11/08 - Fire Ant Fricassee Friday!

[XWarrior]

Hey guys, I asked this last night but I didn't really get any answers so kind of hoping for a little insight here..

I'm quitting my job in 2 weeks and moving to a new city with no job lined up yet, probably because I'm an idiot.

For you full time turkers out there, what is your typical day like in terms of earnings?
If you'd rather PM me to discuss this, i'd appreciate any help.

Just trying to make sure I won't drown financially... lol

There are a lot of dogs going for those bones, competition fierce in a sense, people might post what they make in a typical day but not what is behind it. A typical day for some is $5, others $10, people that are doing over $40++ a day now are either working 10-15 hours a day and have good solid qualifications and they pick up more along the way since you lose good ones from time to time. There are many other factors, hard work, long hours, searching and going for qualifications, using the right tools and constant effort, still might not earn you much. Find alternate streams of income online (gig work) to fill in the gaps, but it all comes down to one thing, what your expenses are. So the answer is nobody can give you a “typical day” it varies even in this community, and even those amounts will not apply to your situation. Have hope, work hard, seek out other solid gig work and keep expenses low is all I can say. Just FYI I have seen typical days on the forums I interact with ranging from $3-$250+, the hard truth is most “new” full time workers earn $12-$30 a day now, many with long hours. I know you are not new to platform, so that will help, good luck with things. Even the old timers do not have typical days anymore and as always qualifications matter.

 

[DareAngel3]

Are all the full-time turkers usually off by this time or am I asking a question not often talked about here? Not new to mturk, new to here

It is pretty late on a Friday, but I hesitate to speak up when the question is asked because it's going to vary so much by person. Experience, quals, preferences. I just don't think there's an easy answer. You might pay attention on Sunday when lots of workers post their weekly PE. You'll see a huge variance and may be able to conclude where you're fitting into the mix.

 

[ChrisTurk]

Hey guys, I asked this last night but I didn't really get any answers so kind of hoping for a little insight here..

I'm quitting my job in 2 weeks and moving to a new city with no job lined up yet, probably because I'm an idiot.

For you full time turkers out there, what is your typical day like in terms of earnings?
If you'd rather PM me to discuss this, i'd appreciate any help.

Just trying to make sure I won't drown financially... lol

Sorry I forgot to reply to your reply last night. FWIW as @ducky/others (rip replies came in while I typed) said 100/day is possible but easier w/ quals.

But what I was gonna mention is definitely look out for VacationRentalAPI's qual. It only comes open a few times/year but it's one of the few requesters you can legitimately make a living working for atm & they have work up even (especially?) during dead seasons since they're a business and not really tied to normal holiday scheduling. It's been a bit now since they did their last round so you might get lucky on timing if you keep an eye out.

 

[chrisd6]

I'm not sure if it's really a good idea to compare yourself to others without really knowing their quals or skillsets. It's not easy to make a livable wage on this platform and I would suspect that the vast majority of people that are making the larger amounts have a lot of good quals and have spent years honing their skills and improving their work flows. Just because someone chimes in and says "I turk full time and make x amount" doesn't necessarily mean that it will be that easy for someone that's just moving to full time. So I would just be mindful of that.

We're also heading into the slowest time of the year and people probably won't be making in late Dec/early Jan what they're making right now. It's really tough and having just one or two good quals could be the only thing allowing you to cover your bills (depending on what you require).

I'm sure people have already told you all of this and I don't know what your MTurk situation is like, but I just want to make sure you're aware that things very well might not go the way that you plan. One of the worst things about this work is just how unpredictable it can be.

To answer your question though, I try to shoot for around $80 per day, but it fluctuates wildly (I made nearly $300 yesterday and not even $20 today). I could go higher if I need, but I'm lazy and enjoy my free time (I also spend a ton of time here), so I usually just make the bare minimum of what I need to live off of. That said, though: I have masters, a decent amount of very old quals, I can make my own tools and scripts, and I have a social circle that helps with all of that as well and can alert me to stuff. That all really helps. I've seen people make decent money on here without all of that, but it's really hard. That requires a massive time commitment that will probably eat up your life and burn you out very quickly.

