AI Remote Jobs and Training Work | How to Make Money with Outlier in 2025
In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, the demand for people to support and improve artificial intelligence systems is higher than ever. With AI tools becoming a part of everything—from virtual assistants to customer service chatbots—there’s a growing need for humans to help train these models behind the scenes. This is where AI remote jobs and training work come in.
Over the past few months, I’ve personally explored this space and found that platforms like Outlier AI offer a surprisingly accessible way to earn money online—without needing a background in programming or data science. These roles involve providing feedback, labeling data, or helping AI systems understand how real people think and interact. It’s honest work that you can do from home, on your schedule, and often on your own terms.
Whether you’re a student, a stay-at-home parent, or just someone looking for a flexible side hustle, AI training jobs like those from Outlier can be a great way to earn extra income in 2025. In this guide, I’ll walk you through what these jobs are, how they work, what you’ll need to get started, and how much you can realistically expect to earn.
What is Outlier AI? AI Remote Jobs and Training Work
Outlier is a platform that connects subject matter experts with opportunities to train cutting-edge AI models. The company works with various AI development companies who need human expertise to refine their models’ responses, accuracy, and overall performance.
As explained on their website: “Outlier is a platform that connects subject matter experts to help build the world’s most advanced Generative AI. You will work on a variety of projects from generating training data in your discipline to advance these models to evaluating performance of models.”
Unlike traditional jobs that require fixed schedules and physical presence, Outlier offers a flexible, remote opportunity where you can work on your own schedule while contributing to the development of next-generation AI technology.
How AI Training Works
Before diving into the specifics of working with Outlier, it’s important to understand what AI training actually involves. When you ask an AI assistant a question and it responds, it’s drawing on patterns it has learned from massive amounts of training data. However, AI systems don’t inherently understand which responses are better than others or how to handle complex topics with nuance.
This is where human trainers come in. AI trainers provide the critical human judgment and expertise that helps these systems improve. Training typically involves:
- Evaluating responses: Rating or ranking AI-generated answers based on accuracy, helpfulness, and appropriateness
- Creating prompts: Developing effective prompts that help AI models learn how to respond to different types of queries
- Providing feedback: Explaining why certain responses are better than others
- Specialized knowledge input: Contributing domain-specific expertise that the AI might not have learned properly
The goal is to help AI systems become more helpful, accurate, harmless, and aligned with human values.
Types of AI Training Jobs at Outlier
According to Outlier’s website, they offer three main types of AI training tasks:
1. Rating & Ranking
This is one of the most common types of AI training tasks. As described by Outlier:
“Rating or ranking assignments ask contributors to identify the best model responses out of two or more options until the content is high quality enough to be accepted in a review process. Contributors may also be asked to justify their selection in relation to specific criteria or factors.”
For example, you might be shown two AI-generated responses to a question about physics or history and asked to determine which one is more accurate, comprehensive, or helpful.
2. Open Rewrite
For those with strong writing skills, open rewrite assignments can be particularly interesting:
“With an Open Rewrite assignment, experts provide a starting point or a specific context for an AI model to expand upon. These prompts can vary widely depending on the desired output and the task at hand. Writing prompts can be simple sentences, questions, or descriptions meant to elicit a response from the AI model.”
This type of task helps AI models learn how to produce better content based on different types of inputs.
3. Multi-modal
For those interested in working with different types of media:
“Multimodal assignments help train models to generate and classify information from multiple modalities, including images, audio, or video. For example, experts might train the model to generate a story or a description based on visual content.”
As AI systems become more sophisticated, the ability to work with multiple types of content (text, images, audio) becomes increasingly important.
Benefits of Working with Outlier
Flexible Schedule
One of the most appealing aspects of working with Outlier is the flexibility it offers. You can work whenever it fits into your schedule, whether that’s a few hours a week or full-time hours. This makes it ideal for:
- Students looking for part-time income
- Parents who need flexible work hours
- Professionals seeking a side income
- Anyone who values the freedom to set their own schedule
As Outlier states: “Outlier is very flexible! We have some contributors working ~5-10 hrs/week and some who work 40 hrs/week as their schedule allows. You will earn based on how many hours you contribute throughout the week, which is up to you as there is no minimum or maximum amount of hours that need to be worked.”
Remote Work
All Outlier tasks can be completed remotely from anywhere with a reliable internet connection. This eliminates commuting time and allows you to work from home, a coffee shop, or while traveling.
Leverage Your Expertise
Perhaps most importantly, Outlier allows you to monetize your specific knowledge and skills. Whether you’re an expert in mathematics, computer science, creative writing, history, or any other field, there’s likely a project that could benefit from your expertise.
One Outlier contributor shares: “Outlier aligns very well with my interests in AI, expertise in chemistry, and my enjoyment of working with others and helping them succeed. I also like the structured creativity and variety of work that is required here. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far.”
