Key findings
- 1
Handshake AI listed 170 open roles on 17 Oct 2026, 4.6% of the 3,668 open across the 29 platforms AITraining.jobs reads, the 10th most.
- 2
Counted at the end of each week, Handshake AI went from 1 open role on 9 Aug 2026 to 5 on 11 Oct 2026.
- 3
74.1% of its open roles are in Law, Medicine & Finance, where Handshake AI holds 11.4% of all open roles, the 2nd largest share of 22 platforms; it lists 9 of the 12 kinds of work with open roles.
- 4
On 17 Oct 2026, 99.4% of its open roles stated an hourly rate. Their 11 distinct advertised rates (158 more are only an advertised maximum, "up to $X/hr", left out) have a median of $90/hr and typical pay of $55 to $150/hr, against a median of $65/hr across other platforms' rates.
- 5
None of its 170 open roles are open to applicants in any country (29.8% on other platforms); all are limited to listed countries, most often the United States (named by 83.5%).
- 6
From 20 Sep 2026 to 17 Oct 2026, Handshake AI posted 167 new listings and removed 1; its open roles went from 4 to 170 (+4150.0%).
- 7
Of the 170 roles Handshake AI lists with a full description, 29.4% mention a PhD or master's degree, 7.1% a professional credential and 5.3% an assessment or test (other platforms with descriptions: 25.3%, 10.7% and 15.2%).
- 8
An application form at Handshake AI has a median of 18 fields (10 on other platforms' forms); all of its 5 forms require a resume, all ask for a LinkedIn profile and all add questions of their own.
Figure 1
Handshake AI against the other platforms
How does Handshake AI compare with the rest of the market on size, pay, reach and turnover?
| Measure | Handshake AI | Other platforms | Its rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open roles on 17 Oct 2026 | 170 | 3,498 | 10th of 29 |
| Share of all open roles | 4.6% | 95.4% | 10th of 29 |
| New listings in the window | 167 | 2,085 | 6th of 29 |
| Kinds of work listed | 9 | 12 | joint 5th of 29 |
| Open roles stating an hourly rate | 99.4% | 81.8% | 8th of 25 |
| Median advertised pay | $90/hr | $65/hr | 5th of 22 |
| Open roles accepting any country | 0.0% | 29.8% | joint 16th of 25 |
| Median days listed, removed rolesSmall sample | n/a | 32.8 days | n/a |
Sample. 170 roles Handshake AI listed open at the end of 17 Oct 2026, beside the 3,498 open on the other 28 platforms AITraining.jobs reads; listings from 20 Sep 2026 to 17 Oct 2026.
Other platforms: every other platform read over the same window, pooled (counts are summed, medians are taken over all their distinct rates together).
Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list.
Rank among the 29 platforms with open roles; shares need at least 10 open roles, a pay median 3 distinct advertised rates and days listed 10 removed roles with a known listing date, so a platform below a threshold is not ranked on it. Days listed rank longest first.
Listings only: what the platform's public job board shows.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 2
Open roles at Handshake AI, week by week
Is Handshake AI listing more AI training roles or fewer?
| Week | Open at the end of the week | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 9 Aug | 1 | 0 |
| 10 to 16 Aug | 1 | 0 |
| 17 to 23 Aug | 1 | 0 |
| 24 to 30 Aug | 0 | 0 |
| 31 Aug to 6 Sep | 0 | 0 |
| 7 to 13 Sep | 4 | 4 |
| 14 to 20 Sep | 4 | 0 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | 4 | 0 |
| 28 Sep to 4 Oct | 5 | 1 |
| 5 to 11 Oct | 5 | 1 |
Sample. Listings by Handshake AI, by ISO week (Monday to Sunday, UTC), 20 Jul 2026 to 11 Oct 2026; 10 weeks tracked.
Open roles are counted at the end of each week (Sunday, UTC), or at the end of the window for a week it cuts. New listings leave out roles that came with the platform's back catalogue.
