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Appen Company Review: Can You Make $12+/HR?

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Appen is a data collection company that hires freelance contractors, such as yourself, to perform tasks online such as evaluating search engine queries or recording your voice while using your phone.  It’s a large network of jobs that anyone can apply to and start working fairly fast.  There’s a lot to do, from micro tasks to long-term projects.

And, yes, Appen is as legit as they come, providing project work to more than one million workers in more than 170+ countries.  The company has won countless rewards and has even been considered as one of the best remote opportunities online.

If you have ever used Amazon MTurk, it’s very similar to this in a way.  It’s not going to make you rich, but it could provide some decent income in your free time if you’re at your computer.  It’s a great option if you want to log in right now and look for tasks to make some cash.

Whether you’re researching Appen or you want to know more about money-making opportunities online, then strap in, as I’m about to review the company in depth.  As always, all of my reviews are 100% legit.  You won’t find me promoting personal products nor will you find me misleading you.  I don’t work that way.

How to Start Working with Appen

To start working with Appen, you will want to head to the Appen.com/jobs link.  And, there, you will want to choose from one of the three options, as seen in the graphic below.

When you sign up, the company doesn’t ask for much.  You just need to provide your name, an email and that’s about it.  The process takes about two minutes and you can start almost immediately if you want to work with the microtasks.  However, if you want to work on the projects, you will have to apply to the projects once you gain access to your dashboard.

To qualify, you must be at least 18+ years old, have excellent research skills, excellent communication/written skills and an up-to-date computer.  The nice thing about Appen is that anyone can apply worldwide.

NOTE:  Appen is 100% free.  They will never ask for payment.  If you find someone contacting you that says they are for Appen asking for cash, it’s a wide-known scam circulating the internet.  Do NOT pay anything to work for Appen, as it’s not required.



The Jobs

During the application process, you can sign up for three job types, all of which I will get into below:

Projects:  The projects, as mentioned in the graphic, are your longer-term part-time opportunities.  These are going to have a lifespan, with some being a one-time task, whereas some projects can last months, sometimes years.  There’s no real indicator as to know how long these jobs will last, but you can at least get an idea if you look at the task volume.  The task volume will tell you about the number of tasks available, and usually, the higher this number is, the longer the tasks will be.

As to what you may work on, here’s what I have seen in the past:

  • social media/search evaluation
  • transcription
  • translation
  • data collection
  • surveys
  • linguistic specialties (text to speech, etc)
  • speech evaluation
  • image annotation/transcription
  • video annotation
  • sensor data annotation

With projects, you will need to apply to projects that show up on your portal.  If a spot is available, you can apply to it to get approved.  If so, you will then be provided with guidelines and will have to then pass an exam in order to proceed.

Micro Tasks:  Your micro tasks will work much like Amazon MTurk, where it will only take you a minute to do.  All you need to do is select a task, read the directions and then complete it as specified to get credit.  You can complete as many tasks as you want and work whenever you please.

Data Collection:  Lastly, the surveys and data collection portion will require you to perform simple tasks recording your voice with your phone or completing a survey.  This option doesn’t offer as much work, but it’s one to consider.

If you want to, you can apply for all three.  You’re not limited to one option.  If you choose the task jobs option, you can start immediately.

Appen partners will many reputable companies such as Google, IBM, Amazon and Microsoft, to name a few.

The Pay

How much you make with Appen will greatly depend on the jobs you choose, as seen above.  Your pay will be dependent upon your country as well.

For longer-term projects, the pay can range anywhere from $8 to $12~ per hour for USA residents; however, the rates can be much lower in countries such as Mexico, India and the Philippines.  In those countries, the pay rate can drastically drop to $3 to $6 per hour, sometimes lower.  Some countries can be higher than the United States, however, such as Germany, Australia and Spain, which can pay up to $18+ per hour.

As for micro tasks, the rates can be similar if you work for an entire hour, however, I have found the average to be slightly less than the rates mentioned prior.

All payments are sent monthly through your preferred payment method, either via PayPal or Payoneer.

What Others Are Saying

Online, I found quite a few reviews for Appen, some bad, some good.  Of course, there will never be a perfect place to make money online since everyone will have their own want/needs.

In this section, let’s quickly take a look at what people were saying.

On Glassdoor.com, more than 3,300 reviewed the company, giving it a 3.7/5 rating with more than 84% approving of the CEO.

A lot liked the flexible hours, the good pay and easy work.  As for the cons, they didn’t like the lack of benefits as well as the shortage of work during some periods.

More than 440+ Indeed users gave the company a 3.6/5 rating, similar to that of Glassdoor.  And, glancing through these reviews, it appears these reviewers shared the same pros/cons, complaining about the pay and job security as well as boasting about the flexibility.

Lastly, more than 80~ people gave the company a poor 2.3/5 rating on TrustPilot, noting that it’s not worth your time as well as some reports of rude support staff.

The Pros:

  • Flexible – Like the many companies I talk about, Appen allows you to work whenever you please.  This allows you to make your own hours.  There are no requirements necessary nor do you have to commit to a minimum to stay in good standing.
  • Work from home – Of course, you can do all of your work from home or wherever you get internet access.  It could be at the library, the beach or even your car.  As long as you submit work as needed, it will get accepted.
  • Okay pay – The pay isn’t too bad, especially for some countries outside the U.S.  I have seen project averages north of $18 per hour for some countries.  This isn’t bad for entry-level work.

The Cons:

  • No benefits – You’re an independent contractor, so there will be no benefits nor will you receive any perks.  You are expected to provide all equipment, including a computer, phone and high-speed internet connection.
  • Monthly pay – This is a huge con to most as you can only get paid once a month.  Most companies will pay on demand or at least twice a month.
  • Workload can be iffy – Like most platforms that work like this, you won’t find consistent work.  One day it can be great, and you’re loving the world, while other days you will be lucky to make 10% of what you did the day prior.
  • Poor customer service – I read multiple reports that customer service doesn’t seem to be too supportive.
  • Boring – Some jobs are quite monotonous and boring at times.  Think inputting thousands of entries from a piece of paper into the computer.

Final Thoughts

8/10Appen is 100% legit and is one of the most mentioned companies online.  If you want steady work and don’t mind earning $8 to $12 per hour in the United States, it’s one to consider.  As long as you can follow basic directions, you shouldn’t have a problem getting work and getting paid.  As for everyone else, it’s a great worldwide opportunity, seeing it’s open to everyone.  While your pay may be slightly lower (or higher) than in the U.S., it’s hard to find a company like this if you want flexible work.

With this information, it’s up to you to decide if Appen makes sense for you.   Only you have the answer to it.  Just let it be known that it isn’t a scam and can be a decent way to make some money on the side on your own time.

That’s going to do it for now.

As always, if you want to add to the conversation, feel free to do so via the comments below.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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