I couldn't land a job, so I started AI training for $15 an hour. Now I make $100 an hour and built a career around AI.

Mo Zohourian Mo Zohourian turned to AI training when he couldn't land a traditional 9-to-5.

He started on generalist projects at $15/hour and now makes $100/hour as a sales specialist.

Even though he had 15 years experience in sales, Zohourian said his AI career has grown much faster.

This is an as-told-essay based on a conversation with Mo Zohourian, who works as a contractor for AI training companies , specializing in sales management.

His work and project rates have been confirmed by Business Insider.

Zohourian also consults on AI for small businesses and founded Annotation Academy, an educational platform for AI training.

This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I moved to Canada from Iran in 2023 and started searching for jobs.

I had 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship and sales management, but after back-to-back interviews, I was not getting hired.

I had been applying for about 10 months when I saw an ad on LinkedIn offering work for $15 per hour to train AI , no experience needed.

Because I didn't have a job, I said, "Okay, I'll give it a shot," but I was skeptical.

I didn't even tell my wife that I started doing it until I received the first payment.

A few years later, I've built a career around AI.

I now earn $100 per hour on AI evaluation as a specialist in sales management.