If you’ve been wondering if Appen is a side gig you should pursue, keep reading! We have a full review of the company, how much they pay, and real-world experiences.
Short-task sites are one of the easiest ways to start earning money while staying at home. If you’re looking for a way to make money without having to stick to a set schedule, you may want to consider Appen. They have been around for several years and pay workers for completing simple tasks and collecting data.
Over time, Appen has slightly shifted its services and how it works for independent contractors. In this Appen review, you’ll learn more about the company’s remote opportunities and how to get started.
Company Overview
Appen is a global company specializing in artificial intelligence sourcing, data annotation, and more. They serve clients in more than 170 countries and have worked with over 1 million skilled contractors across 235 languages. Some of the industries they serve include technology, automotive, financial services, and retail.
Appen’s services include organizing, assessing, and presenting different types of data (using human interaction) to help their clients’ AI systems act more “human-like.” They typically hire contractors for short-term data entry tasks, whether it’s assessing information and data for images, video, audio, text, and online content.
Job Details
If you’re looking to make extra money with Appen, there a few different opportunities are available on the company’s crowdsourcing platform, Appen Connect.
Appen Micro Tasks
Appen hires independent contractors as Contributors to complete short and simple tasks. These tasks include social media evaluation, content moderation, translation, and transcription. You can set your own hours and work according to your availability, making this a flexible way to make extra money from home.
It’s easy to get started as a freelancer on Appen. First, create an Appen account and select a project from the list of tasks that interests you. You’ll always have clear instructions and expectations for the job before you accept it. As you work on each project, Appen will keep track of your accuracy so you can work on more projects in the future.
Sometimes, you’ll need to answer a few questions upon submitting the task. Once the job is completed and submitted, you’ll be paid via Payoneer or PayPal account.
Surveys and Data Collection
Appen also offers surveys for quick cash. Like other online survey opportunities, you can browse through different opportunities to share your thoughts and opinions about various topics. Each survey can be completed in less than one hour, and you’ll make extra money for each survey you complete.
Projects
Appen also offers longer-term assignments and part-time jobs under its projects. These can include things like research projects, data entry, or even testing out a new program, app, or service and collecting data.
The longer-term projects are also where you will find Appen rater roles, where you will perform either social media or search engine evaluation. As a rater, you will be responsible for evaluating search results, social media posts, or advertisements for their relevance to search terms. In the past, this has included tasks like browsing Facebook and helping them fine-tune their news feeds for individual users.
There is a wide range of projects, meaning you are likely to find something that interests you and aligns with your skillset.
Language Jobs
Appen hires a variety of linguistics and language professionals to help with machine learning projects. In these roles, you’ll listen to and provide feedback on AI-generated speech or text, thus translating or transcribing documents, collecting data, or annotating content for syntax, semantics, or pragmatics.
You will typically need a bachelor’s degree or higher and some background in linguistics or speech science for these jobs. Being bilingual or multilingual is considered a plus.
How Much Does Appen Pay?
As a Contributor for Appen, you track the hours you spend working on any project and invoice Appen for that time. Appen pays by the hour for short and long-term tasks.
According to Glassdoor, Appen’s pay rate is around $11-$14 per hour for typical tasks available through their platform. While pay varies per individual task or project, Appen’s Crowd Code of Ethics aims to pay at least minimum wage or more for your country of origin. However, this does not necessarily include state or local minimum wage laws if you live in the United States.
Contributors are paid at the end of each month once you provide an invoice for all the hours you worked. Appen processes payouts via Payoneer or PayPal within 30 days of receiving them.
What Do You Need to Work for Appen?
The requirements to start working for Appen are minimal. Generally, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old, have a computer running Google Chrome, and a high-speed internet connection.
For some projects, such as transcription, surveys, or video annotation, you may want additional equipment, like headphones or a microphone.
Outside of that, Appen’s qualification process is easy! Simply sign up and start taking projects.
Appen User Reviews
Wondering what real-life people are saying about working from home for Appen?
Appen has a 3.8 out of 5-star rating on Glassdoor. Many workers say they like the flexibility and freedom they set their own schedules. Others commented that the guidelines for the tasks are very strict, so you’ll need to follow directions carefully.
On Indeed, Appen gets a 3.5-star rating. One Appen employee said, “The pros are the flexibility and pretty simple work depending on the task. Great for retirees, college students, and stay-home-parents. Cons are depending on the task, the pay is low. However, I’d rather have some pay than no pay.”
Reddit also has a thread with users discussing their experiences. One Reddit user said, “I love the flexibility and decent pay.” However, another reader said, “I started on Appen recently and, at least for me personally, I don’t think it’s worth it. The pay isn’t much and there aren’t a lot of tasks.”
Pros and Cons of Working for Appen
Pros:
- You’ll make money for completing short and easy gigs.
- There are no fees, and it’s easy to sign up.
- No experience or qualification exams are required to demonstrate your skills.
- Hourly pay instead of work per project.
- It’s flexible, and you can set your own schedule.
- A variety of opportunities are available.
Cons:
- You only get paid only once a month.
- Sometimes pay may be lower, depending on the task.
- This is not a full-time, work-from-home opportunity.
- You’ll be working as an independent contractor, so you are responsible for your own taxes.
How to Apply
Apply for Appen online by clicking the ‘Jobs’ tab from the website then the ‘Apply now’ button. Then, fill out your personal information and choose your country of residence to register. After this, the team reviews your profile to see if there’s a project that fits your skills. You’ll also receive a link to the Appen Projects Page that lists all of the tasks that are available to request.
Appen Review Summary
If you’re looking for an easy way to make some extra money from home, Appen is a legitimate company to team up with. Little to no experience is required to join, and you’ll make money to do things you might already do online for free. Appen has lots of paid work to keep you busy.
You’ll just need to keep realistic expectations and know that this isn’t going to replace your full-time job. However, it can be a decent, part-time side hustle where you can set your own schedule. To apply, go to Appen’s website.
I need to know if this is legit because everything I run across always seems to be a scam I’m needing to make money to take care of my home I’m needing help from somewhere to sell me for free I have no money to start with really appreciate it