Braintrust vs SME Careers

Two AI-training platforms side by side, from the roles they have open today and what we know about how each hires and pays. Numbers refresh daily.

Side by side

BraintrustSME Careers
Open roles52264
Median top rate$85/hr$45/hr
Middle half of rates$21/hr – $94/hr$25/hr – $70/hr
Highest advertised$150/hr$150/hr
Open worldwide2% of roles0% of roles
Hires most forLanguages & translation, Miscellaneous, General (no specialty)Languages & translation, Software engineering, Science & research
Kinds of work——
After you applyYou apply with a Braintrust profile; accepted work is contracted and paid through the platform.SME Careers places credentialed professionals, so expect your credentials and domain expertise to be reviewed.
How it paysThrough the Braintrust platform—

Rates are what open listings advertise (median of the top of each range), not earnings. How we measure pay

Braintrust

Freelance marketplace carrying AI-training projects from Outlier, DataMundi and a leading AI lab.

SME Careers

Subject-matter-expert contractor roles across professional domains.

Braintrust vs SME Careers: questions

Which pays more, Braintrust or SME Careers?
Braintrust advertises more: a median top rate of $85/hr against $45/hr at SME Careers. These are the rates in open listings (23 on Braintrust, 263 on SME Careers), not earnings; each platform sets individual pay after you apply.
Which has more open roles, Braintrust or SME Careers?
SME Careers has more open roles: 264 against 52 on Braintrust. Counts are refreshed daily from each platform's public listings.
How is applying to Braintrust different from SME Careers?
Braintrust: You apply with a Braintrust profile; accepted work is contracted and paid through the platform. SME Careers: SME Careers places credentialed professionals, so expect your credentials and domain expertise to be reviewed.

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