The series starts no earlier than the week of 3 Aug 2026, when this dataset's feeds were complete.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 3
What Handshake AI hires for
Which kinds of AI training work does Handshake AI list, and how much of each market does it hold?
| Kind of work | Open roles | Share of its roles | Its share of the kind's open roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law, Medicine & Finance | 74.1% | 11.4% | |
| Math & STEM | 8.2% | 6.4% | |
| Multilingual & Localization | 7.1% | 1.2% | |
| AI Evaluation & Rating (RLHF)Small sample | 3.5% | 4.2% | |
| Coding & Software EvaluationSmall sample | 2.4% | 1.4% | |
| Red-Teaming & AI SafetySmall sample | 1.8% | 5.6% | |
| Data Annotation & LabelingSmall sample | 1.2% | 1.4% | |
| Writing & ContentSmall sample | 1.2% | 5.9% | |
| Transcription, Audio & SpeechSmall sample | 0.6% | 0.2% |
Sample. 170 roles Handshake AI listed open at the end of 17 Oct 2026; market shares are of the 3,668 roles open on all 29 platforms that day.
Kinds of work are this site's twelve categories of AI training work, each role classified from its title and description.
Its rank in the kind is among the platforms with open roles in it. A median needs at least 3 distinct advertised rates, as on the job board.
Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 4
What Handshake AI advertises it pays
How often does Handshake AI state its pay, and how does it compare with other platforms for the same work?
| Roles | Stating an hourly rate | Its median per hour | Other platforms' median | Its median against theirs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All its open roles | 99.4% | $65 | +34.6% | |
| Law, Medicine & FinanceSmall sample | 99.2% | n/a | $70 | n/a |
| Math & STEMSmall sample | 100.0% | n/a | $65 | n/a |
| Multilingual & LocalizationSmall sample | 100.0% | n/a | $65 | n/a |
| AI Evaluation & Rating (RLHF) | 100.0% | $60 | n/a | |
| Coding & Software EvaluationSmall sample | 100.0% | n/a | $65 | n/a |
| Red-Teaming & AI Safety | 100.0% | $50 | n/a | |
| Data Annotation & LabelingSmall sample | 100.0% | n/a | $30 | n/a |
| Writing & ContentSmall sample | 100.0% | n/a | $50 | n/a |
| Transcription, Audio & SpeechSmall sample | 100.0% | n/a | $30 | n/a |
Sample. 169 of the 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026 state an hourly rate, 11 distinct rates and 158 advertised maximums; other platforms: 2,862 of 3,498.
Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list.
A median needs at least 3 distinct advertised rates, as on the job board. A comparison within a kind of work needs 8 distinct rates on each side. The row compared within the same kinds of work averages the kinds where both sides have enough, weighted by the platform's distinct rates in each, so a platform listing better-paid work is not read as paying more for the same work.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 5
What Handshake AI advertises it pays, week by week
Is Handshake AI advertising higher or lower pay than it did?
| Week | Median per hour | Typical pay |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 9 AugPartial week | n/a | n/a |
| 10 to 16 AugPartial week | n/a | n/a |
| 17 to 23 AugPartial week | n/a | n/a |
| 24 to 30 AugPartial week | n/a | n/a |
| 31 Aug to 6 SepPartial week | n/a | n/a |
| 7 to 13 Sep | $55 | $55 to $110 |
| 14 to 20 Sep | $55 | $55 to $110 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | $55 | $55 to $110 |
| 28 Sep to 4 Oct | $60 | $55 to $110 |
| 5 to 11 Oct | $60 | $55 to $110 |
Sample. Roles Handshake AI listed open at the end of each ISO week (Monday to Sunday, UTC) that state an hourly rate, 20 Jul 2026 to 11 Oct 2026.
Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list. Each week is measured over the roles open at its end.
A week needs at least 3 distinct advertised rates for a median.
