Mechanical Engineering Technician

$30–70/hrrate as listed

Review and correct AI-generated answers on mechanical fabrication, machining, tolerances, and equipment maintenance, drawing on hands-on shop and field experience. Work is remote, task-based, and paid hourly at an observed $30–70/hr on micro1.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

What the work involves

You are asked to judge whether a model's mechanical reasoning would survive contact with a real shop floor. Typical tasks include grading two competing AI responses to a question about press-fit tolerances, GD&T callouts, or bearing failure modes; rewriting an answer that cites the wrong material spec or an unsafe lockout sequence; and writing original prompts drawn from jobs you have actually run — a misaligned coupling, a fixture that chattered, a pump that cavitated after a rebuild. Some batches focus on reading drawings and BOMs, others on troubleshooting narratives, others on documenting procedures step by step. You are expected to explain why an answer is wrong in terms a reviewer can verify, not just mark it down.

What the platform screens for

micro1's screening is AI-led and conversational. It probes whether your experience is specific and recent: which machines you ran, what tolerances you held, which standards you worked to (ASME Y14.5, ISO 2768, OSHA lockout/tagout), and what you did when a part came back out of spec. Expect follow-up questions that press on details a generalist would fumble — surface finish units, thread class fits, torque sequence logic. Credentials help, but demonstrated hands-on judgment matters more than a résumé line.

Logistics

Fully remote and asynchronous; you claim tasks from queues rather than working fixed shifts.
Volume fluctuates by project — some weeks offer 5–10 hours, others 20+. Treat it as supplemental, not a salary replacement.
Pay is hourly within an observed $30–70/hr band; the actual rate depends on project, specialization, and calibration performance, and is not guaranteed.
Reliable internet, comfort typing detailed written rationales, and a willingness to redo work after calibration feedback are practical requirements.

What they look for

Test setup
Data interpretation
Failure diagnosis

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Do you have at least two years of direct hands-on experience operating machine tools (lathe, mill, grinder, CNC) or performing manual part inspection and assembly in a manufacturing or shop environment?
Hands-on machining or fabrication experience · required
Have you worked with engineering drawings that specified tolerances, surface finish, or geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) callouts such as perpendicularity or runout?
Familiarity with standard tolerancing and GD&T · required
Do you have reliable internet access and the ability to complete tasks asynchronously on your own schedule throughout the week?
Reliable internet and asynchronous availability · required
Are you comfortable writing detailed written explanations and rationales (typically 2–5 paragraphs per task) for technical judgments?
Written communication · preferred

0 of 4 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 1 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Whether the candidate has current, hands-on shop experience rather than classroom or supervisory distance from actual machines and tolerances.
A strong answer: Names a concrete part (shaft, bore, bracket), states the tolerance band and unit (e.g. ±0.005
Where people lose it: Vague answers ('worked with metal parts'), inability to name the tolerance or measurement tool, or citing only routine production work without showing understanding of *why* that tolerance mattered or how it was held.