MTurk is an online crowdsourcing platform by Amazon where businesses post simple online tasks called HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks), and workers (you) complete them for money.
Itโs one of the most popular platforms for microtasking, great for:
- Beginners
- Students
- Stay-at-home parents
- Anyone looking to earn a few extra dollars
๐งฉ Types of Tasks You Can Do on MTurk
Task Type | Examples |
---|---|
๐ Data Verification | Compare images, flag inappropriate content |
๐ฌ Surveys & Studies | Academic or market research surveys |
๐ Data Entry | Copy-paste text, fill forms |
๐ง Categorization | Label content (e.g., Is this image NSFW?) |
๐๏ธ Image Tagging | Identify objects in photos |
๐ Audio Transcription | Transcribe short voice clips |
๐๏ธ Product Reviews | Rate products, verify descriptions |
๐ก Most tasks are easy and take 1โ10 minutes to complete.
๐ ๏ธ How to Get Started
โ Step 1: Sign Up
- Go to: https://www.mturk.com
- Click โGet Started with Amazon Mechanical Turkโ
- Sign up as a Worker
- Fill out your details
- You may be waitlisted or manually approved, which can take a few days
โ Step 2: Set Up Payment
- Link your Amazon Payments or Bank Account
- You can transfer earnings to:
- Amazon Gift Card (instant)
- US bank account (daily or weekly)
- Note: Non-US workers have limited payment options
โ Step 3: Start Working
- Log in and browse available HITs
- Accept a task, complete it, and submit
- Once approved by the requester, you get paid!
๐ต How Much Can You Earn?
Experience Level | Typical Daily Earnings |
---|---|
Beginner | $2 โ $10/day |
Intermediate | $10 โ $30/day |
Skilled (1000+ HITs) | $30 โ $100+/day |
๐ก Most tasks pay between $0.01 and $1.00. Higher-paying tasks require experience or qualification.
๐ง What Are Qualifications?
- Some HITs require you to pass a quiz or complete 100+ HITs with high accuracy
- You can request qualifications to unlock better-paying jobs
- Over time, your approval rating helps you get more work
๐ Pros & Cons of MTurk
โ Pros
- No special skills required
- Work from home, anytime
- Thousands of available tasks
- Quick payouts
- Great for side income
โ Cons
- Low pay for beginners
- Tedious or repetitive tasks
- Must be fast to make decent money
- Some requesters may reject work unfairly
- Not available in all countries
๐ Pro Tips to Earn More
- Focus on High-Paying HITs: Use filters to find $0.10+ tasks
- Use HIT Trackers: Tools like MTurk Suite or Turkopticon show reviews of requesters
- Avoid Time-Wasters: Skip underpaid tasks (e.g., $0.01 for 5 mins)
- Improve Speed + Accuracy: This increases your approval rate
- Do Qualification Tests Early: More access = higher pay
- Work in Batches: Some HITs have multiple similar tasks โ do them fast in bulk
๐ง Recommended Tools
Tool | Purpose |
---|---|
๐งฐ MTurk Suite (Browser Extension) | Track HITs, requesters, earnings |
โญ Turkopticon | Reviews requesters to avoid scams |
๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ HIT Forker | Finds high-paying HITs |
๐ CrowdWorkers Subreddit | Tips & job sharing |
๐งฎ Turkerview | Up-to-date worker reviews of tasks |
๐ Is MTurk Available in Your Country?
Country | Availability |
---|---|
๐บ๐ธ USA | โ Full access |
๐ฎ๐ณ India | โ Limited access |
๐ Other Countries | โ Very limited or not allowed |
Techtip: Payoneer is not supported. US bank account required for full payment access outside US.
๐งฎ Is MTurk Worth It?
- โ If youโre looking for low-effort online income, itโs a decent starting point
- ๐ซ If you want to build a long-term career or full income, itโs too limited
MTurk = Better for:
- Earning $50โ$200/month side income
- Filling idle time (e.g., while watching TV)
- Getting started in online freelancing
๐ Summary
Feature | Details |
---|---|
Signup Cost | Free |
Experience Required | None |
Payment Methods | Amazon Gift Card, Bank |
Best For | Beginners, part-time earners |
Earning Potential | $2 โ $100/day |
Country Restriction | US preferred |
๐งญ Want to Explore Other Microtask Sites Too?
Let me know if you want a list of alternatives to MTurk like:
- Clickworker
- Remotasks
- Swagbucks
- Appen
- Toloka