Key findings
- 1
On the same employers, between the weeks of 14 Sep 2026 and 28 Sep 2026, the advertised median for AV & Drone Operators moved up 0% ($35 to $35/hr).
- 2
4 of the 4 kinds of work with a market rate in both weeks moved less than 5%.
- 3
AV & Drone Operators carried the highest advertised median in the week of 28 Sep 2026, $35/hr.
- 4
Open Robot Teleoperation roles changed the most, from about 132 to 169 a day (+27.6%), counting employers added along the way.
- 5
The daily record covers 21 of the 21 days 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026 (100%).
Figure 1
Median advertised pay by kind of work, like for like
On the same employers, is the going rate for each kind of work rising or falling?
| Kind of work | On 14 Sep 2026 | On 28 Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AV & Drone Operators | $35 | $35 | 0.0% |
| Embodied-AI Data AnnotationSmall sample | n/a | $30 | n/a |
| Robot Teleoperation | $30 | $30 | 0.0% |
| Data & Demonstration Collection | $28 | $28 | 0.0% |
| Robot Fleet Operations | $22 | $22 | 0.0% |
Sample. Roles stating an hourly rate that were open at the start of the first and of the last week, on the 38 employers tracked since 14 Sep 2026 (a fixed panel).
A median needs at least 8 priced roles from at least 3 employers at both moments; kinds without it are marked as a small sample.
This is the comparison to quote: the next figure counts every employer tracked on each day, so an employer added during the period changes its medians through the mix of roles.
Source. RobotTraining.jobs Research, Robot Training Pay Trends, live data.
Figure 2
Median advertised pay by kind of work, as recorded each day
What did the daily record show for each kind of work, counting every employer tracked at the time?
| Kind of work | Week of 14 Sep 2026 | Week of 28 Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embodied-AI Data Annotation | $36 | $33 | -8.3% |
| AV & Drone Operators | $27 | $29 | +7.4% |
| Robot Teleoperation | $28 | $28 | 0.0% |
| Data & Demonstration Collection | $30 | $25 | -16.7% |
| Robot Fleet Operations | $22 | $22 | 0.0% |
| Egocentric & Wearable CaptureSmall sample | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Robot Task Evaluation & QASmall sample | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Sample. 21 daily snapshots of the market, 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026; each week is the average of its recorded days.
A day counts for a kind of work only when at least 3 employers and 8 distinct advertised rates stand behind its median (the market-rate gate); kinds without it in a week show n/a and are marked as a small sample.
The median moves with the mix of roles open as well as with rates themselves.
Source. RobotTraining.jobs Research, Robot Training Pay Trends, live data.
Figure 3
Median advertised pay, week by week
How has each kind of work's advertised rate moved, week to week?
| Week | AV & Drone | Teleoperation | Egocentric Capture | Fleet Operations | Demonstration Collection | Evaluation & QA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 to 20 Sep | $27 | $28 | n/a | $22 | $30 | n/a |
| 21 to 27 Sep | $27 | $28 | n/a | $22 | $26 | n/a |
| 28 Sep to 4 Oct | $29 | $28 | n/a | $22 | $25 | n/a |
Sample. The six kinds of work with the most open roles on the latest day; 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026.
A week with fewer than four recorded days, or cut by the window, is marked.
Source. RobotTraining.jobs Research, Robot Training Pay Trends, live data.
Figure 4
Open roles by kind of work, week by week
Which kinds of robot training work are growing in number?
| Week | AV & Drone | Teleoperation | Egocentric Capture | Fleet Operations | Demonstration Collection | Evaluation & QA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 to 20 Sep | 279 | 132 | 106 | 53 | 51 | 13 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | 294 | 163 | 105 | 46 | 55 | 12 |
| 28 Sep to 4 Oct | 289 | 169 | 105 | 56 | 57 | 11 |
Sample. Average open roles on the recorded days of each week, 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026.
These are all tracked employers, including any first tracked during the period; the jobs index follows a fixed panel of employers instead.