A change can come from roles listed or removed at other rates as well as from a rate changed on a role: it describes what the board advertised, not what any one worker was paid.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 6
Who may apply to roles at Handshake AI
Are the roles Handshake AI lists open to applicants anywhere, or limited to some countries?
| Location rule | Its open roles | Share of its roles | Share on other platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open worldwide | 0 | 29.8% | |
| Worldwide except listed countries | 0 | 0.0% | 9.7% |
| Only listed countries | 170 | 60.0% | |
| No rule stated | 0 | 0.4% |
Sample. 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026, against the 3,498 open on other platforms.
The rule is read from each posting's location text, then, where that names no country, from what the posting's own description states, and where both are silent from what the platform states about where it hires. A rule says where applications are accepted; tax, payment and work-permit rules can still apply.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 7
Countries Handshake AI names in its limited roles
When Handshake AI limits a role to some countries, which countries does it name?
| Country | Limited roles naming it | Share of its limited roles |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 142 | 83.5% |
| Canada | 10 | 5.9% |
| India | 8 | 4.7% |
| Mexico | 4 | 2.4% |
| Brazil | 2 | 1.2% |
| Germany | 2 | 1.2% |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 1.2% |
Sample. 170 of the 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026 accept applicants only from listed countries; 167 of them name a single country. The 7 countries named most often, of 72.
A role naming several countries counts for each. Open only there: roles whose list names this country alone.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 8
Listings posted and removed by Handshake AI
How many roles did Handshake AI post and take down?
| Measure | Roles |
|---|---|
| Open at the start of 20 Sep 2026 | 4 |
| New listings | 167 |
| Removed listings | 1 |
| Open at the end of 17 Oct 2026 |
Sample. Listings by Handshake AI from 20 Sep 2026 to 17 Oct 2026.
New listings: roles first seen in the window, outside the platform's first week in this dataset. Removed: roles that left the feed during the window. A role can be both.
The other platforms' count at the start leaves out platforms first tracked during the window.
159 of its 167 new listings (95.2%) fell on a single day, 14 Oct 2026: one large change to its board moves the window's flow.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 9
How long roles at Handshake AI stayed up
How long had the roles Handshake AI removed been listed?
| Days listed | Removed roles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 7 daysSmall sample | 1 | 100.0% |
| 7 to 13 daysSmall sample | 0 | 0.0% |
| 14 to 29 daysSmall sample | 0 | 0.0% |
| 30 to 59 daysSmall sample | 0 | 0.0% |
| 60 days or moreSmall sample | 0 | 0.0% |
Sample. 1 roles Handshake AI removed from 20 Sep 2026 to 17 Oct 2026 with a known listing date (other platforms: 32.8 days over 2,126 roles).
Days listed: from the listing date the job board states (or the first day the role appeared in the feed) to the last day it was seen. Roles that arrived with the back catalogue and state no date are left out.
A median needs at least 10 removed roles. A removed role may have been filled, paused or closed: platforms do not say which.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 10
What Handshake AI calls the work
Which words does Handshake AI use in its job titles: trainer, tutor, expert, rater, annotator?
| Title word | Its open roles | Share of its roles | Share on other platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expert or SME | 43 | 25.3% | 23.7% |
| Engineer or developer | 27 | 15.9% | 7.8% |
| Analyst or researcher | 21 | 12.4% | 6.8% |
| Evaluator or reviewer | 15 | 8.8% | 4.7% |
| Specialist | 15 | 8.8% | 16.7% |
| Lead or manager | 10 | 5.9% | 4.2% |
| TrainerSmall sample | 5 | 2.9% | 19.5% |
| Red teamer or testerSmall sample | 3 | 1.8% | 0.6% |
| Writer or editorSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 2.0% |
| None of these words | 45 | 26.5% | 15.4% |
Sample. 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026, by the words in their titles (the same vocabulary as the job titles report).
