Software & codeFeatured
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Open in AfricaOpen in NigeriaOpen in KenyaOpen in GhanaOpen in South AfricaOpen in EgyptContractPosted Sep 16, 2026
$100–$150/hr
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At a glanceReviewed Oct 29, 2026
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Software & codeFeatured
Open in AfricaOpen in NigeriaOpen in KenyaOpen in GhanaOpen in South AfricaOpen in EgyptContractPosted Sep 16, 2026
$100–$150/hr
Apply(opens in a new tab)Math & scienceFeaturedNew
Open in AfricaOpen in NigeriaOpen in KenyaOpen in GhanaOpen in South AfricaOpen in EgyptContractPosted Oct 30, 2026
$63–$122/hr
Apply(opens in a new tab)Domain expertsNew
Open in AfricaOpen in NigeriaOpen in KenyaOpen in GhanaOpen in South AfricaOpen in EgyptContractPosted Nov 2, 2026
$30–$60/hr
Apply(opens in a new tab)01 · Overview
micro1 is a San Francisco–based data lab that contracts engineers, scientists, clinicians, lawyers, linguists and generalists to write, review and grade the data AI labs use to train and evaluate their models. You apply to a specific listing, complete a recorded interview with Zara, micro1's AI interviewer, and verify your identity to be certified into a talent pool from which project offers are made. It suits specialists who want flexible remote hours and are prepared to wait for the right project.
Commitment. Remote contract work with flexible hours. Expected hours vary by listing. A third-party summary of micro1's FAQ cites about 15–20 hours a week for many roles; some listings ask for at least 20, and others set no minimum. Hourly projects are tracked in Hubstaff, and per-task projects pay for approved tasks. Engagements last as long as the client project and can pause or end.
02 · The work
03 · Pay & payouts
Pay range
$20–$200/hr
USD, before fees and tax
Paid via
When you are paid. Twice a month, in US dollars, according to micro1's library. Pay periods run from the 1st to the 15th and from the 16th to month-end. Payments are processed within five days of a period closing, so funds usually arrive around the 20th and around the 5th of the following month (payroll runs on Pacific time). Withdrawing from Deel to your bank can add a few business days, and missing tax or identity documents delay payment.
Listings generally state their own hourly rate. micro1's own guide (May 2026) describes three bands: about $20–$60/hr for generalist feedback work, $50–$100/hr for domain-specific review (medicine, law, engineering, code) and $100–$200+/hr for frontier expert projects. Third-party snapshots are broadly consistent. Indeed showed an average of about $67/hr across 13 postings (range roughly $15–$200, August 2026), and one third-party tracker reported a median listed rate of about $68/hr. Depending on the project, pay is hourly (time tracked in Hubstaff), per approved task (your hourly rate multiplied by a project payout multiple, regardless of time spent) or a flat fee per approved task. Verified credentials and specialist projects bring higher rates. micro1 marketing that cites up to $1,000/hr describes exceptions, not typical earnings.
Receiving USD in Africa? Read our payouts guide.
04 · Who gets in
Selective
3 / 4
Screened on background and an interview or exam.
05 · How to get in
Browse open roles on micro1's Opportunities portal (reached from micro1.ai/experts) and apply to those that match your expertise. Listings generally state the required skills, rate and any location limits.
Register with your CV (and LinkedIn profile where requested). The skills on the listing and the experience on your CV shape the questions you will be asked.
A recorded, spoken interview that micro1's library puts at roughly 20–40 minutes, about seven minutes per skill assessed. Expect open-ended and scenario-based questions. Technical roles can include a coding challenge, and annotator roles a short human-data exercise. micro1 says the result appears immediately and that you can request feedback.
Confirm your identity with a government-issued ID to become certified. Certification places you in micro1's talent pool; it is not a project offer.
When matched to a project, sign the Deel contractor agreement and complete KYC. Some projects add a background check, readiness tasks or project-specific training.
