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OpenTrainMaster's

Mechanical and Hardware Design Engineer for AI Evaluation

You will help evaluate how AI systems handle demanding mechanical and hardware design problems. The work focuses on your existing expertise rather than production engineering.

Field
Engineering
Where
United States, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia +89 more
Asks for
Master's
Posted
6 days ago

Pay data for your profession: Engineering AI trainer jobs

How this pay compares

The title points to rating and reviewing ai output: judging a model's answers or code against guidelines, such as which of two is better or whether one is correct and safe. What each kind of AI training work pays

At $135/hr, this role pays more than 93% of the 207 open engineering roles with a listed pay range, above the median of $80.

Open engineering roles that ask for a Master's have a median of $94/hr (41 roles).

Among platforms with 10 or more priced engineering roles, Mercor has the highest median ($88/hr across 35 roles) and micro1 the lowest ($60/hr across 28).

OpenTrain AI roles that closed since late October stayed listed a median of 31 days (122 roles). OpenTrain AI posted this one 6 days ago.

Computed from 2,746 open roles we track across Mercor, micro1, Handshake AI, Alignerr, Appen and OpenTrain AI, refreshed daily. Midpoints of listed ranges; “up to” ceilings are left out of medians.

What you would earn at this rate

Rate

$135/hr

Per week, before tax

$2,025

Per month, if the work is steady

$8,775

Tax
Contract pay arrives with no tax withheld. A US contractor at this rate and these hours would set aside about $2,218 a month for self-employment tax plus federal income tax at the 12% bracket (25%, before state tax). Outside the US, your own country's rules apply.

Assumes paid hours only; unpaid assessments, onboarding and gaps between projects lower the real figure. Full take-home calculator · Track what you actually earn

Open engineering roles on each platform

The same kind of work, priced on every platform we track, with the best-paid open role on each.

PlatformOpenMedianBest-paid open role
Mercor36$88/hrInfrastructure / Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)$200/hr
OpenTrain AIthis role132$85/hrChief Engineer / Senior Mechanical Engineer$200-300/hr
Alignerr14$61/hrRobotics Technician$40-120/hr
micro129$60/hrMember of Technical Staff, Research Engineering$400k-800k/yr
Handshake AI52up to $85/hrEngineering LeadUp to $195/hr

“Up to” rows list only ceilings, so their median is a maximum, not comparable with the range midpoints above them.

All 263 open engineering roles →

The full listing

As posted on OpenTrain AI. See the original

The work

You will help evaluate how AI systems handle demanding mechanical and hardware design problems. The work focuses on your existing expertise rather than production engineering.

You will create realistic technical materials, write expert reference solutions, set grading standards, and review AI-generated answers. You will also explain your judgments through clear technical feedback and structured written analysis.

  • Design realistic scenarios and problem sets for mechanical and hardware design applications.
  • Create reference solutions that show technically sound reasoning.
  • Write rubrics that separate correct, incomplete, and exceptional responses.
  • Evaluate AI outputs for correctness, depth, and sound domain judgment.
  • Provide structured written feedback on technical decisions.

What it pays and takes

This is a remote, independent, asynchronous expert engagement designed to fit around existing work.

  • Pay: $135 per hour.
  • Location: Remote and open to candidates in the countries specified for this role.
  • Language: Fluent in English.
  • Experience: Eight to twelve years in mechanical or hardware design, including CAD, RTL, robotics, or related hardware work.
  • Education: A bachelor's degree is required.
  • Helpful qualifications: A professional engineering license or master's degree.
  • You should be currently or recently active in hands-on professional work.
  • You need strong written communication skills and the ability to work independently and asynchronously.
  • Experience reviewing, grading, editing, or giving peer feedback on technical work is useful.
  • Research publications, open-source contributions, or recognized hardware work products are valuable.
  • Relevant capabilities may include RTL or HDL, CAD, and robotics.

How it works

Apply on OpenTrain with your resume, then complete the application on the hiring site.

About AI training work

AI training is the human work behind systems that learn from examples, including writing evaluations and reviewing model responses. OpenTrain helps people find these projects and build a profile around their skills, while experienced specialists provide the judgment needed for demanding technical evaluations.

From applying to your first payment on OpenTrain AI

  1. 1

    Create a profile

    Create a free OpenTrain profile with your domains, languages and hourly rate.

  2. 2

    Apply

    Apply to the listing. Some listings hire through OpenTrain; others send you to the hiring platform.

  3. 3

    Funded milestones

    The client funds each milestone before work starts.

  4. 4

    First payment

    OpenTrain pays out to your connected payout method when the client approves the milestone. It doesn't publish a fixed payout schedule.

Sources: OpenTrain: AI training careers, OpenTrain docs: invoicing and payouts

Full OpenTrain AI profile: watch-outs and the public record →

Pay history

OpenTrain AI has listed this role at $135/hr since Nov 10, 2026 with no change.

Across OpenTrain AI's engineering roles, the median listed pay was $69/hr on Nov 1, 2026 (50 roles) and is $85/hr as of Nov 11, 2026 (130 roles).

What workers report about OpenTrain AI

Anonymous reports from people who applied or worked there: whether they got work, what they were paid and how fast.

Other engineering roles

All 263 engineering roles →