Key findings
- 1
On the same platforms, between the weeks of 31 Aug 2026 and 28 Sep 2026, the advertised median for Data Annotation & Labeling moved up 14.3% ($18 to $20/hr), and Multilingual & Localization fell 26.9% ($65 to $48/hr).
- 2
2 of the 7 kinds of work with a market rate in both weeks moved less than 5%.
- 3
Law, Medicine & Finance carried the highest advertised median in the week of 28 Sep 2026, $75/hr.
- 4
Open Transcription, Audio & Speech roles changed the most, from about 172 to 332 a day (+93.2%), counting platforms added along the way.
- 5
The daily record covers 23 of the 30 days 1 Sep 2026 to 30 Sep 2026 (76.7%).
Figure 1
Median advertised pay by kind of work, like for like
On the same platforms, is the going rate for each kind of work rising or falling?
| Kind of work | On 1 Sep 2026 | On 28 Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law, Medicine & Finance | $78 | $75 | -3.2% |
| Coding & Software Evaluation | $70 | $65 | -7.1% |
| AI Evaluation & Rating (RLHF) | $75 | $65 | -13.3% |
| Math & STEM | $65 | $65 | 0.0% |
| Multilingual & Localization | $65 | $48 | -26.9% |
| Transcription, Audio & Speech | $36 | $30 | -15.5% |
| Data Annotation & Labeling | $18 | $20 | +14.3% |
| Agentic Tasks & RL EnvironmentsSmall sample | $50 | n/a | n/a |
| Writing & ContentSmall sample | $48 | n/a | n/a |
Sample. Roles stating an hourly rate that were open at the start of the first and of the last week, on the 15 platforms tracked since 1 Sep 2026 (a fixed panel).
A median needs at least 8 priced roles from at least 3 platforms at both moments; kinds without it are marked as a small sample.
This is the comparison to quote: the next figure counts every platform tracked on each day, so a platform added during the period changes its medians through the mix of roles.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition.
Figure 2
Median advertised pay by kind of work, as recorded each day
What did the daily record show for each kind of work, counting every platform tracked at the time?
| Kind of work | Week of 31 Aug 2026 | Week of 28 Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law, Medicine & Finance | $79 | $75 | -5.5% |
| Coding & Software Evaluation | $69 | $65 | -6.0% |
| Math & STEM | $65 | $65 | 0.0% |
| AI Evaluation & Rating (RLHF) | $74 | $60 | -19.1% |
| Writing & Content | $55 | $59 | +7.6% |
| Red-Teaming & AI SafetySmall sample | n/a | $45 | n/a |
| Agentic Tasks & RL Environments | $55 | $41 | -24.8% |
| Multilingual & Localization | $62 | $36 | -41.6% |
| Transcription, Audio & Speech | $34 | $30 | -11.8% |
| Data Annotation & Labeling | $14 | $23 | +67.9% |
| Robotics & Physical-AI DataSmall sample | n/a | $15 | n/a |
| Research Studies & SurveysSmall sample | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Sample. 23 daily snapshots of the market, 1 Sep 2026 to 30 Sep 2026; each week is the average of its recorded days.
A day counts for a kind of work only when at least 3 platforms and 8 distinct advertised rates stand behind its median (the market-rate gate); kinds without it in a week show n/a and are marked as a small sample.
The median moves with the mix of roles open as well as with rates themselves.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition.
Figure 3
Median advertised pay, week by week
How has each kind of work's advertised rate moved, week to week?
| Week | Multilingual | Domain Experts | Transcription & Audio | Coding | AI Evaluation | Math & STEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 SepSmall sample | $62 | $79 | $34 | $69 | $74 | $65 |
| 7 to 13 SepSmall sample | $36 | $82 | $30 | $65 | $73 | $65 |
| 14 to 20 Sep | $36 | $80 | $30 | $65 | $64 | $65 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | $36 | $76 | $30 | $65 | $62 | $65 |
| 28 to 30 SepSmall sample | $36 | $75 | $30 | $65 | $60 | $65 |
Sample. The six kinds of work with the most open roles on the latest day; 1 Sep 2026 to 30 Sep 2026.
A week with fewer than four recorded days, or cut by the window, is marked.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition.
