Physicians can earn posted rates of $120 to $250 an hour reviewing and grading AI answers to clinical questions. On 12 November 2026 Mercor listed infectious disease physicians at $200 an hour, Outlier listed cardiologists at up to $250, and Handshake AI listed physicians at up to $180 and some medical professionals at up to $300. It is remote, part-time contract work that comes in projects. Most listings want a US license and current practice, so it works as a physician side gig rather than a full nonclinical career.
- The work: grade AI answers for clinical accuracy and safety, write hard clinical questions and reference answers, and explain your reasoning in writing.
- Published pay on 12 November 2026: Mercor $150 to $200 an hour by specialty ($170 to $190 for multilingual primary care), Outlier up to $120 to $250 by specialty, Handshake AI up to $180 for physicians.
- Most listings want an active, unrestricted US license, and several want you to be practicing now. Residents and fellows can qualify for Handshake AI's physician role.
- Projects run for weeks, not years. Treat it as a side gig next to clinical work, not a replacement for a nonclinical job.
AI training jobs for physicians: the short answer
AI companies building medical models need doctors to tell them when an answer is wrong, unsafe or merely textbook-correct. That has created a new physician side gig: paid, remote evaluation of AI output.
Published pay is high by side-gig standards. Mercor posted "Infectious Disease Physician $200 / hr" and "General Physician $150 / hr" (Mercor). Outlier posts cardiologists at "Earn Up to $250/hr". Handshake AI lists "Physicians Apply now Up to $180/hr". Sources: Mercor: Infectious Disease Physician listing, read 12 Nov 2026; Outlier: cardiologists, read 12 Nov 2026; Handshake AI: Physicians, read 12 Nov 2026.
What it is not: a salaried nonclinical job. Projects open for a few weeks at a time, and many listings require you to be in practice now.
What AI training work for doctors involves
Mercor describes a typical task: "You will read de-identified patient charts and judge AI answers to clinical questions in infectious disease." (Mercor). Its medical pool adds "Writing a case from your own practice, with the presentation, the workup, and the constraints, plus the reference answer a model's attempt gets graded against" (Mercor).
Outlier's surgeon page says you "Earn up to $180 USD/hr reviewing model responses and operative videos in a fully remote, fully flexible role with no patient contact." (Outlier). Handshake AI asks physicians to create "expert-level tasks that today's top AI models can't solve" and describes it as "an ongoing, project-based opportunity you can take on alongside your current role." (Handshake AI).
In short, you act as the expert grader whose judgments become preference data. Speed matters less than clear written reasoning.
Which programs hire physicians, and what they pay
Openings for physicians that we read on each program's own site on 12 November 2026. "Up to" figures are ceilings, not the rate every expert gets.
| Program | Listing | Published pay | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercor | Infectious Disease Physician | $200 an hour | Board certified; active, unrestricted US license; practicing in the US |
| Mercor | General Physician | $150 an hour | Primary care, internal, emergency or critical care; 20+ hours a week for 6 weeks |
| Mercor | Multilingual Primary Care Physician | $170 to $190 an hour | 2+ years post-residency in primary care; a second language at C1; 10+ hours a week |
| Mercor | Psychiatrist | $150 an hour | Board certified in psychiatry; practicing in the US |
| Mercor | Clinicians survey | $90 one time | A 30-minute survey for outpatient and community clinicians |
| Handshake AI | Physicians | Up to $180 an hour | MD, DO or equivalent; residents, fellows, board certified or board eligible; US-based |
| Handshake AI | Medical Professional | Up to $300 an hour | 4+ years in listed roles such as pediatricians, neurologists, ophthalmologists, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists |
| Outlier | Cardiologists | Up to $250 an hour | US, Canada or UK |
| Outlier | Surgeons | Up to $180 an hour | Remote; reviews of model answers and operative videos |
| Outlier | Dermatologists | Up to $180 an hour | US or Canada |
| Outlier | Ophthalmologists | Up to $120 an hour | US or Canada |
| DataAnnotation | Physician roles | Up to $125+ an hour | Task-based contractor role |
Sources for this table: Mercor: Infectious Disease Physician listing, read 12 Nov 2026; Mercor: General Physician listing, read 12 Nov 2026; Mercor: Multilingual Primary Care Physician listing, read 12 Nov 2026; Mercor: Psychiatrist listing, read 12 Nov 2026; Mercor: clinicians survey listing, read 12 Nov 2026; Handshake AI: Physicians, read 12 Nov 2026; Handshake AI: Medical Professional, read 12 Nov 2026; Outlier: cardiologists, read 12 Nov 2026; Outlier: dermatologists, read 12 Nov 2026; Outlier: ophthalmologists, read 12 Nov 2026; DataAnnotation: roles and FAQ, read 12 Nov 2026.
