If you design bridges, circuits, engines or aircraft rather than software, the AI training picture looks different. On October 3, 2026 our feed held 250 live listings for engineers outside software, across 9 platforms. 180 of them state an hourly rate, with a median advertised top rate of $95/hr and a middle half running from $65 to $120.
That is well above software engineering ($65/hr) and the market overall ($65/hr), and slightly above medicine ($90/hr). It is also an average that hides a lot: the same category includes roles at $120 an hour and garment factory quality control at $6 to $15 an hour. This guide breaks it apart by discipline and platform, shows what the work actually involves, and is upfront about the catches. The figures use the same method as our pay report.
What the work involves
The listings describe five distinct kinds of work. Which one you are looking at changes everything about the pay and the commitment.
CAD design and validation advisory
The biggest group is on Prolific: 47 “Remote Advisory” roles, a separate listing for each country and discipline: 18 electrical, 17 aerospace or aeronautical and 12 mechanical. The listings say the project captures how experienced engineers approach real-world CAD design challenges and validation workflows. They ask for a bachelor's degree or higher in the discipline and strong proficiency with open-source CAD software such as FreeCAD or KiCad, with Python scripting desirable but not mandatory, and most say researchers typically pay up to $120 an hour for the main study.
Read that carefully, because it is the most important caveat in this guide. Every one of the listings describes itself as an invitation to join an expert talent pool. Participation in individual projects is not guaranteed and depends on client demand and profile fit, and you must first complete a paid vetting survey and a screening call. So the $120 is a ceiling for the main study, not a guaranteed job.
Authoring and grading engineering scenarios
AfterQuery asks engineers to build the design and analysis scenarios that AI models are tested on. Its Aerospace Engineer Expert role asks you to author realistic scenarios from requirements through design review, write reference answers with the engineering reasoning behind each decision, and grade model output for technical accuracy and standards compliance. One line sums up the aim: flag designs that read plausible but would fail in flight. It asks for a relevant degree, at least two years of professional experience and depth in an area such as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion or guidance and control. The stated pay is $100 to $130 an hour, paid weekly, fully remote and asynchronous, with a minimum of 10 hours a week and no maximum.
Using engineering software on your own machine
Mercor has 6 “Application Users” roles for AutoCAD Mechanical, Inventor Professional, SolidWorks Premium, MATLAB, Vivado and Quartus II, at $45 to $65 an hour. The twist: you must already have the software installed on your own Windows PC. The listing says Mercor does not provide licences, virtual machines or hardware, and you must be able to capture screenshots at more than 2.5 megapixels. If you already pay for the software, it is simple. If you do not, it is a real cost.
Expert evaluation across engineering topics
micro1 lists 41 engineering roles with titles like CFD Engineer, Aerodynamics Expert, CAD Expert, Circuit Design Expert and Mechanical Engineering Expert, with a median top rate of $100/hr. micro1's listings carry no description in our feed, so check each one for the task. Meridial and SME Careers ask engineers to challenge and evaluate models on topics such as structural analysis, geotechnical engineering and chemical process reasoning. Meridial states a wide band of $6 to $65 an hour set by experience and location; SME Careers' Chemical Engineer role states up to $100 an hour and is open in 21 countries.
Skilled trades
It is not only degrees. AfterQuery lists expert roles for electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists at a stated $50 to $90 an hour, and Terac lists a study for HVAC professionals on residential heating and cooling systems at $151 per project.
Pay by discipline
We grouped the 250 listings by the discipline named in their titles. Medians are platform-balanced, as in the pay report, so no single platform dominates a figure.
| Discipline | Listings | With a rate | Median top rate | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace & aviation | 25 | 22 | $117/hr | $76–$120 |
| Electrical & power | 43 | 32 | $103/hr | $69–$120 |
| Chemical, materials & nuclear | 16 | 8 | $100/hr | $65–$115 |
| Mechanical, CAD & design | 58 | 50 | $84/hr | $63–$120 |
| Civil, construction & architecture | 29 | 21 | $78/hr | $57–$100 |
| Manufacturing & quality | 24 | 19 | $62/hr | $31–$68 |
| Other (mixed) | 55 | 28 | $83/hr | $65–$100 |
Aerospace and aviation is the highest-paying group at a median of $117/hr, though note that most of it is Prolific's advisory pool: 17 of its 25 listings. Electrical and power follows at $103/hr. Mechanical, CAD and designis the largest priced group at $84/hr, and civil, construction and architecture sits at $78/hr.
Manufacturing and quality is the low outlier at $62/hr, and the reason is specific: 17 of its 24 listings are Meridial projects, including 12 garment manufacturing quality control roles stated at $6 to $15 an hour in countries such as Madagascar, Egypt and Bangladesh. Chemical, materials and nuclear looks strong at $100/hr, but only 8 of its 16 listings state a rate, so treat it as indicative.