A title can use several words ('Expert AI Trainer') and counts for each, so shares add to more than 100%. Whole words, case-insensitive.
A median needs at least 3 distinct advertised rates, as on the job board. Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 11
Languages Handshake AI hires for
Which languages does Handshake AI name in its job titles?
| Language | Its open roles | Share of its roles | Its share of all roles naming the language |
|---|---|---|---|
| BengaliSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 4.8% |
| Chinese (Mandarin)Small sample | 1 | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| FrenchSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| HindiSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 3.4% |
| IndonesianSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 4.2% |
| JapaneseSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| KoreanSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| MalaySmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 8.3% |
| PortugueseSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| SpanishSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| TamilSmall sample | 1 | 0.6% | 5.6% |
Sample. 11 of the 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026 name a language in the title (11 languages).
Read from titles with the vocabulary of the languages report (whole words); a title naming two counts for both, and a role that needs a language without naming it is not counted.
A median needs at least 3 distinct advertised rates, as on the job board. Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 12
Expert fields Handshake AI hires for
Which professions and disciplines does Handshake AI name in its job titles?
| Field | Its open roles | Share of its roles | Its share of all roles naming the field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering (non-software) | 15 | 8.8% | 9.7% |
| Finance, accounting & economics | 10 | 5.9% | 5.5% |
| Business, sales & consultingSmall sample | 7 | 4.1% | 6.4% |
| Design & visual artsSmall sample | 6 | 3.5% | 8.6% |
| Humanities & social sciencesSmall sample | 6 | 3.5% | 16.7% |
| Software & computer scienceSmall sample | 6 | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| Biology & life sciencesSmall sample | 5 | 2.9% | 6.8% |
| ChemistrySmall sample | 5 | 2.9% | 6.8% |
| Mathematics & statisticsSmall sample | 5 | 2.9% | 6.4% |
| Medicine & nursingSmall sample | 5 | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Education & teachingSmall sample | 4 | 2.4% | 12.9% |
| Physics & astronomySmall sample | 4 | 2.4% | 5.5% |
Sample. 83 of the 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026 name a field in the title (16 fields, the 12 named most often shown).
Read from titles with the vocabulary of the expert fields report (whole words); a title naming two counts for both, and a role that needs a field without naming it is not counted.
A median needs at least 3 distinct advertised rates, as on the job board. Pay is measured as on the job board: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20), as on every list.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 13
What roles at Handshake AI ask for
Do the roles Handshake AI lists ask for degrees, credentials, experience, set hours or tests?
| The description | Its roles | Share of its roles read | Other platforms with descriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentions a PhD or doctorate | 46 | 27.1% | 16.9% |
| Mentions a PhD or master's degree | 50 | 29.4% | 25.3% |
| Mentions a degree | 69 | 40.6% | 37.6% |
| Mentions a professional credential | 12 | 7.1% | 10.7% |
| States years of experience | 97 | 57.1% | 24.1% |
| States weekly hours | 57 | 33.5% | 22.8% |
| Mentions an assessment, test or trial task | 9 | 5.3% | 15.2% |
| Mentions an interview of any kind | 4 | 2.4% | 9.9% |
| Mentions an AI-led or recorded interview | 0 | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Mentions a background or identity check | 0 | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Mentions contractor or freelance terms | 7 | 4.1% | 57.2% |
Sample. The full descriptions of 170 of the 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026, against 3,090 roles of the other platforms whose boards publish them (AfterQuery, Anyone AI, Appen, Babel Audio, Braintrust, Claru, Invisible, Mercor, micro1, Mindrift, OneForma, OpenTrain AI, Outlier (Scale AI), Pasiflora AI, Perle Labs, Pila8, RemoExperts, Remotasks, Sigma AI, Sovrano AI, SuperAnnotate (SME), Terac, TransPerfect DataForce, Turing, Vetto, Welo Data and xAI (SpaceXAI)). Median years asked: 2. Median weekly hours stated: 5.
