HVAC Expert
AfterQuery • Remote
Education
Not stated
Type
Hourly
Pay Rate
$70/hr
Listed
29d ago
About this role
From the AfterQuery listing
Licensed HVAC technicians to build the diagnosis and system design scenarios frontier AI labs use to test model judgment on real trade work.
AfterQuery builds the expert evaluation data that frontier AI labs use to measure and improve their models. We're hiring HVAC technicians as contractors to author and grade the diagnosis and system design scenarios those evaluations run on. This is knowledge work built on your trade, done entirely from home.
What you'll actually do
Author realistic HVAC scenarios from symptom through diagnosis and repair, the kind you actually run on a service call.
Write reference answers with the system and code reasoning behind each step, why that charge, why that duct size, why that sequence of operations.
Grade model output for technical accuracy, efficiency, and safety.
Flag advice that reads plausible but would kill a compressor or vent CO into a home, the misses only a working tech would catch.
Who this is for
HVAC technicians with EPA 608 certification, any required state license, and at least two years of field work.
Residential service, commercial refrigeration, and controls techs, all specialties welcome.
Tradespeople who can explain the why behind the fix, not just the fix.
People comfortable writing clearly, this work is typed, not brazed.
Contract and pay
$50 to $90/hr, paid weekly via Stripe. Your rate is set from your experience, not negotiated down after you start.
Remote and async. No fixed hours, it fits around jobs.
Minimum 10 hours per week, no maximum. Scale up or down week to week.
No screen recording, no keystroke monitoring, no idle timers.
Independent contractor. Ongoing project work rather than single task batches.
How our hiring process works
Apply at /apply/hvac-expert. About five minutes. Resume plus a few structured questions.
Resume review. Every application gets read against a published rubric and gets a decision.
Written assessment. You may be asked to take a written assessment for further placement.
Onboarding. Sign the contractor agreement, connect Stripe, and get platform access.
Project match. You're matched to live work in your specialty, usually within a week of onboarding.
About AfterQuery
AfterQuery is an expert data lab. We build the evaluation and training data that frontier AI labs use to measure what their models can and can't do in real professional work. Our contributors are practicing professionals, not annotators, and the work is credited, reviewed, and paid at professional rates.
How long hiring takes
Across the AI training platforms we refer candidates to, the median gap between referral and hire is about 30 days. It varies by platform and role, so treat it as a rough guide for this one.
Why this role
$70/hr for HVAC Expert work puts your Generalist expertise on the same footing as an AI lab's own research staff, without the overhead of running a consulting practice around it.
Skills and categories
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Common questions
Do I need a PhD to qualify for AfterQuery?
Only for specialist roles: ML research, atmospheric modeling, bioinformatics, COBOL, and audit accounting positions require verifiable credentials, usually a PhD, master's degree, or 5+ years of professional experience. AfterQuery's domain screeners check credentials before confirming an assignment, so listing a degree without the matching experience won't get you through. Generalist reviewer roles have a lower bar but come up less often.
How long do AfterQuery projects last?
Typically 2 to 3 weeks at 10 to 20 hours a week. There's no guaranteed follow-on work once a project closes, so treat it as a high-pay burst contract rather than steady income. AfterQuery does re-hire specialists for new campaigns, but that depends entirely on what AI labs are training at the time.
What does asynchronous AI training work mean in practice?
No set hours, no check-ins, no meetings. You log in when you want, pick up an available task, complete it, and submit; nobody is waiting on you in real time. That's different from remote employment, where you're expected online during business hours. The tradeoff: you're competing with others for available tasks, so an empty queue means there's simply nothing to do until more work is released.
Do task-based AI training roles require an interview?
Most skip a live interview entirely and gate access through an automated assessment or qualification task instead. Where we've confirmed the specific requirement for this listing, it's called out above in What We Know About This Role.
What does Generalist work look like for a HVAC Expert?
Tasks here are scoped to Generalist, not generic labeling. As a HVAC Expert, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to Generalist) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on Generalist background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
Expert and AI Training are named directly in the listing. If you don't have hands-on experience with these, expect the screening process to test for them directly rather than accepting adjacent experience as a substitute.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $70/hr, an hourly rate. Pay can change between when we last checked the listing and when you apply, so confirm the current number on the platform's own application page before committing time.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Afterquery's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.