# Side Hustles for Therapists: AI Training Jobs (2026)

> AI training jobs for therapists, psychologists and counselors: programs, published pay from $45 an hour, requirements and confidentiality rules.

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/guides/ai-training-jobs-for-therapists
By: Origin Data Partners
Status: Published
Published: 2026-11-12
Updated: 2026-11-14
Sources checked: 2026-11-12

## Quick answer

Yes. AI companies pay mental health professionals to judge how their models handle emotional, relationship and clinical conversations. On 12 November 2026 Mercor listed behavioral health experts at $45 to $70 an hour, and Handshake AI listed psychology experts at up to $55 (master's) or $85 (PhD) an hour, recreational therapists at up to $75 and psychiatrists at up to $200. It is part-time, project-based work with no client contact. Never use real client material.

## Key points

- The work: review AI conversations about wellbeing, relationships and mental health, judge whether replies are balanced and safe, and write rubrics and reference answers.
- Published pay on 12 November 2026: Mercor $45 to $70 an hour for behavioral health experts (a W-2 role through Cincinnatus LLC); Handshake AI up to $55 or $85 for psychology experts, up to $75 for recreational therapists and up to $200 for psychiatrists.
- Mercor says clinical licensure is "valued but not required" for its behavioral health role; it asks for 3+ years in a mental health, counseling or social services setting.
- Your confidentiality duties do not pause. Write composites, never real client stories, and check your ethics code and employer policy.

## AI training jobs for therapists, psychologists and counselors: the short answer

People now talk to AI chatbots about relationships, stress and hard decisions. AI labs want therapists, counselors and psychologists to tell them when a reply is helpful, when it simply agrees with the user and when it oversteps. That makes AI evaluation a new side hustle for therapists that uses clinical judgment without adding client hours.

Mercor posted "Behavioral Health Expert, AI Safety and Model Evaluation $45-$70 / hr". Handshake AI lists "Psychology Expert Apply now Up to $55/hr" for master's holders and up to $85 for doctoral holders ([Handshake AI](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28phd%29/)). Sources: [Mercor: Behavioral Health Expert listing, read 12 Nov 2026](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoP3B8SkA4VcfExhLrYa3/behavioral-health-expert-ai-safety-and-model-evaluation); [Handshake AI: Psychology Expert (master's), read 12 Nov 2026](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28master-s%29/).

Hours depend on projects, and none of these programs promises ongoing work.


## What AI training work for mental health professionals involves

Mercor's behavioral health listing asks you to "Evaluate conversations between users and AI models across topics such as relationship and family advice, emotional wellbeing" and to spot "excessive agreement, taking sides, reinforcing distorted or unfounded beliefs, moralizing, or overstepping into clinical or directive advice" ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoP3B8SkA4VcfExhLrYa3/behavioral-health-expert-ai-safety-and-model-evaluation)). It also says "These conversations rarely involve crisis content".

Other projects are closer to clinical psychology. Mercor's medical pool covers "Mental health, including psychiatry and clinical psychology" ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoY6KKlFwa2GA4jxPrI7D/healthcare-professional)), and Handshake AI's psychology roles involve "developing domain-specific prompts and evaluating LLM responses" ([Handshake AI](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28master-s%29/)). Your ratings become [preference data](https://origindatapartners.com/glossary/preference-data) that teaches a model what a good reply looks like.


## Which programs hire therapists and psychologists, and what they pay

Openings for mental health professionals that we read on each program's own site on 12 November 2026.

| Program | Listing | Published pay | Key requirements |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mercor | Behavioral Health Expert | $45 to $70 an hour | 3+ years in mental health, counseling or social services; licensure valued, not required; 20+ hours a week; W-2 through Cincinnatus LLC |
| Mercor | Psychiatrist | $150 an hour | Board certified in psychiatry; practicing in the US |
| Mercor | Medical Expert talent network | $60 to $180 an hour across past listings | Standing pool including psychiatry and clinical psychology |
| Handshake AI | Psychology Expert (master's) | Up to $55 an hour | Master's from a US institution; US-based |
| Handshake AI | Psychology Expert (PhD) | Up to $85 an hour | Doctoral students and graduates; US-based |
| Handshake AI | Recreational Therapists | Up to $75 an hour | 4+ years of experience |
| Handshake AI | Psychiatrists | Up to $200 an hour | 4+ years of experience |

Sources for this table: [Mercor: Behavioral Health Expert listing, read 12 Nov 2026](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoP3B8SkA4VcfExhLrYa3/behavioral-health-expert-ai-safety-and-model-evaluation); [Mercor: Psychiatrist listing, read 12 Nov 2026](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoWtv330pzH8496dGyKTt/psychiatrist); [Mercor: Medical Expert talent network, read 12 Nov 2026](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoY6KKlFwa2GA4jxPrI7D/healthcare-professional); [Handshake AI: Psychology Expert (master's), read 12 Nov 2026](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28master-s%29/); [Handshake AI: Psychology Expert (PhD), read 12 Nov 2026](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28phd%29/); [Handshake AI: Recreational Therapists, read 12 Nov 2026](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/therapy-professional-ai-trainer/); [Handshake AI: Psychiatrists, read 12 Nov 2026](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychiatrists-ai-trainer/).

