Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) as a Side Hustle

Introduction

• Presenter: Chris
• Channel: Lifestyle Design Show
• Topic: Evaluating MTurk as a Work from Home Side Hustle

Background

• Previous Experience: Used MTurk for 2 hours, made only $0.50.
• User Comments: Suggested giving MTurk a fair shot as a potential side hustle.
• Current Challenge: Devoted 12-14 hours per week throughout May to see potential earnings (~45 hours total).

What is MTurk?

• Platform: Crowdsourcing platform for various tasks called HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks).
• Types of Tasks: Surveys, outlining, completing sentences, voiceovers, etc.
• Nickname: Often referred to as an "internet sweatshop" because of low pay rates.

Chris's 30-Day Challenge Results

• Income Breakdown:
  • Direct deposit: $177
  • PayPal & Amazon Gift Card payments from higher quality jobs
  • Case study on Zoom call: $182 for 7 hours ($25/hour)
  • Phone case study: $18
  • Pending jobs: $22
• Total Earnings: $399 (rounded to $400)

Hourly Wage Calculation

• Total Hours Worked: Approximately 45-50 hours
• Average Hourly Wage: $400 / 47 hours ≈ $8.50 per hour
• Initially low earnings: $1-10 daily; higher earnings towards the end

Key Factors and Advice

• Accumulating HITs: Important milestones are 100, 500, and 1,000 HITs for qualifying for better jobs.
• Focus Time: Dedicated, uninterrupted sessions increase productivity.
• Optimal Working Hours: Early morning, late afternoon, and late night are best; weekends and lunch hours have fewer jobs.
• Joining Communities: Forums and Facebook groups (e.g., MTurk Members, Reddit's "Hits Worth Turking For") provide support and tips.
• Qualification Surveys: Complete demographic and qualification surveys to unlock higher-paying tasks.
• Use HIT Captures: Tools like MTurk Suite help find high-paying jobs quickly.
• Keyword Searches: Use keywords for quick, brief tasks, and filter by qualifications.
• MTurk Master Certification: Elusive and highly valued for accessing premium tasks but requires continuous high-quality work.

MTurk Evaluation

• Rating: 5.96/10
• Pros: Easy, flexible work from home.
• Cons: Low pay rates, time-consuming to find and complete tasks.
• Recommendation: Needs significant upfront effort; valuable for those willing to dedicate time.

Conclusion

• Chris’s view on online surveys changed after earning $400 in one month.
• Emphasis on the importance of building a good number of HITs to unlock better opportunities.
• Encourages viewers to share their experiences and thoughts on MTurk.