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STEM mercor

STEM QA Reviewer — Materials Engineering

Mercor • Remote

Education

PhD

Type

Hourly

Pay Rate

$90/hr

Listed

95d ago

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What We Know About This Role

Contract length
3 weeks

About this role

From the Mercor listing

Project Zion — STEM QA Reviewer (Materials Engineering)

Review STEM problems and simulated research environments for quality as training data. You will evaluate task prompts, ground truth answers, grading criteria, and model rollout transcripts across two review types:

Project A — Simulated Research Review: Assess simulated-research environments (seed + 3+ agent trajectories) for scientific realism, construction quality, and diversity.

Project B — STEM QA Review: Evaluate individual STEM problems for task clarity, ground truth correctness, grading soundness, and training data suitability. Verdict: Accept / Revise / Reject.

Requirements

  • MS or PhD in Materials Science / Materials Engineering or closely related field
  • Ability to independently verify ground truth solutions for grad-level materials problems
  • Strong scientific reasoning and written communication
  • ~2.5 reviews per week (~2-4 hours per review)
  • 3-week engagement (6/5–6/25)

What You'll Do

  • Read complex STEM problem prompts and verify golden answers
  • Evaluate grading methodology and robustness
  • Read and summarize model agent trajectories (best and worst rollouts)
  • Provide structured feedback via standardized review forms
  • Render Accept/Revise/Reject verdicts with concrete explanations

Platform

  • Work is done on HFI (Surveyor)
  • 48-hour lease per problem, extendable
  • Self-select problems within your domain expertise

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.

Within 2 weeks
~25%
Within 6 weeks
~60%
Within 3 months
~80%

Talent Pool members

Apply through this link and we can put you forward to Mercor when your profile is a strong match. Not every applicant is submitted. If you're not in the pool yet, set up your profile first.

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Why this role

This STEM QA Reviewer — Materials Engineering position pays $90/hr for STEM expertise on your own schedule, comparable to specialized consulting work without the client acquisition or billing overhead.

Talent pool

We're light on STEM candidates

We've matched 65 people with a STEM background against 726 STEM listings we've tracked, so most go out without one. Set up a profile and we'll consider you for a role like this one.

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Skills and categories

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Common questions

Is Mercor for freelancers or full-time contractors?

Mercor places you with one client for a defined engagement, like 'Python Tutor for 3 months', rather than having you grab small tasks from a shared queue. Most roles function as steady contract work, not one-off gigs.

Does Mercor's application require an on-camera interview?

Yes, every applicant records a video interview with an AI interviewer that asks questions about your resume. Clients review that recording to judge communication skills before matching, so there's no way to apply without going on camera.

Do I need a PhD for academic-niche AI training roles?

For the top pay tiers, a PhD or current enrollment is usually expected. But the domain assessment is what decides it: if you can solve the problems, the degree becomes secondary.

Is academic-niche AI training a continuous job?

Usually not. Work runs in campaigns, like training a model specifically on quantum mechanics, that might last a few weeks. Treat it as a high-paying fellowship or grant rather than a permanent daily job.

What does STEM work look like for a STEM QA Reviewer — Materials Engineering?

Tasks here are scoped to STEM, not generic labeling. As a STEM QA Reviewer — Materials Engineering, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to STEM) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on STEM background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.

What specific skills does this listing call for?

Data Annotation and Expert 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 $90/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 Mercor'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.

Is a PhD required?

For this specific role, yes, or near-equivalent professional depth. The credential gate is enforced at the assessment stage, not just on paper. That said, active PhD candidates and people with equivalent published research have qualified without a formal degree. The assessment is the real filter.

How soon will I start working after applying to Mercor?

Not immediately. Mercor is a talent marketplace, not a task queue, so applying puts you in a pool of candidates. You start working only once a specific client, like a major AI lab, selects your profile, and that matching process can take weeks.