Thanks for a reply like this! I'm definitely aware of how unpredictable this can be, I've been doing this for three years now casually at night after work. $80 per day sounds solid but I'll be mindful you have masters and probably wouldn't exactly translate to my situation.

I usually shoot for $15-30/day at night casually working on whatever HITs I catch. Realistically, I could survive off $50/day plus my savings for quite a few months before it became a problem. I guess I'm curious if the numbers I make at night could feasibly hit $50 if I was to be working most of the day instead of just at night. I'm assuming there's a lot more HITs available during the day just because it is business hours for most places and institutions and such, however I could be terribly wrong on this as I've only ever worked at night.

Do I seem on the right track with that?

Thanks again for the reply you gave and if it seems like I'm asking too many questions for having not contributed much, I'm sorry... only found this forum recently lol.

 

[afallstarxfall]

Title: Small usability task & feedback on a website/app prototype. (~15 minute) | Accept Requester: Maze [A1D8RNWK41HDVE] Contact TV: [Hrly=$18.75] [Pay=Generous] [Approval=~24 hrs] [Comm=Acceptable] [Rej=4] [Blk=0] TO: [Pay=3.38] [Fast=4.20] [Comm=1.88] [Fair=2.54] [Reviews=17] [ToS=0] TO2: No Reviews Reward: 1.10 Duration: 2:30:00 Available: 1 Description: You will see small screenshots from an app or a website and you have small challenges to execute. Earn ~$0.20 per minute Qualifications: Not available from queue exports.

 

[afallstarxfall]

Title: Survey about behavior change support | Accept Requester: M.L. Tielman [A9N7FZYTA29B3] Contact TV: [Hrly=$4.76] [Pay=Underpaid] [Approval=~24 hrs] [Comm=Unrated] [Rej=0] [Blk=0] TO: [Pay=2.00] [Fast=5.00] [Comm=3.00] [Fair=3.67] [Reviews=5] [ToS=0] TO2: No Reviews Reward: 1.40 Duration: 2:00:00 Available: 0 Description: Answer questions about how a system could support you Qualifications: Not available from queue exports.

 

[WillowWolf]

Hey guys, I asked this last night but I didn't really get any answers so kind of hoping for a little insight here..

I'm quitting my job in 2 weeks and moving to a new city with no job lined up yet, probably because I'm an idiot.

For you full time turkers out there, what is your typical day like in terms of earnings?
If you'd rather PM me to discuss this, i'd appreciate any help.

Just trying to make sure I won't drown financially... lol

I agree with what everyone else has said already. It's really hard to answer this question because it's different for everyone. My daily goal is $100. I'll likely end up just over $160 today (including bonuses) if I work another hour or so, but almost everything I've done today has been closed qual batches. There's money to be made if you want to grind hard, but the key is to accumulate closed quals to make your life a lot easier (so you don't have work as much). That being said, I also did this full-time years ago before I got masters and a shitload of quals and managed, but I also had to work three times as much to get by. So, it really depends on how much you're willing to work to get to the next (somewhat easier) level.

 

[chrisd6]

It is pretty late on a Friday, but I hesitate to speak up when the question is asked because it's going to vary so much by person. Experience, quals, preferences. I just don't think there's an easy answer. You might pay attention on Sunday when lots of workers post their weekly PE. You'll see a huge variance and may be able to conclude where you're fitting into the mix.

Oh okay, I'll be on the lookout for Sunday when everyone posts their weekly PE. I hadn't thought about this, but that should give me a solid breakdown of what some people are earning at least and I can compare with the few hours I spend each night working at least.
As you've said it won't translate perfectly to my situation or any others' situation but I'll be curious to see how things stack up!

Sorry I forgot to reply to your reply last night. FWIW as @ducky/others (rip replies came in while I typed) said 100/day is possible but easier w/ quals.

