Amazon Mechanical Turk
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is one of the largest crowdsourcing microtask marketplaces.
In one paragraph
Amazon Mechanical Turk is no longer operating and does not accept signups. This verified review is retained for reference — it paid via Bank transfer and Gift card or voucher. Typical pay was hITs pay cents to a few dollars each; committed workers commonly average $2–6/hr. Last verified 2026-10-02.
Quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Category | AI Training & Data Labeling |
| Platform type | Microtask marketplace |
| Website | mturk.com |
| Pay unit | Per task |
| Typical rate | HITs pay cents to a few dollars each; committed workers commonly average $2–6/hr |
| Payout methods | Bank transfer, Gift card or voucher |
| Payout cadence | After project completion |
| Minimum payout | No minimum payout threshold is stated in the official FAQ; earnings were transferred automatically to a virtual US bank account or an Amazon.com gift card balance on the worker's chosen schedule. After the September 30, 2026 closure, workers must verify a payment method and transfer schedule in the Worker Portal by October 30, 2026 to receive remaining approved earnings. |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Countries | 3 tracked — Restricted; primarily US, with limited access in some other countries via 'Worker ID verification' program. |
| Languages | English |
| Equipment | Computer, Stable internet |
| Experience needed | Beginner |
| Identity verification | Identity verification required (US: SSN; international: passport + country-specific ID + tax form). |
| Last verified | 2026-10-02 |
Pros & cons — facts only
Pros
Cons
- Platform closed — signups and payouts no longer work; treat any "reactivation" invite as suspicious.
How joining Amazon Mechanical Turk used to work
- Create worker account
- identity verification (US: SSN-based)
- pass qualification tests per HIT
- start working.
Signup involves: Identity verification · Qualification test · Sign up
Pay & payouts
- Typical rate: HITs pay cents to a few dollars each; committed workers commonly average $2–6/hr
- Billed per: Per task
- Payout methods: Bank transfer, Gift card or voucher
- Payout cadence: After project completion
- Minimum payout: No minimum payout threshold is stated in the official FAQ; earnings were transferred automatically to a virtual US bank account or an Amazon.com gift card balance on the worker's chosen schedule. After the September 30, 2026 closure, workers must verify a payment method and transfer schedule in the Worker Portal by October 30, 2026 to receive remaining approved earnings.
Requirements
- Minimum age
- 18
- Languages
- English
- Identity verification
- Identity verification required (US: SSN; international: passport + country-specific ID + tax form).
- Skills
- Varies by HIT; general literacy and attention to detail.
- Equipment
- Computer with stable internet.
Where it's available
Restricted; primarily US, with limited access in some other countries via 'Worker ID verification' program.
Restrictions: Most non-US countries restricted from full participation; check current eligibility list at mturk.com.
- Indonesia
- India
- United States
What kind of work
- Annotation
- Data collection
- Survey
- Human review
AI-training task types
- Image labeling
- Text classification
- Data collection
- Search evaluation
Amazon Mechanical Turk FAQ
Is Amazon Mechanical Turk legit?
Amazon Mechanical Turk was a real platform, but it is no longer in service — our last verification of its pages, including closure notices, was 2026-10-02 using 3 sources. This review is retained for reference; signups and payouts no longer work.
How much does Amazon Mechanical Turk pay?
HITs pay cents to a few dollars each; committed workers commonly average $2–6/hr. Work is billed per task, so earnings scale with volume and acceptance rates.
How does Amazon Mechanical Turk pay out?
Via Bank transfer, Gift card or voucher. Payout cadence: After project completion. Minimum payout: No minimum payout threshold is stated in the official FAQ; earnings were transferred automatically to a virtual US bank account or an Amazon.com gift card balance on the worker's chosen schedule. After the September 30, 2026 closure, workers must verify a payment method and transfer schedule in the Worker Portal by October 30, 2026 to receive remaining approved earnings.
Who can join Amazon Mechanical Turk?
Minimum age 18. Restricted; primarily US, with limited access in some other countries via 'Worker ID verification' program. Identity verification required (US: SSN; international: passport + country-specific ID + tax form).
Can you still sign up for Amazon Mechanical Turk?
No — signup is closed. For reference, this is how the process worked when the platform was live: Create worker account → identity verification (US: SSN-based) → pass qualification tests per HIT → start working.
What skills does Amazon Mechanical Turk require?
Varies by HIT; general literacy and attention to detail.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page were verified against 3 sources. Last full check: .