Source. RobotTraining.jobs Research, Robot Training Pay Trends, live data.
Figure 5
The middle half of advertised rates
How wide is the spread between ordinary and well-paid roles of each kind?
| Kind of work | Latest week | Width | Change in width |
|---|---|---|---|
| AV & Drone Operators | $26 to $36 | $10 | $-1 |
| Robot Teleoperation | $25 to $30 | $5 | +$1 |
| Egocentric & Wearable CaptureSmall sample | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Robot Fleet Operations | $22 to $27 | $5 | +$2 |
| Data & Demonstration Collection | $22 to $31 | $9 | $-1 |
| Robot Task Evaluation & QASmall sample | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Sample. Weekly averages of the 25th and 75th percentile of advertised rates, 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026.
Change in width compares the latest week with the first: a wider band means the gap between ordinary and well-paid roles of that kind grew.
Source. RobotTraining.jobs Research, Robot Training Pay Trends, live data.
Figure 6
Days recorded, week by week
How complete is the daily record behind these trends?
| Week | Days recorded |
|---|---|
| 14 to 20 Sep | 7 |
| 21 to 27 Sep | 7 |
| 28 Sep to 4 Oct | 7 |
Sample. 21 snapshots recorded over 21 days, 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026.
A snapshot is written right after each daily read of the job boards; a day it was not written is missing here, not estimated.
Source. RobotTraining.jobs Research, Robot Training Pay Trends, live data.
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Method and definitions
The daily market snapshots this site records after each read of the job boards, and the role history behind them. Every figure is computed by one database query over the window shown, the same query for the live report and for every edition. Each figure states its sample beneath it.
- Like for like
- Medians on the employers already tracked when the window opens, rebuilt from role history at the start of the first and the last week.
- As recorded
- The medians stored in each day's market snapshot, counting every employer tracked that day.
- Market rate
- A median counts only when at least 3 employers and 8 distinct advertised rates stand behind it.
- Advertised pay
- The hourly figure a posting states (the middle of a stated range). Medians need at least 8 roles stating a rate; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
- Window
- Live: the complete ISO weeks since the week of 14 Sep 2026 (the first full week of snapshots), up to twelve. Edition: the weeks of one month.
What this data cannot tell you
- Employers that recruit without a public job board are not counted, and some data-collection programs enrol people through an app rather than a job listing.
- A listing is not a hire. Some employers keep evergreen roles open for months, and some post one listing per city or country.
- Advertised medians follow the mix of roles open as well as rates; the like-for-like figure removes employer additions but not changes in each employer's own mix.
How the job feeds are read and roles are classified: site methodology. How fresh, complete and consistent the data is, checked every day: data quality and coverage.
Editions
The live index covers the last twelve complete weeks (from 3 Aug 2026 at the earliest) and moves on every Monday. Each complete month is also published as an edition, frozen two days after the month ends, so a figure you cite from an edition never moves.
- Live dataLast twelve complete weeks
Cite and reuse
Free to quote, chart and republish under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. Live figures change daily: cite a monthly edition for numbers that will read the same later, or keep the access date.
Citation
RobotTraining.jobs (2026). Robot Training Pay Trends (live data, 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026). https://robottraining.jobs/research/robot-training-pay-trends (accessed 10 Oct 2026)
BibTeX
@misc{robottrainingjobs_robot_training_pay_trends_live,
author = {{RobotTraining.jobs}},
title = {Robot Training Pay Trends (live data, 14 Sep 2026 to 4 Oct 2026)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://robottraining.jobs/research/robot-training-pay-trends}},
note = {Accessed 10 Oct 2026},
}Data: all figures as CSV (one line per value) or JSON. Every figure also downloads on its own. More open data: datasets and API.
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- The Robot Training Jobs IndexIs the market for human robot training work growing, week by week?Read the report
- The State of Robot Training PayWhat does robot training work pay, by kind of work and by employer?Read the report