Track hours in Hubstaff on hourly projects, or submit tasks on per-task projects. Pay is processed twice a month through Deel.
06 · Tips
Apply only to listings whose skills you can discuss in depth. Zara builds its questions from the listing's skill set and your CV, at roughly seven minutes per skill.
Rehearse aloud. The interview is spoken and recorded, so practice explaining your work in two or three minutes with specific examples (the problem, what you did, the result) rather than definitions.
Prepare the room as you would for a panel interview: quiet, well lit, camera and microphone tested, stable connection, notifications off.
Stay in the interview window. Independent guides report that proctoring can flag switching tabs, reading from notes and running overlay tools. Outside help has no place in a skills assessment.
If you do not pass, request the feedback micro1 offers and close the gap before applying to another listing.
When an offer arrives, sign the Deel contract, complete KYC and upload tax and identity documents promptly. micro1 notes that missing documentation delays payment.
Treat unsolicited recruiting messages with caution. Independent guides say micro1's official emails come from @micro1.ai, @micro1.io or @micro1.co addresses, and micro1's process charges no fee.
More in How to pass AI training assessments.
07 · The verdict
Strengths
Drawbacks
08 · In Africa
Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Egypt do not appear on micro1's exclusion list, either among the 17 the FAQ names or in the longer lists from independent guides. Kenyan guides confirmed Kenya's absence when they checked in October 2026. Excluded African countries include Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and DR Congo, and independent guides add Ethiopia. Eligibility is not a placement: offers are made per opportunity, and any listing can set its own residence or language rule. Pay arrives through Deel, whose withdrawal methods and fees differ by country. For example, Deel temporarily disabled mobile-money withdrawals in Ghana in 2023 before restoring them. The guides reviewed did not document a completed payout to a Kenyan account, so check Deel's options for your country before you start.
Where it hires. Global, with a published exclusion list. micro1's expert FAQ says it cannot hire residents of certain countries and regions for legal, regulatory and security reasons. The FAQ names at least these 17: Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Cuba, DR Congo, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Macao, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. Independent guides describe a list of about 21 that adds Ethiopia, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen, so check the live FAQ. Individual listings may add their own residence, language or work-authorization requirements.
09 · Questions
Yes, in principle. None of the five is on micro1's list of countries it cannot hire from. That list does exclude Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and DR Congo, and independent guides add Ethiopia. Each listing can still set its own residence, language or work-authorization requirements, so read the listing before applying.
It is a recorded, spoken conversation with micro1's AI interviewer. micro1's library puts it at 20–40 minutes, about seven minutes per skill assessed. Expect open-ended and scenario questions tied to the listing's skills; technical roles may include a coding challenge. micro1 says you see the result immediately and can request feedback.
No. Passing and verifying your identity certifies you into micro1's talent pool. Offers depend on client demand and fit, and some certified experts report long waits before their first project.
In US dollars through Deel, twice a month. According to micro1's library, work from the 1st to the 15th is paid around the 20th, and work from the 16th to month-end around the 5th of the following month. You then withdraw from Deel using a method available in your country, which can add a few business days.
micro1's application process mentions no fee. Treat anyone selling access to micro1 roles, for example on WhatsApp or Telegram, as a scam. Independent guides say micro1's official emails come from @micro1.ai, @micro1.io or @micro1.co addresses.
10 · Sources
Reviewed Oct 29, 2026. Platforms change their terms, pay and country lists often. Check the details on micro1's own site before you rely on them. Spotted something out of date? Email us.
micro1
$20–$200/hr
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Guides
9 min read
What AI training work is, who pays for it, how to get in and stay active, and the downsides worth knowing before you apply.
Read8 min read
What micro1's Zara and Mercor's AI interviewer ask, how to prepare and answer, what follows a pass, and the mistakes that end applications.
Read9 min read
Two task marketplaces and two contract matchmakers, compared on entry, steadiness, payouts and access from Africa, with a first pick for each profile.
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