Continuous Learning
Working on AI training tasks exposes you to new information and challenges regularly. Many contributors report that they learn while they earn:
“The work itself is fun. I’m learning about such a broad variety of topics because every time you see a task, you learn something new. I just learned some cool Swiss recipes for apple fritters,” shares one Outlier contributor.
Community
Outlier has created a community of experts across various fields. As part of their program, you’ll be assigned to a “Squad” with an experienced squad lead who helps you learn the ropes and connects you with other professionals in your field.
A contributor notes: “I’ve worked on other platforms, but there is absolutely no support available. At Outlier, you’re really getting into an online community.”
How Much Can You Earn?
Pay rates at Outlier vary depending on several factors:
- Your area of expertise: Some specialized knowledge domains command higher rates
- Task complexity: More complex or time-consuming tasks generally pay more
- Your qualifications: Higher education levels or specialized certifications can qualify you for better-paying opportunities
- Performance: Some domains offer higher rates for superior performance
According to Outlier: “Competitive rates are set based on the domain of focus and your qualifications.”
While Outlier doesn’t publicly state specific pay rates on their website, reports from various sources including Glassdoor suggest that:
- The average hourly rate ranges from $21 to $45 per hour
- Some specialized roles earn significantly more
- Payment is processed weekly via PayPal or AirTM
It’s important to note that earnings can fluctuate based on task availability. Outlier explains: “Projects become available on Outlier when one of our customers needs a specific type of data. When that customer has received all the data they need, the project ends… This means that there will be periods of time when there is no work available for you.”
Getting Started with Outlier AI
Ready to give Outlier a try? Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started:
1. Create an Account
Visit the Outlier website (outlier.ai) and click on the “Create Account” button. You can sign up with your email or use Google for faster registration.
2. Complete Your Profile
After creating your account, you’ll need to complete your profile with information about:
- Your education background
- Work experience
- Areas of expertise
- Language proficiency
Be thorough here, as your profile information determines which opportunities you’ll be matched with.
3. Verify Your Identity
To ensure security and payment processing, you’ll need to verify your identity. This typically involves providing:
- Phone number verification
- ID documentation
4. Apply for Opportunities
Once your profile is set up, you can browse available opportunities that match your skills. Each opportunity will have specific requirements listed.
5. Complete the Onboarding Process
If you’re selected for an opportunity, you’ll go through an onboarding process. According to Outlier:
“During onboarding, you will be added to a Squad of like-minded contributors, led by an experienced squad lead. The squad lead will help you onboard and learn about how to successfully contribute to a range of projects.”
This onboarding typically includes:
- Training on task requirements
- Screening exams to demonstrate your knowledge
- Sometimes a virtual interview
As Outlier explains: “Completing the onboarding modules and the assessment usually takes between 1 and 5 hours. Once you have completed the final assessment, you may have to wait for review, but can expect < 48 hour turnaround to get any feedback that is required.”
6. Start Working on Tasks
After successfully completing onboarding, you can begin working on tasks. The dashboard will show available tasks, instructions, and payment rates.
Tips for Success on Outlier
To maximize your earnings and enjoyment on the Outlier platform, consider these strategies:
If you’re looking to explore AI training jobs and earn money from home, there are plenty of remote opportunities available. You can start by checking out this AI Training Jobs in 2025 guide on our blog. Additionally, explore top platforms like Outlier AI, Lionbridge AI, and Appen to kickstart your journey in the world of AI remote jobs. Each of these sites offers flexible and rewarding positions that can fit your lifestyle and expertise.
1. Apply for Multiple Projects
The more projects you qualify for, the more consistent your work opportunities will be. As Outlier notes: “The more skills you can demonstrate, the more projects you can access on Outlier.”
2. Focus on Quality
Outlier values quality work, and higher performance can lead to better opportunities and potentially higher pay rates. Take time to understand task instructions thoroughly and deliver your best work.
3. Be Consistent
Regular participation helps build your reputation on the platform and may lead to more consistent task assignments.
4. Communicate with Your Squad Lead
Your squad lead is there to help you succeed. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification when needed.
5. Track Your Earnings
Keep an eye on your dashboard, which “shows detailed earnings information, so you can see exactly what you earned for each task, including the time spent and rate applied.”
Real User Experiences with Outlier
To provide a balanced view, it’s important to look at both positive and negative experiences users have had with the platform.
Positive Experiences
Many contributors report satisfaction with their Outlier experience:
“I travel a lot and enjoy working remotely so this position has been a great fit. The work itself is very cool and I believe very important to the overall quality of output by future LLMs. I feel like I’m helping people and I’m pretty good at it too.”
“I’m grateful to Outlier for giving me the opportunity to work from home, allowing me to be present for all my children’s needs and important moments. Working remotely has given me the ability to strike the perfect balance between nurturing my family and pursuing professional goals.”