But what I was gonna mention is definitely look out for VacationRentalAPI's qual. It only comes open a few times/year but it's one of the few requesters you can legitimately make a living working for atm & they have work up even (especially?) during dead seasons since they're a business and not really tied to normal holiday scheduling. It's been a bit now since they did their last round so you might get lucky on timing if you keep an eye out.

Oh, thanks about this! I wasn't aware of their qual at all, and I'll be sure to keep an active eye out for new quals. I've honestly been relying on my quals from well over a year ago and whatever else I can catch... guessing I should start looking for some good ones if they pop up. Thanks so much! Just trying to set myself up to avoid failure with this dumbass moving cities idea I have. lol!

 

[TotalBabe]

Are all the full-time turkers usually off by this time or am I asking a question not often talked about here? Not new to mturk, new to here

You've gotten some great takes on the Mturk situation so I'll throw something else out there for you to consider. A great many retail businesses are hiring people now for the Christmas season. Working with the general public is no picnic, either, as I'm sure you know, but it would probably be easy to get a job at a retail store at this time. Just something else to consider if Mturk fails to cover your needs this time of year.

 

[ChrisTurk]

I'll likely end up just over $160 today

I've seen enough of your weekly step counts to know this is all a giant sham. That or your work setup looks something like this

 

[aveline]

Thanks for a reply like this! I'm definitely aware of how unpredictable this can be, I've been doing this for three years now casually at night after work. $80 per day sounds solid but I'll be mindful you have masters and probably wouldn't exactly translate to my situation.

I usually shoot for $15-30/day at night casually working on whatever HITs I catch. Realistically, I could survive off $50/day plus my savings for quite a few months before it became a problem. I guess I'm curious if the numbers I make at night could feasibly hit $50 if I was to be working most of the day instead of just at night. I'm assuming there's a lot more HITs available during the day just because it is business hours for most places and institutions and such, however I could be terribly wrong on this as I've only ever worked at night.

Do I seem on the right track with that?

Thanks again for the reply you gave and if it seems like I'm asking too many questions for having not contributed much, I'm sorry... only found this forum recently lol.

Honestly, it depends. Surveys definitely seem to be a little more plentiful in the morning and day time hours. Batch work can be all over the place (I woke up at 4am for a batch yesterday and it's not uncommon at all to have stuff posting around midnight.) But without a lot of quals and stuff, you'd probably be better off focusing on surveys at the start anyway.

Maybe @cyberwasp would be kind enough to share some tips? He's been posting $50ish days and I think he might even still be on his 10 day probation (though, it's not his first time turking). If anything, I think he's an example of what's possible with absolutely no quals.

 

[afallstarxfall]

Title: Attitudes on Social Groups | Accept Requester: John Coley [AB5F0FJ07ARJ9] Contact TV: [Hrly=$7.66] [Pay=Low] [Approval=Unrated] [Comm=Unrated] [Rej=0] [Blk=0] TO: [Pay=1.00] [Fast=0.00] [Comm=0.00] [Fair=0.00] [Reviews=4] [ToS=0] TO2: No Reviews Reward: 1.00 Duration: 1:15:00 Available: 0 Description: Read short descriptions about social groups and share your thoughts! Qualifications: Not available from queue exports.

 

[Peachy]

I've seen enough of your weekly step counts to know this is all a giant sham. That or your work setup looks something like this

Fo real

 

[mboone73]

Thanks for a reply like this! I'm definitely aware of how unpredictable this can be, I've been doing this for three years now casually at night after work. $80 per day sounds solid but I'll be mindful you have masters and probably wouldn't exactly translate to my situation.

I usually shoot for $15-30/day at night casually working on whatever HITs I catch. Realistically, I could survive off $50/day plus my savings for quite a few months before it became a problem. I guess I'm curious if the numbers I make at night could feasibly hit $50 if I was to be working most of the day instead of just at night. I'm assuming there's a lot more HITs available during the day just because it is business hours for most places and institutions and such, however I could be terribly wrong on this as I've only ever worked at night.

Do I seem on the right track with that?

