LinkedIn is paying people up to Rs 14,000 per hour to train AI

The race to build smarter AI is no longer just about big tech companies and powerful computers. It is now creating a new kind of job market where humans are being paid to teach machines how to think better. And now, LinkedIn wants to step right into this fast-growing space. The Microsoft-owned platform has told Business Insider that it is testing an "AI labor marketplace," a system where professionals can earn money by helping improve AI tools. While still in its early stages, the idea is if you have expertise in a field like coding, finance, or even nursing, you could get paid to train AI models to perform better in those areas.

What does an AI trainer actually do?

AI training may sound technical, but at its core, it involves human judgement. Trainers interact with AI chatbots, review their responses, rate their accuracy, and sometimes push them with tricky questions to test their limits. This feedback is then used to make the AI smarter and more reliable.

This kind of work has picked up quickly as companies rush to improve their AI systems. In fact, LinkedIn says AI training roles are among the fastest-growing jobs in the US right now.

How much can you earn?

The pay range is what’s catching attention. According to listings on LinkedIn, professionals can earn anywhere between $40 (around Rs 3,300) to $150 (around Rs 14,000) per hour depending on their skills.

For instance, someone with strong knowledge of Excel and finance can earn up to $100 per hour. Nurses are also seeing similar pay levels. The highest-paying roles are for senior software engineers who can earn up to $150 per hour for training AI systems on complex coding tasks.

There are also niche roles like language experts focusing on Germanic and Nordic languages, as well as “red team” testers — people hired to find flaws and weaknesses in AI systems — earning around $40 to $50 per hour.

LinkedIn vs AI startups

With this move, LinkedIn is entering a space that is already seeing intense competition. Several startups are building platforms that connect AI companies with human trainers.

One such company is Mercor, which has seen its valuation jump rapidly to $10 billion within a year. Another major player is Surge AI, known for its Data Annotation marketplace, reportedly valued at $24 billion.

Even companies like Scale AI are deeply involved in this ecosystem, working with leading AI labs to improve their models through human input.

While the growth is fast, it is not without concerns. The AI training industry relies heavily on large networks of freelance contributors, which brings challenges around data privacy and security. For example, Scale AI faced scrutiny after sensitive contractor and client data was left exposed across multiple documents. Mercor has also reportedly dealt with a data breach that compromised user information and triggered legal action.