Pay side by side
What each pays per hour
Typical range, median, and the range of the top 10% of roles.
- DataAnnotation 112 roles median $85/hr top 10% $85–95
- Appen / CrowdGen 61 roles median $35/hr top 10% $55–100
Choose DataAnnotation if
- you work in languages & translation and finance & accounting
- you're aiming for the top rates ($85+/hr for its top 10%)
- you want more roles to choose from
Surge AI’s contributor platform: self-scheduled AI evaluation and writing work for generalists and specialists.
See 112 DataAnnotation rolesChoose Appen / CrowdGen if
- you work in voice & audio and data annotation
Appen’s CrowdGen community: voice, language and data annotation projects.
See 61 Appen / CrowdGen rolesDataAnnotation vs Appen / CrowdGen: common questions
Does DataAnnotation or Appen / CrowdGen pay more?
As of 19 October 2026, DataAnnotation pays more at the median: $85/hr against $35/hr for Appen / CrowdGen. The top 10% of roles pay $85+/hr on DataAnnotation and $55+/hr on Appen / CrowdGen.
Which has more jobs, DataAnnotation or Appen / CrowdGen?
DataAnnotation has more open roles today: 112 against 61. 0 DataAnnotation roles and 0 Appen / CrowdGen roles were posted in the last week.
Can I work for both DataAnnotation and Appen / CrowdGen?
Both hire independent contractors, and their job postings don't ask you to work only for them. Check each platform's contractor terms before you sign, as some projects come with confidentiality or exclusivity rules.