Mercor says rates across its medical pool "have posted from $60 to $180 an hour, set per project by scope and depth" (Mercor), and Outlier says "Rates vary based on expertise and project requirements." (Outlier).
For scale, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that "The median annual wage for physicians and surgeons was $275,930 in May 2025." (BLS). AI rates are contractor rates with no benefits and no guaranteed hours.
Requirements: license, board status and hours
License and practice. Mercor's specialty listings ask for an "Active, unrestricted US medical license" and for physicians "Currently practicing and seeing patients in the US, with at least 1 year of independent practice after training" (Mercor). That matters if you have already left clinical medicine: many of the best-paid listings are written for practicing doctors.
Training stage. Handshake AI is broader. It accepts physicians who have "Completed or currently enrolled in a residency or fellowship, or board certified or board eligible" with a "Completed MD, DO, or equivalent medical degree" (Handshake AI), but you must be based in the US (Handshake AI).
Country. Outlier's cardiology page lists "United States, Canada, United Kingdom" (Outlier); its dermatology and ophthalmology pages list the US and Canada.
Hours. Mercor's general physician project is "Commitment: Part-time, 20+ hours per week" for "Duration: 6 weeks" (Mercor); its multilingual primary care project asks for a "Minimum availability of 10 hours/week" (Mercor). Handshake AI says hours have no minimum but "most average 5-20 hrs" (Handshake AI).
How to apply as a physician
Mercor's specialty listings ask you to "Complete a 25-minute conversational interview on your background, experience and motivations", followed by "Credential verification: license status, board certification, training and current practice setting" (Mercor). Outlier asks for a "Valid ID and mobile phone from your country of residence" plus your résumé and LinkedIn profile (Outlier).
Outlier works "In collaboration with Scale AI"; see our Scale AI review for its history. Mercor's pay, weekly payouts and complaints are in Is Mercor legit?, Handshake's in Is Handshake AI legit?, and micro1, which also says it hires across "healthcare and medical" (micro1), in Is micro1 legit?.
Tell us what you do. We'll send you the paid AI work that fits your field, wherever you live. It's free.
Confidentiality, your medical board and your employer
Never bring real patient information into AI training work. The AMA Code of Medical Ethics says "Physicians in turn have an ethical obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information gathered in association with the care of the patient." (AMA), and HIPAA bars covered entities from using or disclosing protected health information "except as permitted or required" (45 CFR 164.502).
Projects supply their own material. Mercor's charts are "de-identified patient charts" provided by the project (Mercor), and Mercor says the work "will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution" (Mercor). When you write a case "from your own practice", build a composite with no identifying details. See de-identification and personally identifiable information.
Two further checks: your employment contract may restrict outside work, consulting or use of your employer's name, and some groups may require approval for any paid side activity. And if you are unsure whether a task could be read as giving medical advice, ask the program and, if needed, your malpractice carrier.
Taxes for physicians doing contract AI work
Most of this work is paid as an independent contractor, so no tax is withheld. The IRS says "The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%." and that you file Schedule SE if "Your net earnings from self-employment (excluding church employee income) were $400 or more." (IRS). Its gig economy page adds: "You must report income earned from the gig economy on a tax return, even if the income is:" part-time, side work or not reported on a 1099 (IRS). Mercor says "You will be engaged as an independent contractor." (Mercor). This is general information, not tax advice; a tax professional can tell you about quarterly estimated payments and deductions in your situation.
AI training vs other physician side gigs and nonclinical jobs
People searching "physician side gigs" or "nonclinical physician jobs" usually weigh the options below. The table compares how each is set up; pay for the others depends on the client or employer.
| Option | Commitment | Patient contact? | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expert witness work | Case by case | No | Depositions and testimony; cases can run for years |
| Chart or peer review | Part time, often remote | No; you review real records | Steady volume needs a contract with a review company or insurer |
| Paid medical surveys and consulting calls | Minutes to an hour | No | Small, irregular amounts; Mercor posted a 30-minute survey at $90 |
| Locums or telemedicine | Shifts or blocks | Yes | Licensing and credentialing in each state |
| Full-time nonclinical roles (industry, utilization management, informatics) | Full time | No | A career change with a salary |
| AI training work | Projects of a few weeks; 0 to 20+ hours a week | No | High posted rates; many top-paid listings want current practice; projects end and hours are not guaranteed |
If you want a nonclinical career, AI training is a way to test the field, not the destination: Mercor says projects "can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance." (Mercor).
Is AI training a good side gig for doctors?
