United in diversity: 2023 Toloker survey
Since our launch in 2014, we've built a community of hundreds of thousands of active Tolokers. People from all walks of life make our platform diverse and vibrant. They're the driving force behind Toloka and a huge contributor to AI technology.
So who exactly are Tolokers? They're not just individuals on the other side of a screen — they're part of something bigger. Tolokers are people like you, earning extra money online, at their own pace, without tight deadlines or demanding targets. They're also continuous learners, always picking up new skills for their future careers.
Every year we conduct a survey to get to know our Tolokers better, learn more about their backgrounds, and find out what they like about Toloka. Let's take a look at what we learned this year.
Meet the Tolokers
Tolokers are mainly young adults, with more than half between the ages of 20 and 30, and about a fifth between the ages of 30 and 40. Our oldest Tolokers are over 60, but they represent only a small fraction of our community. The most common age is 23, representing 7% of all Tolokers.
About 62% identify as male, 38% as female, and 2% as non-binary.
Our community is globally diverse. Most Tolokers are either Asian, African or Caucasian – about 30% each. Indigenous and Polynesian Tolokers make up smaller groups, but their contributions are just as valuable, as they bring unique languages, some of which are endangered.
Tolokers live all over the world, in more than 100 different countries, covering all continents and time zones. Whether you're in a big city, mid-sized town, or small village, there's probably another Toloker right across the street!
In terms of education, most Tolokers have at least some college experience. More than a third have a bachelor's degree, and about 18% have a high school diploma. 16% have attended some college, and over 10% have a master's degree. In fact, the majority of Tolokans believe in lifelong learning and have pursued additional education, such as courses, professional certificates, or other training.
Languages spoken by Tolokers
Our Tolokers are a linguistic treasure trove: they speak over 40 languages. About half of Tolokers are native speakers of English, Urdu, Arabic, Russian, or Spanish, and the other half represents a mix of dozens of languages, including some less common ones like Tatar and Quechua.
Almost all Tolokers speak at least some English, even if it is not their first language. In fact, about 30% of Tolokers consider themselves advanced English speakers. In addition to English, 20% of Tolokers have some knowledge of other languages. The most common are Spanish, French, Arabic, German, Russian, Portuguese and Italian.
Tolokers at work
Most Tolokers use Toloka as a side gig, earning extra income while engaged in other work. Some are freelancers, others have full-time jobs, and some are job seekers or part-time workers. A small group even run their own businesses.
Our Tolokers come from a variety of industries and bring a range of skills and expertise to the platform. The most represented industries are services, finance, education and manufacturing.
Many Tolokers are early in their careers, with about 40% having one to three years of work experience. There's also a good representation of those with more work experience, ranging from four to over twenty years.
Tolokers having fun
When it's time to unwind, Tolokers enjoy a range of hobbies. Top favorites include watching movies, surfing the web, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family. Reading books and listening to music are also popular pastimes.
As for social media, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook are the top picks among Tolokers, with Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram also getting a lot of love.
Why Tolokers love Toloka
We asked Tolokers how they feel about being a Toloker, and why they joined. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with a whopping 85% feeling good or very good about being part of Toloka. Most see Toloka as a great way to supplement their main income, while for some, Toloka is their main source of income.
Why do they choose Toloka for earning extra income? Here are the top reasons:
- To develop new skills and grow professionally (20%)
- To help make the world a better place (15%)
- Because it's fun! (10%)
When it comes to their favorite types of tasks on Toloka, image labeling is the clear winner among Tolokers, followed by online surveys, search relevance evaluation, audio tasks, and searching for online data.
Embracing our diverse community
Diversity is the beating heart of Toloka. Tolokers come from all over the world, but they all share a common goal: to earn money by completing small tasks on Toloka. We value every Toloker and do our best to provide fair rewards, opportunities to learn new skills, and the freedom to choose your own tasks, hours, and locations.
If you're not already part of our community, we'd love for you to give Toloka a try. Start completing tasks and earning extra cash today. Remember, everyone brings something unique to the table.
Got any questions, or just want to chat with us? Join the conversation on our Facebook page.
