to payments to non-US workers.

I wrote a simple guide explaining how tax treaties work for remote workers and AI training platforms.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/us-tax-treaties-for-ai-training-jobs-double-taxation-explained/

If you work remotely for US companies or AI training platforms, you might eventually receive a 1099 or a 1042-S form.

Many people get confused about the difference.

In simple terms:

• 1099 → usually issued to US taxpayers
• 1042-S → usually issued to non-US workers

Both are information forms used to report payments to the IRS.

I wrote a simple guide explaining why you might receive one or the other.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/11099-vs-1042-s-understanding-u-s-tax-forms-you-might-get-as-a-remote-worker/

Something that confuses many people working on AI training or remote platforms is payment withholding.

Sometimes platforms temporarily hold payments because of things like:

• tax compliance
• identity verification
• payment provider checks
• fraud prevention systems

It doesn’t always mean there is a problem, but it can be frustrating if you don’t understand why it happens.

I wrote a simple guide explaining the most common reasons.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/why-platforms-withhold-a-simple-guide-for-ai-training-remote-workers/

Quick tip for anyone applying to SME Careers (SuperAnnotate):

After you complete the assessment, don’t just wait.

Come back after a few weeks and click on that string — that’s where you can actually see available roles.

A lot of people think there’s no work, but they just don’t check again after getting approved.

https://preview.redd.it/247t3g1gv1rg1.png?width=1077&format=png&auto=webp&s=278753b80dc7c844aee77bca77a31d62a553402c

Referral link for SME Careers (SuperAnnotate) Jobs

Examples:

• Legal Expert (US) → $40–115/hour
• Medical Expert → $40–90/hour
• German Data Trainer → up to $65/hour
• Italian Data Trainer → up to $40/hour
• Bilingual roles (India) → $8–20/hour

Also a lot of technical roles like:

• Go / Kotlin / C++ engineers → up to $50–55/hour

Big takeaway:
👉 same platform, completely different pay depending on skills + country

So it’s not really “one job”, it’s more like:

• low pay entry roles
• mid-level annotation
• high-paying expert work

Referral link on my website
https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/sme-careers-superannotate-ai-training-jobs-20-100-hour-remote-opportunities/

I found another platform offering AI training and data annotation work.

It’s called Rise Data Labs — this one is more similar to data annotation, but with a wider range of roles (including technical and domain expert work).

Pay varies a lot depending on the role:

- Entry-level annotation — ~$5–$10/hour

- AI content review — ~$15–$30/hour

- Technical / coding roles — ~$15–$50/hour

- Domain experts (engineering, science, etc.) — up to ~$60/hour

Some roles require experience (coding, STEM, etc.), but there are also beginner-friendly options.

It’s fully remote and open globally.

If you want to check it out, I added it here with details (NO REFERRAL):
https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/rise-data-labs-ai-training-annotation-jobs-remote-global/

Most people approach AI training jobs the wrong way.

They either:
• focus only on high-paying platforms
• or give up too early

But from what I’ve seen, there’s a much simpler strategy that actually works.

1. Start with smaller platforms
Not for the pay — for access.
Even lower-paying tasks help you:
• build experience
• understand how tasks work
• create a track record

2. Apply to bigger platforms early
Don’t wait until you’re “ready.”
Platforms like Mercor or Micro1 are harder to enter, but getting in early matters more than being perfect.

3. Move into specialized roles
This is where things change:
• engineering
• medical
• legal
• finance

Domain expertise = higher pay + better opportunities.

This isn’t a shortcut.
It’s a progression.

Most people fail because they treat it like a single application.

The ones who grow treat it like a pipeline.

If you want the full breakdown:
https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/simple-strategy-to-grow-in-ai-training-jobs/

If you work with AI training platforms or US companies, you’ll probably be asked to fill out a W-9 or W-8BEN tax form.

Many people get confused by this step.

The basic rule is simple:

• W-9 → for US citizens or residents
• W-8BEN → for non-US workers

These forms help companies determine how payments should be reported or taxed.

I wrote a short step-by-step guide explaining how to fill them out.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/how-to-fill-out-us-tax-forms-w-9-vs-w-8ben-step-by-step/

I’ve been researching AI training jobs for a while and put together a list of companies that offer this type of work.

These platforms usually involve things like:

• data annotation
• evaluating AI responses
• labeling images or text
• language and localization tasks

Some are beginner-friendly microtask platforms, others focus on expert-level work.

I tried to collect the main companies in one place here:

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/best-ai-training-data-annotation-companies-updated-2026/

Braintrust works very differently.

It’s not a microtask platform.

Instead, it’s a talent network where companies hire vetted professionals for projects in AI, engineering, and data.

So instead of doing small annotation tasks, you might work on:

• AI model evaluation
• data analysis
• technical consulting
• applied machine learning projects

Rates can be much higher than typical AI training platforms, but getting accepted is also much harder.

I wrote a short breakdown of how Braintrust actually works and what to expect.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/braintrust-review-2026-how-it-works-pay-and-real-expectations/

How much translation or localization work really pays?

From what I’ve seen, it varies a lot depending on the platform, language pair, and specialization.

Some basic projects pay relatively little, while professional translators or specialized roles can reach much higher rates.

I wrote a short breakdown of the realistic pay ranges in 2026 and what affects them.

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/how-much-do-translation-localization-jobs-pay-realistic-rates-2026/

Micro1 it’s quite different from typical AI training platforms.

It’s not really beginner-level — more focused on expert roles (coding, finance, etc.), but the pay can go much higher.

From what I’ve seen:

• ~$25–30/h → basic roles
• $50–120/h → technical roles
• up to $200+/h → expert-level

It’s closer to Mercor / Outlier than something like Appen.

Opne jobs with referral link:
https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/micro1-ai-training-jobs-25-200-hour-remote-opportunities/

I found a new platform offering higher-paying AI-related work.

It’s called Ethos — it’s not typical data annotation.

Instead, they look for people with experience (legal, medical, tech, etc.) to:

• review AI outputs
• give expert feedback
• explain reasoning

Some roles go up to ~$100–225/hour depending on expertise.

Some examples of roles available on the platform:

• Legal Expert (contracts, M&A, legal analysis) — up to $225/hour
• Medical Expert / Physician — ~$110/hour
• Technical / Software Expert — ~$80–120/hour

Availability depends on your profile and experience.

If you want to check it out, I added it here with details:
https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/ethos-ai-training-expert-jobs-100-225-hour-remote-opportunities/

👉 Disclosure: this includes my referral link.

Curious if anyone here has tried platforms like this.

Short answer from my experience: usually no.

I’ve been writing about AI training platforms for a while and I’ve seen some people make decent money, but most of the time the work is inconsistent and projects come and go.

Personally I still keep my main job (I’m a lawyer) and treat AI training work more as a side opportunity.

I wrote a short analysis about it here:

https://www.aitrainingjobs.it/can-ai-training-jobs-replace-a-full-time-salary-realistic-2026-analysis/