Mechanical & CAD Engineers (Must own MacBook)
Listing checked October 19, 2026 · pay as published by Mercor
Overview
Mercor runs this research project alongside a leading AI lab, and the work sits inside real mechanical design practice. You open Fusion 360, Onshape, Shapr3D, or FreeCAD on your own Mac, model and draft the way you normally would, and narrate the reasoning behind each move. Those recorded sessions turn into training data that helps benchmark and sharpen advanced AI models. Plan on about 10 to 20 hours a week, with an immediate start on the table. Postgrad engineering students and engineers with 2 to 3 years of practice both fit the brief.
What You'll Do7
- 1Complete mechanical design assignments in Mac-compatible CAD software, from early concepts through finished 3D models.
- 2Talk through each modeling choice as you work so the recording captures how you reason about a design.
- 3Produce engineering drawings and apply GD&T callouts when a task requires them.
- 4Check your own output for accuracy and completeness before submitting it as training material.
- 5Hold a steady delivery rhythm across the 10 to 20 hour weekly commitment.
- 6Raise ambiguous or unclear tasks with the research team so the brief gets refined.
- 7Keep your modeling workflow consistent so sessions stay comparable across tasks.
Requirements6
- 1Own a MacBook or Mac with an Apple M-series chip or Intel processor running macOS 15 or newer. No Mac means no eligibility.
- 2Degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related field, backed by hands-on 3D modeling and drafting work.
- 3Proficiency in at least one Mac-compatible CAD package such as Fusion 360, Onshape, Shapr3D, or FreeCAD.
- 4Explain your engineering decisions as you work, in both speech and writing.
- 5Currently pursuing a Masters, finished one in the past few years, or hold 2 to 3 years of relevant experience plus a Bachelors from a strong institution.
- 6Familiarity with GD&T and engineering drawing standards adds weight to your application.
Who Should Apply
Mechanical engineers and CAD drafters with 2 to 3 years of practice, plus postgrad engineering students mid-Masters, who already own a Mac and can talk through design choices while modeling. Comfort with Fusion 360, Onshape, Shapr3D, or FreeCAD counts for more here than years on a resume.
Salary Insight
Pay runs $50 to $60 per hour, billed for the hours you actually log on a part-time schedule of about 10 to 20 hours per week. That band sits at the higher end for part-time contract CAD and design-annotation work, and it typically matches engineers who bring a few years of hands-on modeling plus graduate study in progress.
Pay and demand for Machine Learning & AI roles
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$80/hour
This role
$50–$60/hr
Most Machine Learning & AI roles pay $55–$105 per hour. This role's pay falls inside that range.
Based on 553 similar roles that publish pay · 96 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
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Compensation
$50–60/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
Put your CAD tool and your exact Mac model on the first line of your resume summary, then add one project line where you applied GD&T or shipped production drawings. The screening starts with a three-minute AI interview that scores reasoning, so rehearse narrating one design decision out loud before you record.
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