micro1

An AI interview, a real contract, and the highest hourly rates in the field

micro1 is a Palo Alto company that recruits experts and turns their knowledge into training data for the leading AI labs. What sets it apart from any microtask site is the way you get in: the first filter is a video interview with Zara, their AI recruiter, and only if you pass does a human review your application. You do not simply sign up and start producing. You apply to specific projects, sign a contract, and work with a team on Slack. That makes the initial wait considerably longer, but it also explains why the work is far better paid and better organised.

How to get started step by step

1
Build your profile and be selective about the skills you claim. Upload an up-to-date CV and tick only the skills you could defend in an interview. micro1.ai assigns projects by domain (coding, maths, law, medicine, accounting, writing, voice work, specialised trades), so a focused profile does better than a broad one. It decides which listings you even get to see, so it is worth the time before you apply to anything.
2
Only apply to roles that genuinely fit. This is the advice experienced contributors repeat most: do not run dozens of interviews outside your field. Each listing allows a single interview and it is recorded, so burning attempts on roles you do not know well gains you nothing. Check the payment model stated in the listing too, because it is fixed per role and you cannot choose it.
3
Prepare for the Zara interview before you open it. Zara is an AI video interviewer. Talk to it the way you would talk to a person, but structure your answers: specific, outcome-oriented, and grounded in your own CV. Use the real terminology of your field, because the system picks up on it. Rather than answering at length, answer with examples: what you did, how you did it, and what came of it. And do not open it until you are ready, because there is no second attempt for that same listing.
4
Sit out the human review without spiralling. If you pass the interview your application moves to "Hiring Manager Reviewing" and a person looks at it. A decision takes around 30 days on average, though some people have signed within two weeks. A "Did not qualify" does not necessarily mean you did badly: your rate expectations, your location, or specific client requirements all play a part. You can request a breakdown of where you fell short, and you should.
5
Check whether the project pays hourly or per task before signing. This is where most people get caught out. Some projects pay hourly and some pay per completed task, and the difference shows up in the contract. Several contributors describe accepting listings advertised at 20 dollars an hour that actually paid per task: with tasks taking them 45 to 60 minutes, their real rate landed around 3 dollars an hour. Before accepting, work out how long a task genuinely takes you and do the division.
6
Work with the team and get paid twice a month. Once you are on, you are added to a Slack channel with your HDM and the project lead. Ask them whatever you need; that is the normal route. Payroll is semi-monthly on fixed dates: work done from the 1st to the 15th is paid around the 20th, and from the 16th to month end around the 5th of the following month. You can run several projects at once if your leads approve it.

Pros

✓Hourly rate far above any survey or microtask platform
✓A proper process: signed contract, Slack channel, and an assigned lead
✓Semi-monthly payroll on fixed, predictable dates
✓Hires across more than 150 countries; India, Nigeria, and Kenya are among the best represented
✓A real ladder: Expert to Reviewer, and from there into management roles
✓Once you are inside the ecosystem, lining up new projects gets noticeably easier

Cons

✗The wait for a first project can run to weeks or months
✗Each listing allows one interview only: fail it and that role is closed to you for good
✗Some projects pay per task, where the real hourly rate lands far below the advertised one
✗Ramp-up time and rework caused by client changes are not always paid
✗Projects can pause without warning, and some users report losing submitted work that was still in review
✗Getting a "Did not qualify" with no detailed explanation is common

Tip to maximize earnings

The approach that works is to treat this like a job application, not an earnings app: few applications, carefully chosen, with the interview prepared. If you miss out on a role, apply to a different listing rather than pushing at the same one, because that one is closed to you. While you wait, keep your profile and availability current. And do not lean on this platform alone: projects come in waves, so it is sensible to keep Alignerr or another one running to cover the gaps. If you do build momentum, their referral programme pays out up to 3,000 dollars, among the highest in the industry.

Get started on micro1