This is fairly straightforward: we take the completion time & the reward amount (where available) and calculate the average hourly rate for the task. We then apply that number to a simple range based on US minimum wage standards to color-code the data for easy to digest numerical data.
Color
Pay Range (Hourly)
Explanation
RED
< $7.25 / hr
Hourly averages below US Federal minimum wage
ORANGE
$7.25 - $10.00 / hr
Hourly averages between Federal & highest statewide (CA) minimum wages.
GREEN
> $10.00 / hr
Hourly averages above all US minimum wage standards
Reward Sentiment
Not all HITs are created equal. Sometimes an hourly wage doesn't convey the full story of a HIT's true worth, so we encourage workers to give their opinion on the overall pay of the task. Was it $8/hr to rate pictures of puppies? A worker could justifiably bump up the rating a bit for something so adorable. 10 hours locked in Inquisit? Even for $10/hr many workers would appreciate the heads up on such a task. The Pay Sentiment rating helps connect workers beyond the hard data.
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Rating
Suggested Guidelines
Underpaid 1 / 5
Very low or no pay
Frustrating work experience
Inadequate instructions
Low 2 / 5
Below US min-wage ($7.25/hr)
No redeeming qualities to make up for pay
Fair 3 / 5
Minimum wages for task (consider SE taxes!)
Work experience offers nothing to tip the scales in a positive or negative direction
Good 4 / 5
Pay is above minimum wage, or compensates better than average for the level of effort required.
The overall work experience makes up for borderline wages
Generous 5 / 5
Pay is exceptional.
Interesting, engaging work or work environment
Concise instructions, well designed HIT.
Communication Ratings
Communication is an underrated aspect of mTurk. Clear, concise directions. A fast response to a clarification question or a resolution to a workflow suggestion can all be valuable aspects of interaction between Requesters & Workers and its worth keeping track of. Plus everyone enjoys the peace of mind knowing that if something does go wrong there will be an actual human getting back to you to solve the issue.
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Rating
Suggested Guidelines
Unacceptable 1 / 5
No response at all
Rude response without a resolution
Poor 2 / 5
Responsive, but unhelpful
Required IRB or extra intervention
Acceptable 3 / 5
Responded in a reasonable timeframe
Resolves issues to a minimum level of satisfaction.
Good 4 / 5
Prompt Response
Positive resolution
Excellent 5 / 5
Prompt response time
Friendly & Professional
Helpful / Solved Issues
Interacts within the community
Approval Time Tracking
This rating is strictly for approval times. Let's face it, no one wants to mix approval time ratings with how fast a Requester rejects a HIT, so we've saved rejection flags for another category. This provides a more straightforward way to know about how long your HIT might sit pending before paying out.
The default auto-approval for most MTurk tasks is 3 days, the maximum is 30 days. We've tried to base our ratings around those data-points.