Read with the documented patterns of the requirements report (whole words, case-insensitive). A mention can be a requirement or a preference ('a PhD is a plus'): both count.
Medians of years and hours need at least 5 roles stating them; for hours the lower figure of a range counts.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 14
What an application to Handshake AI asks for
What does an application to Handshake AI ask for, and what must be filled in?
| Item | Its forms asking | Its forms requiring it |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn profileSmall sample | 100.0% | 80.0% |
| Location or countrySmall sample | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Phone numberSmall sample | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Resume or CVSmall sample | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Cover letterSmall sample | 80.0% | 0.0% |
| Portfolio or websiteSmall sample | 20.0% | 0.0% |
| Current employerSmall sample | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other file uploadsSmall sample | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| GitHub profileSmall sample | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Sample. The application forms of 5 of the 170 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026, read from its applicant-tracking system (Ashby); a median of 18 fields and 10 questions of its own (other platforms' 1,452 forms: 10 fields).
Required: the form will not submit without it. Name and email, asked by every form, are not listed. Some platforms apply in steps (a short form, then an assessment); only the first form is read.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
Figure 15
The questions Handshake AI adds to its form
What does Handshake AI ask applicants beyond a resume?
| Question theme | Its forms asking | Other platforms' forms asking |
|---|---|---|
| Work authorization or visa sponsorshipSmall sample | 100.0% | 4.5% |
| Availability, hours or start dateSmall sample | 20.0% | 3.0% |
| Age or being over 18Small sample | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Prior AI training or annotation workSmall sample | 0.0% | 2.3% |
| Degree or field of studySmall sample | 0.0% | 11.4% |
| Experience or years in a fieldSmall sample | 0.0% | 10.3% |
| Languages spoken or fluencySmall sample | 0.0% | 25.1% |
| Expected pay or rateSmall sample | 0.0% | 10.3% |
| How you heard about the roleSmall sample | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Sample. The application forms of 5 roles Handshake AI listed open on 17 Oct 2026; themes read from the label of each question the platform adds to its form.
A question can match more than one theme. Demographic questions are usually optional and asked for equal-opportunity reporting.
Source. AITraining.jobs Research, Handshake AI Hiring Data, live data.
For labs, data vendors and researchers
Buy the data behind this report
The figures above are a summary. Behind them are records we collect ourselves, every day:
9,572 roles tracked, each with its history
Every role on 29 job boards, read daily since 13 Jul 2026: its pay and place, and the first and last day it was open.
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Which roles people actually apply to, by field, pay and kind of work. It happens on this site, so nobody else can count it.
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The job boards of 25 AI labs and 14 human-data vendors, read every day: who is hiring for human data, and who is hiring to buy it.
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The rows behind any figure, with their history, not only the totals.
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The same figures every week or month, as files.
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Your countries, languages or fields, or your own platform against the market.
Method and definitions
The public job boards of the AI training platforms this site tracks, read every day. Handshake AI's figures come from its own public listings only; full descriptions and application forms are read where its job board publishes 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.
- Other platforms
- Every platform this site reads other than Handshake AI, over the same window and pooled: counts are summed and medians are taken over all their rates together. Handshake AI is compared with the rest of the market, not with a market that includes it.
- Rank
- Its place among the platforms with open roles on the last day of the window, highest first (longest first for days listed). Shares need at least 10 open roles, a pay median 3 distinct advertised rates and days listed 10 removed roles, so a platform below a threshold is not ranked on that measure.
- Open role
- A role listed by a given day and still in its platform's feed that day. Week by week, open roles are counted at the end of each week (Sunday, UTC).
- Back catalogue
- The roles already listed in the week a platform was first tracked. That week is marked in the weekly series and its roles are not counted as new listings; weeks before it are left out.
- New listing
- A role that first appeared during the window on a platform already tracked before that week.
- Removed listing
- A role that left its platform's feed during the window. When most removals or new listings fall on one day, the figure says so: one large change to a board moves the window's flow.