Pay by platform
| Platform | Listings | With a rate | Median top rate | Middle half | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prolific | 47 | 47 | $120/hr | $120–$120 | Advisory talent pool; “up to $120” for the main study |
| micro1 | 41 | 41 | $100/hr | $80–$110 | Highest listings reach $150 |
| AfterQuery | 20 | 20 | $98/hr | $81–$115 | Feed shows midpoints; stated tops run higher |
| SME Careers | 13 | 13 | $100/hr | $30–$101 | Publishes ceilings only |
| Mercor | 29 | 21 | $85/hr | $59–$120 | Includes the software-recording roles at $45–$65 |
| Meridial | 38 | 38 | $20/hr | $15–$65 | Includes garment QC at $6–$15 |
| Handshake AI | 59 | 0 | — | — | No rate listed on any role |
| Turing, Terac | 3 | 0 | — | — | No rate listed (Terac's HVAC study is $151 per project) |
Two things stand out. First, the same category spans a 6× range between platforms: Prolific's advisory pool at $120 and Meridial's median of $20/hr. Second, the figures understate what AfterQuery advertises. It publishes one midpoint per listing, but 10 of its engineering listings state a range in their text, and the median top of those stated ranges is $128/hr against $114/hr in its feed. The highest are Structural Engineer Expert ($110 to $195) and Professional Engineer Expert ($105 to $190).
And one platform gives you nothing to compare: Handshake AI lists 59 engineering roles, none with a stated rate. That is 24% of the whole category. They include aerospace, mechanical, power systems and robotics roles, several tied to Canada or India. If one fits, apply and ask, but you cannot compare it with the rest.
The catches
- The biggest group is a talent pool, not a job. Prolific's advisory roles are invitations to a pool, with a paid vetting survey and a screening call first, and no guarantee of work.
- Ceilings are not offers. The median stated minimum across the 180 priced listings is $70/hr, well below the median top rate of $95/hr. Platforms such as AfterQuery say your rate is set from your experience.
- Some roles cost you money. Mercor's application roles require you to own and run the software on your own PC.
- Low-pay roles sit in the same category. Garment quality control at $6 to $15 is filed under engineering, so a quick scan of the category can mislead.
- The grouping is ours. We assign disciplines from title keywords, and professions are classified automatically from listing text. Some listings are mis-filed, and small groups (a handful of listings) are sensitive to one or two roles.
What platforms ask for
- A degree and, often, experience. Prolific wants a bachelor's or higher in the discipline; AfterQuery wants a relevant degree plus at least two years of professional experience.
- Coding and CAD. 59 of the 250 listings are tagged as requiring coding. Prolific asks for open-source CAD proficiency, with Python scripting for validation helpful.
- Depth in one area. AfterQuery asks for depth in at least one specialty, such as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion or guidance and control, and for clear writing that documents the reasoning behind a decision.
- Your own tools. For Mercor's application roles, installed software and a high-resolution screen.
How to stand out
- Lead with your specialty, not just your degree. Listings ask for depth in an area, so name yours.
- Show open-source CAD and scripting. If you can use FreeCAD or KiCad and write validation scripts in Python, say so with an example.
- Practise explaining decisions in writing. The scenario-authoring roles are writing jobs as much as engineering jobs.
- Apply to more than one platform. Work arrives in projects that start and stop. See our guide to getting accepted.
Where you can work from
197 of the 250 listings state no country restriction and 53 name specific countries. Prolific posts a separate advisory listing for each of 17 countries named in the titles, among them Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Japan, so check which one applies to you. Our feed does not mark them as country-restricted, so confirm eligibility on the listing. Our country pages list the roles that name your country.
Common questions
Do engineers earn more than software engineers in AI training?
On advertised rates, yes: the median top rate for non-software engineering listings is $95/hr against $65/hr for software engineering, though the software category is larger and spans a wider range of rates by platform. Our software engineers guide covers that side.
Do I need a degree?
For the higher-paying roles whose requirements we can read, such as Prolific's and AfterQuery's, a degree in the discipline is required, and AfterQuery adds two years of professional experience. But some roles, such as its expert listings for electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists, are built around trade experience.
Which platform should I try first?
It depends on what you want. AfterQuery is the most specific about what the work involves and pays. micro1 has 41 priced engineering roles. Prolific has the most priced listings but is a talent pool. Mercor suits you if you already own the engineering software. Compare them on the pay report and read the platform pages for AfterQuery, micro1, Prolific and Mercor.
How current is this?
This is a snapshot from October 3, 2026. Listings change daily. The live roles are on our engineers page.