Records / Negotiation levers

A listed crowd vendor keeps 37 to 40 percent after paying its workers

Appen, which defines gross margin as revenue less crowd expenses, kept 40.3 percent in 2025 (39.3 percent in 2024) and 36.7 percent in the first half of 2026, so a client paid about $1.58 to $1.68 for each $1 its crowd earned. Sacra reports that Scale marks up the cost of labour to a gross margin above 50 percent (at least $2 per $1). Expert marketplaces sit lower: Mercor 27 to 33 percent, Handshake about 30 percent (already on the board).

Dated 14 Oct 2026Source checked 14 Oct 2026Quote found on its page again 16 Oct 2026Basis: strong