Outlier, Alignerr and DataAnnotation did not show a role specific to therapists or counselors on the pages we read.

For context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual wages in May 2025 of $59,350 for mental health counselors ([BLS](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm)), $66,940 for marriage and family therapists ([BLS](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm)) and $99,110 for psychologists ([BLS](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm)). Those are employee wages; most AI rates are contractor rates.


## Requirements: license, degree, country and hours

License. Mercor's behavioral health role asks for "3+ years of professional experience supporting people in a mental health, counseling or social services setting" and says "Clinical licensure (for example LMFT, LCSW, LPC, LMHC, PsyD or PhD) is valued but not required." ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoP3B8SkA4VcfExhLrYa3/behavioral-health-expert-ai-safety-and-model-evaluation)). Psychiatrist listings need board certification in psychiatry ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoWtv330pzH8496dGyKTt/psychiatrist)).

Degree and country. Handshake AI's psychology roles say "Must have a master's from a US institution" ([Handshake AI](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28master-s%29/)), and all Handshake AI fellows must be "based in the U.S." ([Handshake AI](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/)).

Hours and employment type. Mercor's role is "a part-time commitment of at least 20 hours per week" and, unusually, "This is a W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC" ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoP3B8SkA4VcfExhLrYa3/behavioral-health-expert-ai-safety-and-model-evaluation)), so tax is withheld. Handshake AI's professional roles have no minimum, with "most average 5-20 hrs" ([Handshake AI](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/medical-professional-ai-trainer/)).


## How to apply as a therapist, counselor or psychologist

Apply on the program's site, upload your résumé and complete its interview and verification. Mercor's pool process: "then take a short AI interview, about 20 minutes total. We verify your credentials and background" ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoY6KKlFwa2GA4jxPrI7D/healthcare-professional)). Matching can take "within a week or several months".

Reviews of the main programs: [Is Mercor legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-mercor-legit) and [Is Handshake AI legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-handshake-ai-legit). Other programs are compared in [Mercor competitors](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/mercor-competitors).

[Tell us what you do](https://origindatapartners.com/experts#inquiry). We'll send you the paid AI work that fits your field, wherever you live. It's free.


## What to check before you share your license or ID

Credential checks are a normal part of applying. Make sure you are dealing with the program itself.

- Apply only on the program's own site (work.mercor.com, joinhandshake.com, outlier.ai, alignerr.com, dataannotation.tech, micro1.ai). If a message offers you a project you never applied for, find the listing on the official site before you reply.
- Upload your license number and photo ID inside the program's platform during its verification step. Do not send them by email, text or chat to a recruiter you cannot verify.
- Never pay to apply, to "unlock" projects or to buy equipment or training.
- Never hand over credentials that belong to your employer or patients: EHR or portal logins, prescribing credentials, or your employer's systems. A legitimate project supplies its own material.
- Before you start, write down the rate, the minimum hours, how long the project runs and what triggers payment. Some first tasks are paid per task, not per hour.
- Keep your own log of hours and tasks. If a payment is disputed, your record is what you have.


## Client confidentiality, ethics codes and your employer

Your confidentiality duties apply to anything you write for an AI project. The ACA Code of Ethics says "Counselors protect the confidential information of prospective and current clients." ([ACA](https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf)). The APA Ethics Code says "Psychologists have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to protect confidential information obtained through or stored in any medium" ([APA](https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ethics-code-2017.pdf)). Where you work for a covered entity, HIPAA also applies ([45 CFR 164.502](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/164.502)).

In practice: never paste session notes, quotes or client stories into a task, even with names removed. Small details in therapy material can identify someone (see [personally identifiable information](https://origindatapartners.com/glossary/personally-identifiable-information) and [de-identification](https://origindatapartners.com/glossary/de-identification)). When a task asks for a realistic scenario, write a composite or invent one. Mercor states the work "will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution" ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoCWZLgyS_XMeXVxE9pIU/clinicians)).

Also check your group practice or agency agreement for outside-work and non-compete terms, and keep AI work off any device your employer manages. The programs describe this as evaluation work with no client contact; if a task ever drifts toward advising a real person, raise it with the program.


## Taxes for therapists doing 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](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes)). 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](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/gig-economy-tax-center)). The Mercor behavioral health role above is the exception: it is W-2 employment, so tax is withheld. This is general information, not tax advice; a tax professional can tell you about quarterly estimated payments and deductions in your situation.


