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platform review

Is micro1 legit?

Yes, micro1 is legit. The San Francisco AI data lab pays contractors in USD twice a month through Deel, with listings from about $8 to $400 an hour. Its AI interviewer, Zara, screens every applicant, and passing guarantees no project.

Legit Score

Not rated yet

We publish a score once we have checked the evidence behind each input. How we score

Updated 8 days ago ·

Reviewed by Irfan Sadek · See how we scored it

Advertised pay (our data)
$2–400/hr
Open to
Most countries
First payout
About 5 days

key facts

micro1 key facts

Key facts about micro1
What it isAn AI data lab that takes on vetted experts as remote contractors to produce training and evaluation data, with applicants screened by its AI interviewer, Zara.
Parent companyNo parent company
Official websitemicro1.ai
Advertised pay (our data)$2–400/hr · median $65/hr · 288 of 294 open roles state pay
PayoutDeel (withdraw by bank transfer, PayPal, Wise, Payoneer and more). Twice a month in USD through Deel: work from the 1st to 15th is paid around the 20th, and from the 16th to month-end around the 5th. First payment: about 5 days.
CountriesRecruits worldwide apart from residents of 21 countries and regions, among them China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela and Ethiopia; some listings accept applicants from the US, UK or Canada only. Open worldwide, except China, Russia, Iran.
Open roles294 open roles
Requirements
  • Demonstrated expertise in the role's field; many roles expect a degree, licence or years of experience
  • Most roles need English at B2 or C1 level
  • Living outside micro1's 21 excluded countries or regions
  • A government ID for KYC verification

apply

How do you apply to micro1?

Applying takes 4 steps, starting with: pick a role, apply and answer the screening questions attached to it. The button opens micro1's own site in a new tab.

Apply on micro1 (opens in a new tab)

We may earn a referral fee if you are hired. How we make money

live jobs

Live micro1 jobs

294 open roles we track right now.

We may earn a referral fee when you’re hired through some links. How we make money

See all 294 micro1 jobs

pay

How much does micro1 pay?

Median advertised pay $65/hr across the 288 listings that state pay, from $2–400/hr.

Pay in USD per hour from 288 live listings we track on micro1, 25 shown. See all 288
RolePay (USD/hr)
Product Safety & Regulatory Compliance Attorney$140–400/hr
Immigration Attorney$140–400/hr
Corporate Attorney (BigLaw Firms)$140–400/hr
Structured Finance Attorney$140–400/hr
Family Law Attorney (AAML Registered)$140–400/hr
Civil Rights Attorney (BigLaw Firms)$140–400/hr
Venture Capital & Corporate Attorney$140–400/hr
Gaming & Gambling Attorney$140–400/hr
Media, Publishing & Communications Law Attorney$140–400/hr
Litigation Associate Attorney (BigLaw Firms)$140–400/hr
Military Law Attorney$140–400/hr
FDA & Regulatory Compliance Attorney$140–400/hr
Healthcare Attorney (BigLaw Firms)$140–400/hr
Investment Funds & Asset Management Attorney$140–400/hr
Energy & Utilities Regulatory Attorney$140–400/hr
Research Scientist - Computer Science & Computational Physics$100–400/hr
Principal Research Scientist (Computer Science / Computational Physics)$100–400/hr
Software Engineering Specialist$150–350/hr
Consulting Specialist$150–350/hr
Data Science Specialist$150–350/hr
Finance Specialist$150–350/hr
Brand & Creative Strategy Expert$150–350/hr
Investment Banking – M&A Advisory.$175–300/hr
Equity/Investment Research Analyst$175–300/hr
Investment Banking Expert$175–300/hr
How much does micro1 pay? Trend and comparison

worker reports

What do micro1 workers report?

Payout days, hours offered and screening, from people who worked there.

We're collecting reports (0 so far)

We show payout days, hours offered and screening experience once 10 workers have reported on micro1. Each report is checked by a person and shown only as part of the totals, never on its own.

legit score

How we scored micro1

We have not published a Legit Score (our 0–100 rating of how safe a platform is to work for, based on published inputs) for micro1 yet. It will be the weighted average of these five inputs, once we have checked the evidence behind each one.

How we score
InputWeight
Payout reliability
Share of worker reports paid on time, from approved reports
35%
Pay transparency
Share of listings that state pay, and whether pay matches reports
20%
Time in market
Years the platform has been paying AI-training workers
15%
Third-party ratings
Trustpilot, Glassdoor and BBB, normalised to 0–100
20%
Complaint volume
Unresolved payment complaints per 1,000 workers, inverted
10%

pros and cons

micro1 pros and cons

Pros · 3

  • Almost every listing shows a pay range
  • Deel payouts work in many countries
  • Expert listings up to $100–400/hr

Cons · 3

  • Even clearing Zara's interview won't guarantee a project
  • Some listings posted as hourly end up paying per task
  • Payouts only twice a month

get accepted

How do you get accepted on micro1?

Steps to apply

  1. 1Pick a role, apply and answer the screening questions attached to it
  2. 2Sit the AI interview with Zara, spoken and recorded, about 20–40 minutes
  3. 3Complete a technical assessment if the role has one, then a hiring-manager review
  4. 4Take the offer, sign your Deel contract and clear the KYC identity check

What the screening involves

  • Screening questions
  • An AI interview with Zara lasting about 20–40 minutes
  • Technical assessment for some roles
  • Hiring-manager review and KYC check

scam warnings

Is micro1 a scam? Red flags to check

Got a message that says it is from micro1? Check these first.

  • Genuine micro1 emails come only from @micro1.ai, @micro1.io or @micro1.co
  • Track your application status in the micro1 talent dashboard, never in a stranger's message
  • micro1 runs no official scam page, so treat any fee request as fake
  • micro1's official website is micro1.ai. Links to any other address are not from micro1.

faq

micro1 questions, answered

Does micro1 actually pay, and when?

Yes. Contractors join as experts and get paid in USD via Deel on a twice-monthly cycle. Funds land within about 5 days of each pay period closing: around the 20th for the 1st–15th, around the 5th for the month's remainder.

How much does micro1 pay per hour?

In October 2026 micro1 had 251 open expert roles, paying from about $8–10 an hour for video annotation up to $100–400 for top legal and research roles. Some listings compensate per approved task instead of by the hour.

What is the micro1 Zara interview like?

Zara is the AI interviewer behind micro1's screening. It asks open-ended questions you answer out loud, and a session takes about 20–40 minutes. The recording goes to human reviewers; some roles add a technical assessment and a hiring-manager review.

Which countries can work for micro1?

micro1 hires worldwide, with one exception: residents of 21 countries and regions are ineligible. That list includes Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Venezuela and Ethiopia. Some listings limit eligibility to the US, UK or Canada.

Does micro1 have a referral program?

Yes, it does. The program advertises up to $3,000 per successful referral. Each job carries a fixed amount, paid after the person you referred completes 10 hours of work.

Who owns micro1?

micro1 Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco. Its CEO, Ali Ansari, founded the company during his time at UC Berkeley. In September 2025 it raised $35 million at a $500 million valuation.

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