Thanks again for the reply you gave and if it seems like I'm asking too many questions for having not contributed much, I'm sorry... only found this forum recently lol.

Hi! Former turker here. Are you willing to work 8-10 hours a day for $50? Because that’s probably what you’re looking at without Masters or closed quals. Sure, I’m probably the worst turker ever, but it’s going to be tough.

 

[WillowWolf]

I've seen enough of your weekly step counts to know this is all a giant sham. That or your work setup looks something like this

LOL I do stand up working about 75% of the time at the kitchen counter, which helps.

 

[JenniLeigh]

Some of it's your set up too. Even if you have Masters, your computer/internet/what scripts you can use dictate what you make greatly.

The only way you're gonna see how you'll do is to just do it.

 

[WillowWolf]

I've seen enough of your weekly step counts to know this is all a giant sham. That or your work setup looks something like this

Also...that hourly is decent today. Leaves lots of time for steps. lol

 

[WillowWolf]

Fo real

Okay Mr. I Walked 45,000 Steps on a Saturday to Make Everyone Look Lazy. lol

 

[chrisd6]

There are a lot of dogs going for those bones, competition fierce in a sense, people might post what they make in a typical day but not what is behind it. A typical day for some is $5, others $10, people that are doing over $40++ a day now are either working 10-15 hours a day and have good solid qualifications and they pick up more along the way since you lose good ones from time to time. There are many other factors, hard work, long hours, searching and going for qualifications, using the right tools and constant effort, still might not earn you much. Find alternate streams of income online (gig work) to fill in the gaps, but it all comes down to one thing, what your expenses are. So the answer is nobody can give you a “typical day” it varies even in this community, and even those amounts will not apply to your situation. Have hope, work hard, seek out other solid gig work and keep expenses low is all I can say. Just FYI I have seen typical days on the forums I interact with ranging from $3-$250+, the hard truth is most “new” full time workers earn $12-$30 a day now, many with long hours. I know you are not new to platform, so that will help, good luck with things. Even the old timers do not have typical days anymore and as always qualifications matter.

Thanks for this, I'm definitely not new to Mturk by any means... For better or worse I'm well aware of the grinding and luck that comes into catching the right HITs to keep you afloat for a day!
I guess I'm just curious how smooth a transition for someone who has been pretty well set up working at nights for a few years now to going to full time would be. I'm a big budget guy and hoping my goals are realistic until I find the right kind of job I want!

I agree with what everyone else has said already. It's really hard to answer this question because it's different for everyone. My daily goal is $100. I'll likely end up just over $160 today (including bonuses) if I work another hour or so, but almost everything I've done today has been closed qual batches. There's money to be made if you want to grind hard, but the key is to accumulate closed quals to make your life a lot easier (so you don't have work as much). That being said, I also did this full-time years ago before I got masters and a shitload of quals and managed, but I also had to work three times as much to get by. So, it really depends on how much you're willing to work to get to the next (somewhat easier) level.

Damn, $160 sounds like a great day! Congrats on the great day! (thought I'm sure you're used to it) I usually feel good if I hit $30-40 just at night lol! I'll have to be on the lookout for some quals, I haven't looked in a long long time now. Just been sticking to my old stuff I guess

You've gotten some great takes on the Mturk situation so I'll throw something else out there for you to consider. A great many retail businesses are hiring people now for the Christmas season. Working with the general public is no picnic, either, as I'm sure you know, but it would probably be easy to get a job at a retail store at this time. Just something else to consider if Mturk fails to cover your needs this time of year.

Haha yeah, I'm trying to avoid the retail jobs if I can, but thank you for the suggestion! I'm quitting a pretty solid 9-5 job and don't want to go back to retail if I don't have to! the goal is to see if Mturk will hold me over until I land a job that's more or less equal to what I had

But, the world is a cruel cold place and we all know how that goes... LOL!

 

[JenniLeigh]

PS... update on new requester who thought the expiration time was a "suggestion" told me to get my money from Amazon b/c he already paid them ?