Figure 4
Open roles by kind of work, week by week
Which kinds of AI training work are growing in number?
| Week | Multilingual | Domain Experts | Transcription & Audio | Coding | AI Evaluation | Math & STEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 SepSmall sample | 454 | 492 | 172 | 160 | 272 | 163 |
| 7 to 13 SepSmall sample | 765 | 756 | 346 | 287 | 362 | 208 |
| 14 to 20 Sep | 813 | 823 | 366 | 302 | 295 | 242 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | 788 | 643 | 343 | 260 | 248 | 221 |
| 28 to 30 SepSmall sample | 758 | 623 | 332 | 252 | 239 | 223 |
Sample. Average open roles on the recorded days of each week, 1 Sep 2026 to 30 Sep 2026.
These are all tracked platforms, including any first tracked during the period; the jobs index follows a fixed panel of platforms instead.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition.
Figure 5
The middle half of advertised rates
How wide is the spread between ordinary and well-paid roles of each kind?
| Kind of work | Latest week | Width | Change in width |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multilingual & Localization | $21 to $65 | $44 | +$15 |
| Law, Medicine & Finance | $61 to $106 | $44 | +$1 |
| Transcription, Audio & Speech | $22 to $36 | $14 | +$2 |
| Coding & Software Evaluation | $58 to $77 | $18 | $-10 |
| AI Evaluation & Rating (RLHF) | $36 to $89 | $53 | $-4 |
| Math & STEM | $65 to $96 | $31 | +$11 |
Sample. Weekly averages of the 25th and 75th percentile of advertised rates, 1 Sep 2026 to 30 Sep 2026.
Change in width compares the latest week with the first: a wider band means the gap between ordinary and well-paid roles of that kind grew.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition.
Figure 6
Days recorded, week by week
How complete is the daily record behind these trends?
| Week | Days recorded |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 SepPartial week | 6 |
| 7 to 13 Sep | 2 |
| 14 to 20 Sep | 5 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | 7 |
| 28 to 30 SepPartial week | 3 |
Sample. 23 snapshots recorded over 30 days, 1 Sep 2026 to 30 Sep 2026.
A snapshot is written right after each daily read of the job boards; a day it was not written is missing here, not estimated.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition.
For labs, data vendors and researchers
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Method and definitions
The daily market snapshots this site records after each read of the job boards, and the role history behind them. Every figure is computed by one database query over the window shown, the same query for the live report and for every edition. Each figure states its sample beneath it.
- Like for like
- Medians on the platforms already tracked when the window opens, rebuilt from role history at the start of the first and the last week.
- As recorded
- The medians stored in each day's market snapshot, counting every platform tracked that day.
- Market rate
- A median counts only when at least 3 platforms and 8 distinct advertised rates stand behind it.
- Advertised pay
- The hourly figure a posting states (the middle of a stated range). Medians need at least 8 roles stating a rate; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
- Window
- Live: the complete ISO weeks since the week of 31 Aug 2026 (the first full week of snapshots), up to twelve. Edition: the weeks of one month.
What this data cannot tell you
- Platforms that recruit without a public job board are not counted. Several large ones invite workers to projects directly.
- A listing is not a hire. Some platforms keep evergreen roles open for months, and some post one listing per language or country.
- Advertised medians follow the mix of roles open as well as rates; the like-for-like figure removes platform additions but not changes in each platform's own mix.
How the job feeds are read and roles are classified: site methodology. How fresh, complete and consistent the data is, checked every day: data quality and coverage.
Editions
The live report covers the last 12 complete weeks (from 31 Aug 2026 at the earliest) and moves on every Monday. Each complete month is also published as an edition, frozen two days after the month ends, so a figure you cite from an edition never moves.
- Live dataLast 12 complete weeks
- September 2026 editionFrozen 10 Oct 2026
Cite and reuse
Free to quote, chart and republish under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. This edition is frozen, so its figures will read the same later.
Citation
AITraining.jobs (2026). AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition. https://www.aitraining.team/research/ai-training-pay-trends/2026-09
BibTeX
@misc{aitrainingjobs_ai_training_pay_trends_2026_09,
author = {{AITraining.jobs}},
title = {AI Training Pay Trends, September 2026 edition},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://www.aitraining.team/research/ai-training-pay-trends/2026-09}},
}More research
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