## How AI training compares with other side hustles for therapists

Most side work for therapists means more client hours in some form. The table compares setup, not pay; rates for the others depend on your market and platform.

| Side work | Client contact? | Schedule | Main trade-off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Extra private practice hours | Yes | Your choice | Billing, notes and emotional load grow with each client |
| Telehealth platform sessions | Yes | Scheduled | Licensure in each client's state can matter; platform rules |
| Clinical supervision | With supervisees | Regular | Your state may require supervisor credentials |
| Teaching or continuing education | No | Term or event based | Preparation time |
| AI training work | No | 5 to 20+ hours a week per project | No client load, but projects end and hours are not guaranteed |

The main draw is that it uses your judgment without adding caseload. The main risk is irregularity: Mercor says projects "can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance." ([Mercor](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoCWZLgyS_XMeXVxE9pIU/clinicians)).


## Is AI training a good side hustle for therapists?

It suits clinicians who can explain clearly why one response serves a person better than another and who want work that does not add to their caseload. It suits less well if you need a fixed weekly income.

Pick one program whose listing fits your training, protect client confidentiality in every task, and keep your practice going while you see how often work arrives.

[Tell us what you do](https://origindatapartners.com/experts#inquiry). 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](https://origindatapartners.com/referral-disclosure)).


## Questions and answers

### Can therapists get paid to train AI?

Yes. On 12 November 2026 Mercor listed behavioral health experts at $45 to $70 an hour, and Handshake AI listed psychology experts at up to $55 (master's) or $85 (PhD) an hour and recreational therapists at up to $75.

### Do I need a license for AI training work as a counselor?

Not always. Mercor's behavioral health role says licensure such as LMFT, LCSW, LPC, LMHC, PsyD or PhD is valued but not required, and asks for 3+ years in a mental health, counseling or social services setting. Psychiatrist roles require board certification.

### How much do psychologists earn training AI?

Handshake AI posts up to $55 an hour for master's-level and up to $85 for doctoral psychology experts. Psychiatrists see higher posted rates: $150 an hour at Mercor and up to $200 at Handshake AI.

### Is AI training a good side hustle for therapists?

It adds income without adding clients, which many therapists value. But projects are temporary and hours vary, so treat it as extra income rather than a replacement for practice.

### Can I use examples from my sessions?

No. The ACA and APA ethics codes require you to protect client information. Write composites or invented scenarios, and never paste session notes or quotes into a task.

### Is the work W-2 or 1099?

It depends. Mercor's behavioral health role is W-2 employment through Cincinnatus LLC; most other projects are independent contractor work, where the 15.3% self-employment tax applies.

### What is a good side hustle for therapists?

AI evaluation is one that adds income without adding clients: you judge whether AI replies about relationships and wellbeing are balanced and safe. On 14 November 2026 Mercor listed a behavioral health expert role at $45 to $70 an hour; the listing says "This is a W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC", but its contract terms also say "You will be engaged as an independent contractor." Confirm your status, and whether tax is withheld, before you sign. Projects end and hours are not guaranteed. The comparison table on this page sets out the other common options.

### How many hours a week does AI training take for a therapist?

Mercor's behavioral health listing says "This is a part-time commitment of at least 20 hours per week". Handshake AI's medical professional roles have no minimum, and it says most average 5 to 20 hours. Both were read on 14 November 2026; each project sets its own hours.

## Sources

- [Mercor: Behavioral Health Expert listing](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoP3B8SkA4VcfExhLrYa3/behavioral-health-expert-ai-safety-and-model-evaluation)
- [Mercor: Psychiatrist listing](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoWtv330pzH8496dGyKTt/psychiatrist)
- [Mercor: Medical Expert talent network](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoY6KKlFwa2GA4jxPrI7D/healthcare-professional)
- [Mercor: Clinicians (nurse practitioners) listing](https://work.mercor.com/jobs/list_AAABoCWZLgyS_XMeXVxE9pIU/clinicians)
- [Handshake AI: Psychology Expert (master's)](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28master-s%29/)
- [Handshake AI: Psychology Expert (PhD)](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychology-expert-%28phd%29/)
- [Handshake AI: Recreational Therapists](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/therapy-professional-ai-trainer/)
- [Handshake AI: Psychiatrists](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/psychiatrists-ai-trainer/)
- [Handshake AI: Medical Professional](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/opportunities/medical-professional-ai-trainer/)
- [Handshake AI: fellowship eligibility](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/)
- [ACA: 2014 Code of Ethics (PDF)](https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf)
- [APA: Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (PDF)](https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ethics-code-2017.pdf)
- [45 CFR 164.502 (HIPAA uses and disclosures), via Cornell LII](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/164.502)
- [IRS: self-employment tax](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes)
- [IRS: gig economy tax center](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/gig-economy-tax-center)
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: mental health counselors](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm)
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: marriage and family therapists](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm)
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: psychologists](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm)

## Related reading

- [/experts](https://origindatapartners.com/experts)
- [Is Mercor Legit? Reviews, Pay and Company Data Deals](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-mercor-legit)
- [Is Handshake AI Legit? Pay, Reviews and Company Data](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-handshake-ai-legit)
- [Mercor Competitors: Who Else Pays Companies for Data (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/mercor-competitors)
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- [AI Evaluation Jobs: Pay, Who Hires and How to Apply](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/ai-evaluation-jobs)
- [AI Trainer Salary and Pay Rates Compared (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/ai-training-pay-rates)