“I love to learn new things and I am fascinated by AI technology so working on Outlier has been a lot of fun. More importantly, I’m also a busy mom and having the opportunity to work from home has literally changed my life.”
Challenges and Criticisms
Some users have reported challenges with the platform:
According to Reddit discussions, some users have experienced:
- Technical glitches and platform bugs
- Inconsistent task availability
- Occasional delays in payment processing
- Challenging onboarding assessments
A Reddit user commented: “It’s legit, but VERY VERY buggy and VERY VERY disorganized. There are constant issues with people being paid on time, getting pay cuts without warning.”
Another user shared: “It’s not the most reliable, but it’s served me decently. I only make 18/hr. But I get paid pretty promptly. It’s not too difficult, and works well with any schedule.”
Comparing Outlier with Similar Platforms
Outlier isn’t the only platform offering AI training opportunities. Let’s look at how it compares to another popular option, Remotasks:
Remotasks
Remotasks is another platform that offers AI training jobs. They advertise earnings of up to $18 per hour (or higher for specialized roles), with flexible scheduling and remote work options.
Key differences:
- Task types: Remotasks appears to focus more on chatbot training, while Outlier offers a broader range of AI training tasks
- Expert focus: Outlier emphasizes specialized knowledge and expertise, while Remotasks may be more accessible to general workers
- Community structure: Outlier uses the “Squad” system for training and support, which some users find more helpful than Remotasks’ approach
Payment methods: Both platforms offer PayPal payments, though specifics on payment timing and minimums may differ
Is Outlier Right for You?
Outlier AI training could be an excellent opportunity if:
- You have specialized knowledge: If you have expertise in a specific field (mathematics, science, writing, etc.), Outlier offers a way to monetize that knowledge
- You need flexible work: The ability to work when and where you want makes this ideal for those with variable schedules
- You’re interested in AI: Contributing to the development of AI technology can be fascinating and educational
- You’re looking for supplemental income: While earnings can vary, many users find Outlier works well as a side hustle
However, it might not be ideal if:
- You need guaranteed hours: Task availability fluctuates based on client needs
- You prefer structured environments: The self-directed nature requires self-discipline
- You need immediate income: The onboarding process takes time, and consistent earnings may take time to establish
The Future of AI Training Jobs
As AI continues to advance, the need for human trainers is likely to grow, but the nature of the work will evolve. Future trends may include:
- Increased specialization: Demand for experts in niche fields will likely grow as AI is applied to more specialized domains
- Higher complexity tasks: As basic AI capabilities improve, human trainers will focus on more complex judgment calls and nuanced feedback
- Ethical considerations: More focus on training AI to handle sensitive topics appropriately and avoid harmful outputs
- Multi-modal training: Greater emphasis on training AI systems that can work with text, images, audio, and video together
Conclusion
Outlier AI training offers a unique opportunity to earn money while contributing to the advancement of artificial intelligence technology. With its flexible scheduling, remote work options, and focus on leveraging specialized expertise, it represents an interesting side hustle option for many people.
While not without its challenges—including variable task availability and platform issues reported by some users—many contributors find the experience rewarding both financially and intellectually.
If you’re interested in AI and have knowledge to share, creating an account and exploring the onboarding process could be a worthwhile investment of your time. Just remember that, like any freelance opportunity, success often depends on consistency, quality work, and adapting to the platform’s specific requirements.
As one Outlier contributor put it: “This workflow provides a great, challenging framework for developing that skill.” For those willing to navigate the learning curve, Outlier AI training could become a valuable addition to your income streams while letting you participate in shaping the future of AI technology.
FAQs About Outlier AI Training Jobs
How much time do I need to commit?
There’s no minimum or maximum time requirement. Some contributors work 5-10 hours weekly, others work 40+ hours.
What qualifications do I need?
According to Outlier: “Minimum qualifications are usually junior and seniors in undergraduate programs of the domain. Preferred qualifications are graduate students, masters, and PhD holders of the domain.”
How quickly will I get paid?
Outlier processes payments every Tuesday, with funds typically reaching your account within a few days depending on your payment method.
Can I do this alongside my regular job?
Yes, Outlier explicitly states: “Contributors are independent contractors who can choose how many hours they want to work a week.”
Is my personal information secure?
Outlier requires identity verification for security and payment purposes, but they implement standard data protection practices.
What happens if I don’t pass the onboarding assessment?
In most cases, you can retry after improving your skills or apply for other opportunities that might be a better fit for your expertise.
How long do projects typically last?
Project duration varies widely based on client needs. As Outlier explains: “Our projects have varying lengths, depending on the need of the AI models you’d be working on. After completing a project, our contributors will have the opportunity to work on additional projects.”