- Days listed
- From a removed role's listing date to the last day it was seen in its feed. A median needs at least 10 removed roles with a known listing date.
- Advertised pay
- Measured exactly as the job board measures any list of roles, so a median here is the median Handshake AI's pay page states for the same roles: one sample per distinct advertised rate (the middle of a stated range; a role posted again at the same rate counts once), and an advertised maximum ("up to $X/hr") is a ceiling, not a rate, so it is counted and left out. Typical pay is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each advertised range) to the 90th-percentile advertised ceiling; it and the median are rounded to $5 ($1 under $20) and need at least 3 distinct rates.
- Compared within the same kinds of work
- For each kind of work where both the platform and the other platforms state at least 8 distinct hourly rates, its median over theirs, minus one; averaged across those kinds, weighted by the platform's distinct rates, so a platform listing better-paid work is not read as paying more for the same work. It needs two such kinds.
- Location rule
- Read from each posting's location text and, where that names no country, from what the posting's own description states: open worldwide, worldwide except listed countries, only listed countries, or no rule stated.
- Kind of work
- Each role is classified from its title and description into one of the twelve kinds of AI training work this site tracks. Every kind links to its own page.
- Title word, language, field
- Read from titles as whole words with the vocabularies of the job titles, languages and expert fields reports; a title can count for several.
- Mention
- A description mentions a degree, credential, step or term when it contains one of the patterns published in the requirements report. A mention may be a requirement or a preference.
- Application form
- The fields an applicant fills in on the platform's own application page, read from its applicant-tracking system. Required: the form will not submit without the field.
- Window
- Live: the last 28 complete days, in UTC, with the weekly series over the last twelve complete ISO weeks from the week of 3 Aug 2026 at the earliest. Edition: one calendar month, in UTC, its weeks cut at the month's edges.
What this data cannot tell you
- Platforms that recruit without a public job board are not counted, and a platform may staff projects it never lists: its listings are what it advertises, not everything it hires for.
- A listing is not a hire. Some platforms keep evergreen roles open for months, and some post one listing per language or country.
- Listings only: how many people apply to a platform is never published here.
- Pay is what postings advertise, not what workers are paid after bonuses, tiers or rejected tasks.
- Full descriptions and application forms are published by some job boards only, so those figures appear only for the platforms whose boards publish them, and describe the roles open on the day they were read.
- A removed listing may have been filled, paused or closed: platforms do not say which.
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 28 complete days and changes every day. 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 data (this page)Last 28 complete days, recomputed daily
Cite and reuse
Free to quote, chart and republish under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. Live figures change daily: cite a monthly edition for numbers that will read the same later, or keep the access date.
Citation
AITraining.jobs (2026). Handshake AI Hiring Data (live data, 20 Sep 2026 to 17 Oct 2026). https://www.aitraining.team/research/handshake-ai-hiring-data (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
BibTeX
@misc{aitrainingjobs_handshake_ai_hiring_data_live,
author = {{AITraining.jobs}},
title = {Handshake AI Hiring Data (live data, 20 Sep 2026 to 17 Oct 2026)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://www.aitraining.team/research/handshake-ai-hiring-data}},
note = {Accessed 18 Oct 2026},
}More research
The same figures for every other platform:
- OpenTrain AI hiring data
- Invisible hiring data
- micro1 hiring data
- Welo Data hiring data
- AfterQuery hiring data
- Mercor hiring data
- Sigma AI hiring data
- Braintrust hiring data
- Alignerr hiring data
- TransPerfect DataForce hiring data
- Appen hiring data
- Mindrift hiring data
- xAI (SpaceXAI) hiring data
- Terac hiring data
- SuperAnnotate (SME) hiring data
- Turing hiring data
- Anyone AI hiring data
- Perle Labs hiring data
- Claru hiring data
- Babel Audio hiring data
- RemoExperts hiring data
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