For practicing physicians who write well and want flexible remote income, it is one of the better-paid side gigs on an hourly basis. It is a poor fit if you need predictable monthly income or have already stopped practicing and cannot meet the "currently practicing" requirement in many listings.
Apply to programs that post openings in your specialty, keep your clinical work, and compare programs in Mercor competitors and Mercor vs micro1.
Tell us what you do. We'll send you the paid AI work that fits your field, wherever you live. It's free.
Origin Data Partners is independent of the programs on this page. A program may pay Origin when Origin introduces someone who joins it, which never changes what you are paid (how Origin is paid).
Common questions
How much do AI jobs for physicians pay?
Posted rates on 12 November 2026: Mercor $150 to $200 an hour by specialty and $170 to $190 for multilingual primary care; Outlier up to $120 to $250 by specialty; Handshake AI up to $180 for physicians and up to $300 for some medical professional roles; DataAnnotation up to $125+. These are posted rates, not a promise of pay.
Are AI training jobs nonclinical physician jobs?
They are nonclinical in that you never see patients, but they are contract projects, not salaried roles. Projects last weeks and can end early, and many listings require you to be practicing now.
Can residents do AI training work?
Some programs accept them. Handshake AI's physician role accepts doctors who have completed or are enrolled in a residency or fellowship. Most Mercor specialty listings want board certification and independent practice.
Do I need a US medical license?
For most US-paying listings, yes: Mercor asks for an active, unrestricted US license. Outlier's cardiology page also lists Canada and the UK, and its dermatology and ophthalmology pages list Canada.
Is it a good side hustle for doctors?
It pays well per hour and needs no patient contact, but hours depend on projects. It works best alongside clinical work, not instead of it.
Can I use real patient cases?
No. Your confidentiality duty and HIPAA still apply. Projects provide de-identified material; if you are asked for a case from your practice, write a composite with no identifying details.
How to work remotely as a physician?
AI training is one fully remote route with no patient contact. Mercor's infectious disease physician listing, read on 14 November 2026, says "This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule." but asks that you be "Currently practicing and seeing patients in the US, with at least 1 year of independent practice after training". Outlier's surgeon page describes "a fully remote, fully flexible role with no patient contact." These are contract projects of a few weeks, not a salaried remote position.
What are some good side hustles for physicians?
The comparison table on this page sets out the usual physician side gigs and their trade-offs. AI training stands out for posted hourly rates and no patient contact: Handshake AI lists physicians at up to $180 an hour, a ceiling rather than a typical rate, and calls it "an ongoing, project-based opportunity you can take on alongside your current role." Its drawback is irregular hours. Short one-off work also appears, such as a Mercor clinicians survey posted at $90 one-time.
How many hours a week do physician AI projects take?
It depends on the project. Handshake AI's medical professional listing says "The hours are flexible, with no minimum commitment, but most average 5-20 hrs". Projects can end early, so plan for weeks with no paid work.
Which physician specialties have AI training listings right now?
Most of them. On 14 November 2026 programs listed oncology, hematology, cardiology, radiology, emergency medicine, family and internal medicine, ophthalmology, ENT, psychiatry, dermatology, surgery, anesthesiology, neurology, OB/GYN and more. Who lists each one, with pay, is in physician AI trainer jobs by specialty.
Do hematologists and oncologists get AI training work?
Yes. On 14 November 2026 micro1 listed hematologists, medical oncologists and pediatric hematology/oncology physicians at $150 to $180 an hour (their listing descriptions say $160 to $180), US only, and Handshake AI listed radiation oncologists at up to $180. The full list is in physician AI trainer jobs by specialty.
Sources and further reading
- Mercor: Infectious Disease Physician listing
- Mercor: General Physician listing
- Mercor: Multilingual Primary Care Physician listing
- Mercor: Psychiatrist listing
- Mercor: clinicians survey listing
- Mercor: Medical Expert talent network
- Mercor: Clinicians (nurse practitioners) listing
- Handshake AI: Physicians
- Handshake AI: Medical Professional
- Handshake AI: fellowship eligibility
- Outlier: cardiologists
- Outlier: surgeons
- Outlier: dermatologists
- Outlier: ophthalmologists
- Outlier: FAQ
- DataAnnotation: roles and FAQ
- micro1: experts
- AMA Code of Medical Ethics: Opinion 3.2.1 Confidentiality
- 45 CFR 164.502 (HIPAA uses and disclosures), via Cornell LII
- IRS: self-employment tax
- IRS: gig economy tax center
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: physicians and surgeons
- micro1: Hematologist listing
- micro1: Medical Oncologist listing
- micro1: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Physician listing
- Handshake AI: Radiation Oncologist